Garmin's Nuvifone - iFone competitor with freakin awesome GPS

[Kyle Matthews]

Garmin has announced their first foray into the cellular world - the nuvifone. The device will have a 3.5 inch touch screen. Main icons at the bottom of the screen will include call, search, and view map. North American and/or Europe maps will come preloaded on the device, which also features HSPDA support.

Google's Local Search feature is included in the device, and by tying into the GPS, will provide a VERY nifty tool for searching for anything around you. Release date is Q3 of 2008.

Engadget has got a full photo gallery up, if you'd like to see more photos. And per them, here's a breakdown of some of the features:

• "Where am I?" - spits out precise longitude / latitude coordinates at a moment's notice
• Helps drivers remember where they parked by marking the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount
• Garmin Online - an online service offering constantly updated information such as real-time traffic, fuel prices, stock prices, sports scores, news reports, local events and weather forecasts
• Built-in camera (megapixels currently unknown; captures video as well) that automatically tags photos with exact longitude / latitude. This allows the user to navigate back to the location or email the image to a recipient who can navigate directly to its location.
• Provides direct access to millions of geo-located landmark and sightseeing photographs available through Google's Panaramio picture sharing site
• Integrated media player to handle MP3, MPEG4 and AAC files

Oh, and the last 5 letters are iFone. Garmin, you better prepare a plate for Apple's lawyers - they're on their way over.

Engadget

[Cody Overcash]

yeah iFone is phonetically identical to iphone

[viP4x]

I think the iPhone looks sexier

[MOSHO92]

I hope it does well in the market. iPhone 2.0 here we come!

[Marasmus]

Except Garmin's products are already called Nüvi, so Nüvifone will fly. Would be worse if it were Nüvi iFone or NüviPhone.

[Kyle Matthews]

Or NewiPhone.

[secretmrx]

thats awesome

signing your posts with spam and not using a signature isn't a loophole to our signature rule - admin edit

[ultimatexpka]

yea the iphone does looks much better then that phone... I wonder if their gonna hack it , bu so far iphone is the leading most flexible iphone ive ever seen with millions of apps =) and its PHAT

[sinister]

I wonder under what osx theyll use to write it :P

smirks

it will be a flop id rather buy the new iphone 2 :S so said to be released in june its just hear say though so sit tight

(Off Topic:also running JB 8Gb 1.1.3 smb and customize works found carrier logo cannot find the place to set custom bgrounds for the home screen pm me if any advice)

GL on the new phones lol

SINISTER

[Dust Busta]

Yea it's aight, But it aint got nothing on an hacked iPhone!!!!!

[LSZ33]

i might have to drop the iphone for the nuvi. GPS is a major plus.

[Emir S.]

Seems its aiming to the "on-the-go" explored phone with media capabilities, as well as 3G and real GPS.

I think there is a good market for devices like this as long as the features don't stop dropping off as they move closer to release date.

Id personnaly prefer this as my daily device as opossed to the iPhone.

[todesto]

men....this looks good to me.
I am getting really frustrated with volume issue with my iPhone....I am seriously gonna consider this.

[aerospace]

imagine someone calls you and wants to come over and they have never been to your house or the restaurant your at or whatver. you take a picture of the location so they recognize when they see it and thier phone automatically pics up the gps coordinates in the photo and routes them to the address. a bit more than offered here but the next step as i see it.

[mofolo]

hey this is good for us iphone users.
Nows apple will have to push for a better product or risk loosing to a better competitor!
I say bring out the new ifone!
muahaha

[saifeeab]

looks quite good actually...i wudnt mind it. GPS is a definite advantage too. Finally it will boil down to the OS and the 3rd party apps it supports. But all the best to Garmin for this.

[pcuserforever]

I like my iPhone, but it's not the greatest. If this one has A2DP, Bluetooth transfers, media player, cut and paste, real mms, and a horizontal keyboard for email, as well as 3G speed; F APPLE!

I forgot; EASILY UNLOCKABLE AND CUSTOMIZABLE!

[.:MirrorminD:.]

Well at least they're doing it right. Releasing it with HSPDA support

[pncntigger]

I kinda like it. Hope it's hackable:-)

[XFracture]

not quite as sexy as an iPhone is it?