Garmin jumping into the cell phone business

I hope that Garmin is not spreading themselves thin and not focusing on their main product.

Thanks for the link!

I think this is a brilliant idea. Many folks use their phones for directions. The nuviphone is far better for directions than a tiny cell phone screen. I see this device as being useful while driving for directions and making calls. Plus you take it with you for calls instead of just to keep it from being stolen!

Does anyone remember about 9 years ago the NavTalk that Garmin had tried to market? It shows up here: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=165

Here's the link on the Nuvifone:
http://www8.garmin.com/nuvifone/

What would really be nice would be to add the PDA capabilities like I have with my ATT 8525 (or other similar devices). If that were the case, I'd consider getting one.

Joe

Garmin had better diversify their product line. GPS technology is solved for the most part. The GPS industry has entered the low margin, low profit, mass production phase. For the GPS manufactures, it's become a matter now of merely adding bells and whistles to their existing product lines, which, without innovation, ultimately will doom them. Electronics are cheap. Any half-a**ed company can build a decent GPSr for not much money, and, yes, not much profit, either. Some of the smaller companies have already failed, and others, like Garmin, have seen their profits slip.
Innovation is key to a company's survival. But it's got to be major innovation, not just the newest bell or loudest whistle.
If I'm a Garmin shareholder, I'm not sure that getting into the glutted telephone market is the way to go, however; only time will determine that.

Media Gallery
http://www8.garmin.com/buzz/nuvifone/media_gallery.jsp

Press Release
http://www8.garmin.com/buzz/nuvifone/press_release.jsp

Can't wait to see who is the provider in US; AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.

Wow now that is exciting.

Miss POI

Where do I add custom POIs to this thing?

dd

Who am I? Where am I? Oh, let me check my NuviPhone. Now that's what I'm talking about. What great news!!

I don't know a lot about wireless phones. Can this be designed in such a way that you simply plug in the SIM card for your choice of wireless carrier or does the phone need to be designed specific to the carrier?

Depends on which carrier(s) Garmin makes arrangements with to offer the phone. If they pull an iPhone, and lock on to one carrier - that's who you'd be stuck dealing with.

I wish it were a CDMA phone...there'd be more carriers to choose from.

Hopefully, this is the tip of the iceberg for Garmin. They need to partner with as many cell carriers as possible. Cellular-connected GPSr devices will be the norm in just a short time. And if done correctly, this can completely change the current map update and POI update methodologies. Would we not all eagerly pay a monthly subscription fee for a service that automatically downloads monthly (or even weekly/daily) map updates as they get updated, including real-time traffic data and the ability to search Yahoo or Google for POI's while on the road? And do away with the yearly DVD map update process? "Send to GPS" could then include ANY GPS unit, not just the one that's tethered to my computer via USB.

As an aside, Google Maps for Mobile devices just had a cool upgrade. It uses cellular tower triangulation to pinpoint your general location when you open the map. In suburban areas, the accuracy is within one mile of the tower. But it's much easier to open the map on a mobile, select My Location and have the map open to your general area without having to search an address or city first.

On my Blackberry uses the BB's gps, and locks on just as good as my Nuvis. Downside is it has to constantly download background maps off the network.

Garmin offers an app for smart phones that runs about $10 a month for the application, plus any applicable data charges from the cell phone provider. For what it's worth...the Nuvis do a much better job navigating.

The dynamics on a cell phone will probably stay that way, with predictive downloading around where you are. But they don't store much else. They free up the memory when you exit or move. Much lower powered CPU, and typically much less RAM. I have an older non-GPS Blackberry, and it's just not powerful enough for routing even if it did have GPS. So they've had some time to work out some logistics with GPS on a phone. They have to be looking at incorporating CDMA or GSM into the standard auto units, don't you think? No, I don't want a phone in my Nuvi. I just think they will have to incorporate CDMA/GSM data to move the current technology forward.

IMHO Garmin needed to do something I just don't know if this was the best choice trying to go out marketing their own phone device. Integrated GPS touch screen phones have been out for a long time already especially in the Pocket PC PDA form factor. Garmin has nowhere near the branding muscle to be successful in a phone world. Even mighty Apple is having major issues making a dent with their iPhone blitz but only time will tell if Apple ever makes any money on it.

It is has been reported for the last two years that GPS on phones is where the future was going and we can see today the number of phones out today that uses integrated GPSr.

And I don't count the Google Maps and all the other GPS wannabe's as a viable option because it depends on the always-on connection of the data services which just doesn't cut it today.

The bottom line is the carriers rule the market today and without a set agreement with one the nuviphone won't be getting anywhere. That could be one reason why Google started their open source attempt for a phone OS to get more muscle with carriers via a consortium of sorts. CDMA carriers don't mean much of anything in a world wide market so at least they did the right choice by going with a GSM version. But without a major phone carrier agreement this device might die before it even has a chance to hit the streets.

And I'd be one really happy camper.

And I have to disagree with you on the assessment of CDMA.