Garmin has taken assertive steps into the navigation-centric smartphone market this year, with the introduction of two new nüvifone models, and a deep partnership with Taiwanese electronics giant AsusTek. Thanks to major announcements at the February 16 Mobile World Congress, we know most of the features of the Garmin nüvifone G60 and M20 models to be introduced this year.
The two models represent two different approaches to personal navigation. The G60 is almost like a conventional car GPS with phone features and other location-based services added. It is closest to the original nüvifone concept Garmin introduced last year. It includes a suction cup windshield mount option, and with Garmin's familiar menu system, will no doubt function quite well as a car GPS, a capability that's new to the smartphone category. "The nüvifone G60’s sat nav operates like a Garmin nüvi with preloaded maps of North America or Eastern and Western Europe, and has millions of points of interest (POIs) including hotels, restaurants and street addresses," states Garmin.
The M20 looks and performs more like the current crop of big-screen smartphones that include built-in GPS, with the addition of Garmin's proprietary, easy-to-use navigation features and data.
Neither of these phones appear to be attempting to be "iPhone killers." For example, they have only basic MP3 music player features. Could be a smart move on Garmin's part - to simply create their own niche emphasizing personal navigation and location-based services within the growing smartphone market, rather than taking on Apple and other companies head-on.
Garmin promises pricing and availability announcements in the first half of 2009. Here are more details in the nüvifones' features:
Garmin nüvifone G60
- 3.6-inch (diagonal) touchscreen.
- Virtually all controls and typing done via touchscreen. No buttons.
- Main screen icons on left, "sliding" icon column on right (customizable).
- Built-in Wi-Fi.
- Accelerometer and automatic switch between portrait and landscape screen displays.
- "Location information is added to everyday applications including e-mail, SMS, photo sharing, social networking and more in order to enhance applications and share location information with others."
- Turn-by-turn, text-to-speech directions.
- Includes Ciao!, a location-based social network app.
- Mobile HTML Web browser.
- 3-megapixel camera that geotags photos, with link to Google Panaramio.
Garmin nüvifone M20
- 2.8-inch (diagonal) touchscreen.
- Windows Mobile operating system (sorry, Android/Google OS phone fans).
- Enterprise e-mail.
- ActiveSync for Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office.
- Multiple case colors available.
- Built-in Wi-Fi.
- Web browser with touch zoom and pan.
- Document viewing.
- Services: real-time traffic information, White Pages, weather, flight status, local events, and movie times.
- Includes Ciao!, a location-based social network app.
- 3-megapixel camera that geotags photos, with link to Google Panaramio.
