Garmin Nuviphone GPS Phone Preview

Check out what's new from Garmin: a potential rival for the much hyped iPhone.

When Apple announced that their second generation iPhone would contain GPS functionality, working with Google Maps to provide driving directions, it cast a certain damper over the GPS market. By integrating GPS technology in the iPhone, Apple was issuing a direct challenge to Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom, whose standalone GPS receivers have dominated the portable GPS market to this point. Would they be able to survive, when their primary feature had been co-opted by such an appealing, blockbuster gadget?

Garmin, at least, did not take this news lying down. They took steps to counter the competition of the iPhone by creating a comparable device, one that integrates GPS and telephone technology in a stylish and progressive way: the Garmin Nuviphone.

The Nuviphone is a co-production between Garmin, arguably the strongest of the GPS manufacturers, and ASUS, whose Eee PC netbooks have endeared them to gadget lovers and revealed a flair for innovation. When it comes to features, the Nuviphone is fairly comparable to the iPhone. The Nuviphone is controlled by a 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD display. It's a fully functional GSM wireless phone, expected to be available for use on the AT&T wireless network. This allows access to the wireless Internet over the Nuviphone's 3G HSDPA connection; it also has Wi-Fi support for accessing nearby hotspots on the fly. MP3 files are supported, as are videos presumably. It also has a camera for still photos and videos, which are geo-tagged with location information automatically.

The GPS functionality is typical of Garmin's receivers, with preloaded maps and vocalized turn-by-turn directions while walking or driving. Garmin has also roped in a number of Google applications for use with the GPS, meaning you can get information about attractions and important locations in your general vicinity with the "Where Am I?" feature.

The Garmin Nuviphone is expected to be released sometime in mid-to-late 2009. Exact details on the release date, pricing, and coverage plan are not available, so it's hard to make too many direct comparisons regarding its value over the iPhone at this point. Looking at the preview photos supplied by Garmin (seen above), it seems clear that the Nuviphone will be a little thicker and slightly less stylish than the iPhone. We're excited to see GPS companies taking steps to stay relevant and innovate, and we'll be keeping track of the Nuviphone as more news and information becomes available.

Comments powered by Disqus