Is this really happening? Are we all collectively in some sort of lucid, dreamlike state where Garmin-branded cellphones flow like water, or is this the real deal? Correct us if we're wrong, readers -- but if we're reading this press release correctly, Taiwanese folks will have a crack at Garmin-Asus'
nuvifone G60 come the 27th of this month, just a few days from now; Singapore and Malaysia will have theirs meanwhile by the end of August, and Europe and the US are "on schedule" for the second half of the year (we hesitate to associate the phrase "on schedule" with this product, but we'll let it slide this time). If WinMo is more your cup of tea, the
M20 will be coming to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia in August
as expected -- the US isn't on the roadmap for this one, but Europe should have it later this half. These phones have taken so long to arrive that they'll be fighting an uphill battle against irrelevance -- but with the reality that handsets will be all but replacing dedicated portable nav units in the coming years, it's a play that Garmin's gotta still be eager to make nonetheless.
posted Jul 24th 2009 3:36AM
"but with the reality that handsets will be all but replacing dedicated portable nav units in the coming years, it's a play that Garmin's gotta still be eager to make nonetheless."
I was just thinking that today when i was flicking through a catalogue. Price is really the only chip GPS makers like Garmin and TomTom and Navman have anymore. They used to be able to overcharge like no tomorrow when phones didnt have GPS but no....its like a fight to see who can offer the cheapest price.
Of course they will always have their grandpa and grandma market that would never be able to figure out how to use a GPS enabled phone (seriously my g'rents had to ask me how to turn their mobile on and "get" a text message...)
This is certainly a good step for Garmin and despite taking so long still looks quite modern and appealing, even if it has lost some of its hype.
As long as things like battery life and the ability to use the phone to make phone calls while doing activity "x" (play music, watch video, write an email, surf the web, use gps) is not practical/convenient/possible, many users, such as myself, will continue to offer a collective "whatever" to the sentiment that one day, all of our devices will converge into one thing, which is also our phone.
Ever been on the phone with someone while driving and needing the GPS device to keep on working? Having two devices comes in handy there. It's not a hypothetical situation, it's a real usefulness issue. The other day a friend of mine was in the car with me, and we used his LG Dare as a GPS unit when we were lost somewhere; he took a call from his girlfriend, and I missed the next couple turns until he ended the call and put the GPS back on. Ever been throwing a party with your PMP hooked up to the stereo as the only music source? Try taking a phone call right then ("oh don't mind me guys, the music will be back on after this _phone call_).
This is why many many people find devices like the iphone underwhelming. I am all for smartphones. I use touch diamond, and I love being able to be on the web on the train in to work. But (aside from the fact that it handles GPS and music rather inelegantly -- which I realize is not the case with all smartphones) I would never want my phone to be my only option for using these features.
There's plenty of reasons why in a post-iPhone world, there's still a very robust, competitive, and expanding PMP market. All-in-one =/= one-for-all.
I'd like to note that my comments in the above post are not meant to 'bash' the iphone, which I think is a fine device. It's just a convenient/emblematic illustration of my point. I'm talking as much about any sort of 'convergence' phone, including the nuviphone in this post.
Well i think phones and GPS go together very well. Everyone knows you shouldnt be talking on the phone and driving at the same time, and in Australia at least its illegal.
Of course if someone else in the car needs to use your phone that creates an issue but for me when i had my HTC Touch Cruise that issue never came up. I loved having my GPS and phone in one.
Don't get me wrong -- I agree, phones and GPS do go together very well. The GPS on my buddy's LG phone was actually quite competent, easy to use, quick updates, etc. I also agree that people shouldn't be talking while driving. Studies indicate that even using speaker or a hands-free device to talk, there is still a significant level of distraction from the actual driving. That said, I still think there's a case to be made for standalone GPS, and standalone PMPs, at the very least -- even if they can be or are incorporated into one's phone.
The G60 has been listed here http://shopping.pchome.com.tw/?mod=item&func=exhibit&IT_NO=AEAA35-A41757280&SR_NO=AEAA35&ROWNO=2 for about 3 weeks now...
never tried a gps device before.
do they take 10-20 minutes to get a lock on the satellites, like my moto A3100? :(
Not at all, my HTC device with iGo only took 30 seconds tops to get a lock. Usually the SurfStarIII chips get a lock quicker than others and prove more reliable when in cities, i wonder what chip the nuviphone hides...
Im sorry i missed the most important point in your post. You WILLINGLY bought a Motorola A3100?
That has to be the ugliest POS in existence. It truly is scraping the bottom of the industrial design barrel.
WHAT This is impossible
Too late Garmin, I already bought an iPhone 3Gs.
I would not consider using my iPhone as a GPS receiver during any of the outdoor activites I enjoy such as camping, hiking or backpacking.
I'll keep my Garmin handheld for those things, and I'll keep my Nuvi for my auto because, quite frankly, the iPhone's GPS navigation abilities have sucked out loud in my experience. Perhaps my 3G has a bad chip? It constantly locks up when moving the map around trying to locate a waypoint, and it's slower than molasses when it does work. Still, even with those things aside I prefer the Nuvi's screen and overall functionality for driving.
On the flip side, I would not consider using my Nuvi as a picture viewer or music player, and unless these Garmin phones are waterproof and have superior battery life I won't be ditching my Colorado either.
I like my GPS being a GPS and my phone being a phone. Sort of.
The problem with the iPhone's GPS is that the receiver/transmitter is pretty puny. So it doesn't get the best signal from the GPS satellites compared to a dedicated unit or a military GPS device. This has resulted in multiple instances where I'll be driving down the highway but Google Maps on my iPhone 3GS will show me as drifting off of the highway and into a lake or something. I've never had that happen with my dad's Garmin GPS or my mom's BMW navigator.
why I want this device. pure and simple.
A "real" GPS receiver in a phone.
Ever drive in the mountains and can't get a cell signal. I'm some 30 mins from the city, so aGPS phone that relies on a cell connection is worthless to me.
That's why this phone is worth it's weight in gold.
go Garmin.
I'm with you Jawtab. This phone has the hotfix technology so it'll get a faster fix on your position than any other phone out there.