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January 30, 2008 5:02 PM PST

Garmin unveils Nuvifone

by Bonnie Cha
Garmin Nuvifone

Garmin Nuvifone

(Credit: Gizmodo)

Garmin makes GPS devices. Garmin makes navigation software and accessories for cell phones and smartphones. Garmin makes cell phones...wait, what? Yep, you read right. Today, the GPS manufacturer took the wraps off its first smartphone at a press event in New York: the Garmin Nuvifhone. It's a GSM/HSDPA mobile that runs on Garmin's own operating system and focuses on, no surprise, navigation. The device will come preloaded with maps of North America (or Eastern or Western Europe for all our international readers) and points of interest. In addition, it offers turn-by-turn voice directions, Google Local Search integration, and Garmin's "Where I am?" safety feature, which displays your coordinates, closest address and intersection, and nearby emergency services.

The Garmin Nuvifone also features a 3.5-inch touch screen, a Web browser, and e-mail capabilities. It's multimedia-friendly with MP3/ACC/MPEG4 support and a built-in camera/camcorder. It also has access to Google's Panoramio picture sharing site, where can search through geo-located photos. The Nuvifone will be available some time in the third-quarter, but no specifics on dates or pricing. We're still getting details on this smartphone and will report them to you as they come in but any initial thoughts?

Originally posted at Crave
Bonnie Cha is a senior editor for CNET, covering smartphones and GPS. When she's not testing the latest gadgets, you can find her chasing after her crazy lab or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California. E-mail Bonnie.
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curious to see what garmin has to offer..
by seamonkey420 January 30, 2008 7:16 PM PST
a fresh face might be a good thing... i'm curious to see how their UI looks..

their ui's for their other gps devices seems rather intuitive so hopefully the phone will be the same.. plus, we konw for a fact that the GPS software in the phone will be the best thus far in a mobile.. (or it should be since it is garmin!)

send me a prototype and i'll let you know! :P

peace
seamonkey420
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Looks very promising
by kristimetz74 January 31, 2008 2:30 PM PST
I can't wait to find out more. It sounds very promising. And, it is cute as a button!
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Looks Nice!
by chris hallett January 31, 2008 3:41 PM PST
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Looks Nice!
by chris hallett January 31, 2008 3:43 PM PST
As an owner of the Garmin Ique 3600 pda, I've always told people "If it had a phone, I'd marry it". Well...... sorry dear;-(
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Nuvi phone
by haiku328 January 31, 2008 4:14 PM PST
The problem i have is that its all touch screen. I avoided the iphone for the very same reason after using the Motorola a1200 in asia. Having a qwerty keyboard is essential for business related tasks. That is why I love my Crackberry Curve even without all the bells and whistles
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Golf GPS with intelligence?
by daaboss February 1, 2008 8:04 AM PST
Garmin mentioned last year that they were going to offer a new device that will offer Golf Course navigation along with street navigation. So is this the new device they were alluding to? Now Garmin needs to input all of the lakes and obstacles into their golf course navigation software so an electric golf cart could follow you around without dumping into a lake or a sandtrap! (am I dreaming?)
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A PDA that's not a clunker
by robertgknight February 1, 2008 9:18 AM PST
I like the looks of this too, I've been looking for something like this that's thin with big screen. I hope it does other things well cause I don't really need mapping. :-)
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by sniperkj April 2, 2009 3:00 AM PDT
If you don't need mapping then just don't buy it and move on.
HTC Touch Cruise
by Gigagrunt February 1, 2008 6:09 PM PST
I am sure some of have heard of the HTC Touch Cruise. It already has GPS and Tom Tom software built in and Windows Mobile 6.
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by abcyesn July 7, 2008 7:40 PM PDT
I doubt this phone could be an iphone killer at all, so it doesn't work $499 according to http://www.Garmin-Nuvifone.org, this phone might not survive with this price.
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by eyepoker December 22, 2008 9:22 AM PST
spam links
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by Cube Over February 11, 2009 11:37 AM PST
It must be really buggy and unstable since nobody gives it in to play with.
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About Miss Direction

Bonnie Cha is a senior editor at CNET.com, covering PDAs, smart phones, and GPS. Though she didn't grow up in an era where GPS was widely used or readily available, she really wishes she had. Perhaps then she wouldn't have gone through the horrifying experience of her dad putting the car in reverse on busy I-95 just to make the exit for Disney World. In Miss Direction, Cha answers your questions about GPS, discusses the latest industry news and trends, and shares her tales from the road.

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