3GSM blog

Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M20

(Credit: Garmin)

Garmin-Asus is wasting no time on creating some pre-Mobile World Congress buzz. Last week, the companies announced their strategic alliance to collaborate on an entire line of Nuvifone GPS-enabled smartphones and revealed that it would debut a new Nuvifone model at GSMA 2009. We thought we'd hear about it on the opening day of the show, but on Thursday, Garmin-Asus took the wraps off the Nuvifone M20 and revealed full specs for the Nuvifone G60 (aka the original Garmin Nuvifone.

The Nuvifone M20 will run Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition with full e-mail support, document viewing, and Opera's HTML Web browser. The triband GSM (850/1800/1900)/dual-band 3.5G (HSDPA 850/1900) handset will also have integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Of course, navigation is a top priority and the Nuvifone M20 will come preloaded with maps and points of interest and will offer turn-by-turn voice-guided directions and automatic recalculation. To enter a destination, you can manually enter an address, search for a POI, or use an address from your phone's contact list.

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I saw it. I saw the coveted Garmin Nuvifone--well, through a glass bubble anyway. Garmin made the trek to Barcelona to showcase its first smartphone at GSMA Mobile World Congress 2008. The Nuvifone, which was introduced at an event in New York a couple of weeks ago, already has people buzzing and drawing comparisons to the Apple iPhone. So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw it at the Mobile Focus event the other night. Unfortunately, the only working model was sealed under a clear bubble. I was able to get my hands on a nonworking model to get a feel for the design, while CNET TV's Ariel Nunez got some footage of the main screen.

Superficially speaking, the iPhone doesn't have to worry about much. The Nuvifone has a nice, solid construction with a soft-touch finish. However, it is thicker and, from what we could see, the touchscreen and user interface doesn't quite have the flash and appeal of the iPhone. But hey, beauty only gets you so far, right? We'll be anxious to see how it performs when the Garmin Nuvifone becomes available in third quarter on 2008. For now, you can check out the First Look video (right) to get a closer look at the Nuvifone.

Nokia Maps on N95

(Credit: Nokia)

Hey, go take a walk, why don't ya? That is, with Nokia Maps 2.0. Nokia announced at GSMA 2008 that its newest version of the mapping and software application is now available in beta form, and it brings a number of enhancements, including more advanced pedestrian navigation. This makes complete sense to me, given that cell phones and smartphones make for better handheld navigators than in-car GPS. Of course, I realize not everyone lives in a place where you can walk to your destination, but for those who do, the new features of Nokia Maps 2.0 are pretty awesome.

First, there's the Walk function that gives you visual turn-by-turn directions and also provides information about surrounding streets and buildings. In newer handsets like the just-announced Nokia 6220 Navigator, you'll also get a built-in compass. And we're not talking about a simple digital compass. The map will move with every direction for more accurate orientation. Nokia Maps 2.0 also adds the option to purchase multimedia city guides that give you photos, videos, and audio streams of your destination. And of course, it will continue to offer in-car guidance.

Nokia Maps 2.0 is available for selected devices from the Nokia Beta Labs Web site, and the company hopes to bring the application to the mass market along with a Series 40 version during the first half of the year.

HTC P3470

(Credit: HTC)

We were hoping to hear some news from HTC, and the device manufacturer did indeed have a couple of announcements at GSMA. The first is the HTC 3470. The company is touting it as the affordable option for those looking for a smartphone with built-in GPS. Uhh, I'm not sure what HTC's definition of affordable is, but with a price tag of 449 euros ($652 U.S.), I wouldn't exactly call it a bargain. It comes preloaded with TomTom Navigator 6 software, so along with the assisted GPS, users will be able to get turn-by-turn directions, points of interest, and more. The Windows Mobile 6 smartphone also has a 2.8-inch touchscreen, a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, and 256MB of flash memory. The HTC P3470 will launch in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and the Netherlands later this month with Orange.

Nokia 6210 Navigator

(Credit: Nokia)

Man, I could really use this cell phone right now. Today, along with a slew of other devices, Nokia introduced its Nokia 6210 Navigator phone at GSMA 2008. Like its predecessor, the Nokia 6110 Navigator, which was announced at 3GSM last year, the 6210 Navigator has built-in GPS (integrated and assisted) but adds the new Nokia Maps 2.0 application and an integrated compass for pedestrian guidance. There's also an accelerometer onboard to more accurately track your position on the map as you're walking around town. (Seriously, I wish I had this phone in hand right now as the streets of Barcelona can be confusing--though I've accidentally stumbled upon some cool spots through my wanderings.) The Nokia 6210 Navigator can also be used in the car, offering voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, points of interest, automatic route recalculations, and an included vehicle mount. Local maps are preloaded on an included memory card, and you can purchase additional cards preloaded with other destinations.

Now, while you could essentially use the Nokia 6210 solely as a handheld navigation device, part of the appeal is that it's also a cell phone. The quad-band mobile supports HSDPA and also features a slider design, a 3.2-megapixel camera, S60 software, and an MP3 player and built-in radio. The Nokia 6210 Navigator is expected to ship in the third quarter this year for around $435 unlocked.