Smartphone GPS navigation apps have become a staple for many, and some car manufacturers have even included built in heads-up-displays (HUDs) in their more recent car designs in order to accommodate this handy smartphone feature. The HUD option is quite convenient and can help to drastically cut down on driver distraction.

You may have been attracted to the idea of a HUD for you GPS navigation in the past but were turned off of the idea since your car didn’t come with one built in and you simply didn’t want to go through the drama of retrofitting one in your car. You’re in luck however, because Garmin has recently announced a portable HUD which is capable of projecting turn-by-turn direction onto your car’s windshield. The HUD, which can be used in pretty much any car, works in conjunction with any smartphone using either the Navigon or Streetpilot apps and is expected to be released in the latter part of summer and is set to retail at around $130.

The HUD is fed information by the smartphone app which is connected via a bluetooth connection and the directions are projected either onto a plastic film on the vehicle’s windshield or onto the Garmin’s built in reflector lens according to the BBC and Gizmag reports. Voice prompts can also be played to users through the speaker of the smartphone being used or via a bluetooth connection over the car’s stereo if it supports bluetooth audio. You don’t need to worry about being able to see the display in the dark either since it is capable of adjusting it’s brightness based on the amount of ambient light available.

A great idea, if I must say. Anything that helps to cut down on driver distraction has to be a good thing.

[via BBC, Gizmag, image via Garmin]