Garmin Releases Few Details on Nuviphone

On Wednesday (Jan 30) evening Garmin finally confirmed what has long been rumored: 
it is jumping into the smartphone market.

Speculation about the impact of GPS-enabled smartphones on the market for PNDs and other GPS-enabled consumer electronics runs the gamut of predictions from "little to none" to "dire consequences." Consequently there has been further speculation on when and if the likes of Garmin would debut such a device.

The Garmin Nuviphone will be available sometime in Q3 and promises to be a "work of art in features, design and functionality," the company said. The device features a 3.5-inch touchscreen; 3.5G cellular connectivity, including data, Internet, e-mail, and messaging capabilities; a built-in camera and multimedia file playback functions; and of course GPS-based navigation. Beyond that, technical specifications were scarce, as were details on pricing, availability, and wireless partners.

When powered on, the touchscreen display reveals three primary icons for calling, searching, and map viewing functions, according to Garmin. When the Nuvifone is docked onto a vehicle mount, it automatically turns on the GPS, activates the navigation menu, and enables hands-free calling, the company said.

As for navigation, the Nuvifone shares the navigation capabilities found in the company's line of Nuvi PNDs, Garmin said. The device also includes Google local search capability, the first Garmin device to do so, as well as access to Google's Panoramio, the search engine company's photo sharing site. It will also feature access to Garmin Online, an online service offering real-time traffic reports, fuel prices, stock prices, sport scores, news reports, local events, and weather forecasts, according to the company.

Garmin anticipates that the Nuvifone will be available in Q3; it said specific details about pricing and sales partners will be announced later.

Source:Garmin Press Release