Device manufacturer Mio and plucky chipset maker Qualcomm have been doing a lot of shaking-hands recently, with the announcement that the former’s Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) will be using the latter’s QST1100 chip, which combines application processing, a GPS receiver and cellular connectivity into the one unit.  This opens the door for future Mio models - potentially traditional in-car GPS units as well as smartphones with GPS built-in - to take advantage of two-way traffic updates, voice calls and search.

Image via Engadget’s hands-on

The QST1100 can work in traditional GPS, assisted-GPS (where a position is triangulated from the device’s cellular position) and combination modes, depending on OEM requirements and user location.  The addition of real-time road status updates - as seen on Dash’s OpenMoko-powered GPS device - means travellers can be instantly alerted (and diverted) should their plotted route become blocked.

Mio unveiled their prototype two-sided cellphone and GPS smartphone, above, at CES 2008 earlier this year, and while nothing is yet confirmed some believe this could be the basis for the first portable form-factor device produced under the partnership.

[via Engadget]