Garmin nüvifone Update: Pricing & Plan Info

The crazy gadget guys over at Engadget got an exclusive tip on the up-and-coming Garmin nüvifone. An Engadget reader snapped a screeenshot from a Garmin survey he participated in, which listed out the phone's features, pricing, and plan information. The list is quite impressive:

• Full Garmin GPS with 6 million POIs and voice turn-by-turn guidance
• 3.0mp camera with GPS location tagging (very cool)
• Touchscreen with location tagging
• Cellular and WiFi capability for web surfing
• All the modern mobile phone conveniences

All of these killer features and more for a mere $500. That price tag used to shock me until I my recent 16GB iPhone purchase. Although it's actually still pretty shocking. AT&T will allow you to choose any of their mobile phone rate plans and then add-on the $20 unlimited data plan. This is actually the exact same thing offered with the iPhone, but the calling plan for the iPhone are limited to a select few and the data plan is automatically included although it shows up as a $20 add-on when you get your bill. However, the nüvifone also features highspeed 3.5G service, compared to the slower Edge service my iPhone uses. Engadget is curious if potential customers think this is a good deal or not. I guess it's an OK deal, although I'd be hesitant to jump on immediately after the pricing fiasco of the iPhone. What do you think?

Thanks for the tip Ari!

in the forums!

Source: Engadget

Suzuki Spices Up The SX4

The trend continues.... Auto manufacturers are really jumping on the mobile electronics bandwagon after realizing the consumers really do like to have new technology inside their cars. Suzuki is the latest passenger on the wagon, offering a Garmin-powered navigation system in every new 2009 SX4:

"The embedded Garmin will have a custom flip-up compartment in these Suzukis and will be called “T.R.I.P” which stands for Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play. It has features like Bluetooth connectivity, traffic info, and possibly MSN direct, making us a think this will be a customized version of nuvi 780...."

Not a bad deal. Suzuki is really trying to get people back into their brand, and this could be another step in the right direction.

Source: Navigadget

Videos: Garmin Nüvifone FTW!

Garmin released a few videos showing the amazing Nüvifone in action. And folks... It really is THAT cool. Rich provided his thoughts on the Nüvifone when the story first broke, and the gallery made our mouths water, but the videos have really sealed the deal. This phone is dope.
I think one of the coolest features explained in the videos is the image geo-tagging. Say you're driving down the road and you spot that rare and classic 1985 Subaru Brat you've always wanted, but you need your buddy the Subaru expert to check it out. Well, all you do is snap a pic with your Nüvifone, send it to his Nüvifone, and he can tell the phone to calculate a route to the GPS coordinates attached to the photo. Cool, huh? I could also see this starting a new fad of geo-caching road rallies for car clubs. The only thing I can think of that would make this phone cooler is adding Autopage's cellphone-controlled C3 alarm/remote start system into the mix. Your cool-points would be off the chart.

Check out the videos after the jump!

in the forums!

BMW 1- & 3-Series Go Garmin!

BMW and Garmin have teamed up to offer a Garmin Nuvi360 to customers that figure out they should have ordered the factory navigation system after they purchase their new BMW 1- or 3-series. Since installing the system at the dealer is more than likely very expensive and complicated (often times requiring a whole new wiring harness), the custom-mounted Garmin is a great idea. The Nuvi360 comes customized with a BMW logo start-up screen and exterior casing. And not only does it include all the standard Nuvi360 features, but it will also include pre-programmed locations for all BMW Centers should the customer need to find the nearest BMW service center while on the road.

The 360 will also mount in the car via a BMW-specific cradle on the dash rather than the windshield, offering more of an OEM-look and a less cluttered appearance by hiding the cables. The Nuvi can be un-docked when you leave the vehicle for safety or for "pedestrian mode".

Truthfully, nothing beats the look of a nice in-dash double-DIN nav screen (or the trick pop-up OEM units for that matter), but if you need to use a portable in your Beamer, this is the way to go.

More pics after the jump.

Source: GPSDock.com

 

in the forums!

Garmin Nüvifone: A Traveler's Dream Come True

In the aftermath of CES came what I thought was a breakthrough product. I’m on the road 20 weeks a year and typically test drive more than 40 cars annually. I have tried to configure various mobile phone devices with an easy-to-use GPS package, but quite frankly, none have all the functionality of a standalone PND (portable navigation device). That is until now as Garmin has introduced the Nüvifone, which it claims is the first 3.5G smartphone to include full navigation, Internet browsing and messaging in an all-in-one format with a PDA-style form factor.

Unlike trying to run GPS software on your phone, this is much more like a PND with phone functionality. You put it in its dock and the GPS is activated. Through the navigational menu hands-free calling is enabled. It includes a Google local search functions so if you want to search for the nearest Starbucks, just search for “coffee shops” and it will provide a Web-based rating of local merchants and can navigate you there quickly. As I typically make four to six trips to Europe each year, I really appreciate the fact that the Nüvifone includes preloaded maps of North America and Europe and announces the street names for upcoming turns.

--Richard Truesdell
Editorial Director of Automotive Traveler, an online-only automotive travel lifestyle publication.

(Full gallery available after the jump)

in the forums!