Garmin announces nuvifone, GPS-enabled all-in-one device
Posted by Dusan on Thursday, January 31st, 2008 at 2:56 am under Announcements, Devices
Well folks its’ finally happening - Garmin is out with their own phone. Having their software running on the popular smartphone platform — Windows Mobile and BlackBerry — obviously isn’t enough.
The way we see it, the nuviphone is primarily a portable navigation device (PND) with mobile phone functionality built on top of it. We don’t actually have all the information at this stage — like which platform/OS Garmin’s using — but we’re sure we’ll know more about it following the Mobile World Congress where Garmin is exhibiting.
Anyway, here’s what we know:
- the device sports 3.5″ touchscreen
- HSDPA-enabled
- built-in camera can take both photos and videos. Megapixel count is not known at this stage
- Integrated with Google’s local search and Panoramio picture sharing site
- the homescreen has three large icons - “Call”, “Search” and “View Map” alongside 4 smaller ones - “Browser”, “SMS”, “Email” and “Tools”
- media player can handle MP3, MPEG4 and AAC files
- set for launch in Q3 2008. No price was disclosed.
Other cool features include “Where am I?” functionality which helps users orient in space, as well as the so called “”dude, where’s my car?” feature that tells drivers where they’ve parked their cars by automatically marking the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount…
We’ll certainly check Garmin’s booth at Mobile World Congress and in the meantime you may want to: a) visit Garmin’s website; b) check out the full release from here.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:43 am
Finally…a competitor!!! Now Apple please release a 3g phone with integrated GPS!
January 31st, 2008 at 5:34 am
UnseenLlama - A competitor for what??
January 31st, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Actually that’s looks alright. Well the interface does, the actual phone is kinda bland.
I think UnseenLlama is on about it being a competitor to the iPhone, forgetting all the other phones that are already here or on their way.
January 31st, 2008 at 2:35 pm
[...] iTunes mobile store - though O’Grady expects the nüvifone to add some mobile music store. IntoMobile’s Dusan gives the usual details on the Garmin phone, some nice screenshots and notes the [...]
January 31st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Andrew I was just being facetious
February 1st, 2008 at 12:19 am
Quick roundup,
The iPhone is an iPod Touch that makes calls.
Sony Ericsson builds cameras that make calls (or at least they used to make the best cameraphones).
HTC builds PDA’s that make calls (if they don’t crash first).
Nokia builds “multimedia computers” that make calls.
And now Garmin builds a GPS that makes calls.
. . .
I want a microwave that makes calls.
February 2nd, 2008 at 1:24 am
I want a TV that makes calls
February 2nd, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I want a phone that makes calls
February 7th, 2008 at 12:23 am
[...] Garmin announces nuvifone, GPS-enabled all-in-one device [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 5:06 am
[...] similar with Apple's. So far, they seem on the right track. Not that people are vowed with the Nuviphone as they were with the iPhone, it's the lawsuit that makes the Nuviphone and iPhone similar. [...]
April 1st, 2008 at 12:25 pm
[...] may think Garmin is now focusing all its attention to its newly announced Nuviphone. But no, the portable navigation device maker wants a piece of every single platform out there and [...]
May 5th, 2008 at 4:18 am
[...] is reportedly in the midst of surveying users whether they would buy their Nuviphone through AT&T for $499.99 with a two year contract. The deal would include unlimited Internet [...]
June 18th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
[...] has announced that it has, for the first time ever, outsourced production of a device. The Garmin Nuvifone, long-expected to marry Garmin's GPS navigation prowess with the convenience of a mobile [...]
July 30th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
[...] yet another answer to Apple’s iPhone and iPhone 3G handsets, Garmin’s Nuvifone was announced earlier this year to much fanfare and high expectations. Garmin’s prowess in GPS navigation [...]