T-Mobile Garminfone official: Android, 3 megapixels, zero nuvi branding

We've known that Garmin-Asus has been working on a phone with T-Mobile's 3G bands for a while, but now we finally know what it is: meet the Garminfone. Yes, just "Garminfone" -- you won't find an ounce of nuvifone branding here, despite the fact that the device is a dead ringer for the nuvifone A50 announced back at MWC, which leads us to believe that AT&T might hold the exclusive American rights to market the name with its own G60. Whatever the case may be, you can expect a 3 megapixel autofocus cam, microSD expansion up to 32GB, WiFi, and full HSPA alongside Garmin's own flavor of Android (currently based on 1.6, we believe) that emphasizes its nuvi-esque navigation capabilities on a 3.5-inch HVGA display. As you might expect, it'll come bundled with a charging dash / windshield mount (notice those gold connectors on the side of the phone) when it launches "later this Spring." Follow the break for the full press release.

T-Mobile Garminfone official: Android, 3 megapixels, zero nuvi branding

Show full PR text

Garminfone, exclusively from T-Mobile USA, Inc., is the first Android-powered smartphone and fully integrated Garmin Ltd. navigation experience in one. This sleek device features multiple positioning technologies and on-board maps to provide navigation from the middle of town to the middle of nowhere - and back. A full-touch 3G smartphone, Garminfone provides driving, walking and public transportation navigation with voice and on-screen directions and automatic re-routing. Helpful Garmin travel applications such as dynamic, real-time traffic; weather; estimated time of arrival; and gas prices are pre-installed and easy to access and use. Garmin Voice Studio, an exclusive Android navigation application, allows customers to record custom voice directions from family and friends. And with access to Android Market, customers can choose from among thousands of applications to enhance their journeys.

Garminfone also delivers essential smartphone capabilities, including easy access to personal and corporate e-mail, messaging, full HTML Web browsing and a 3-megapixel camera. In addition, Garminfone allows customers to easily call, navigate and charge the battery simultaneously with the included dashboard and window mount.

Key features of Garminfone
Premium Navigation and Design Features
Voice and on-screen turn-by-turn directions with automatic re-routing for walking, driving or public transit
Lane guidance, junction view, speed indicators and expected time of arrival
North America maps, including nearly six million points of interest are pre-loaded on the phone for fast and always-available acces
Multiple positioning technologies provide location no matter where you are
Pre-installed travel applications include dynamic, real-time traffic, weather and localized information, including nearby gas prices, restaurants, movie times and more
Garmin Voice Studio, an exclusive Android navigation application that allows customers to record custom voice directions from family and friends
Premium services including flight status, local search and more
Large 3.5-inch capacitive touch display with auto day and night modes
Charging dashboard and window mount included

Web Experience
Full HTML Web browser with pinch and zoom capabilities
Integrated Google™ technology including preloaded applications such Google Maps™ Street

Multimedia Features
3-megapixel autofocus camera with digital zoom
Music player that supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, MPEG4, WAV and MIDI
Stereo Bluetooth 2.1/A2DP
MicroSD expansion slot supporting optional removable memory up to 32 GB
Built-in mini USB

Staying Connected
Easy access to personal and corporate e-mail, including support for Microsoft Exchange, AOL®, Windows Live Mail, Gmail™ and most other POP3 and IMAP e-mail services
Google Talk pre-loaded
Built-in support for Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE world phone [phone] MHz)
Dual-band 3G UMTS/HSPA world phone (Bands I& IV)

Additional Features
Dimensions: 4.57 inches x 2.45 inches x 0.51 inches; Display: 3.5 inches; Weight: 4.8 ounces
Talk time: up to five hours; Standby time: up to 10.4 days
View, YouTube™, Google Search™ by voice and
Google Talk™ - and access to Android Market

Availability
Garminfone will be available in the U.S. exclusively to T-Mobile customers later this spring. More details are available at http://www.garminfone.t-mobile.com.

[iakona Posted Apr 21st 2010 12:44AM]

Runs android, it can't fail. Hahaha

[azngamer2006 Posted Apr 21st 2010 12:54AM]

With the original Nuvifone being a total flop, I don't think this will be any better

[CorpType Posted Apr 21st 2010 12:55AM]

I'm thinking that it will be another year, if ever, before Android is ready for the corporate environment: I doubt that my company would ever agree to have it's calendars, emails, and contacts in the Google cloud.

Even if that were acceptable, I couldn't connect my phone to our network without strong, supported (not jailbroken) VPN.

WinMo, iPhone, and Blackberry work well in this corporate environment, but now that Garmin has discontinued its Mobile10 product for WinMo, and their Blackberry product is server-based, I'll probably have to switch, eventually, to the iPhone. At least if I can't hold our until Android puts its corporate suit on.

BTW: I find having real, stored-maps, cell-tower independent GPS in my phone to be a real value: I spent much of last summer travelling in the radio quiet zone in West Virgina, so I needed a real GPS, not some server-based service. Also, keeping everything in one place means that there's less to unload from the car: thieves will smash your windows to get a gps (at least where I have been).

[TheLondonExchange Posted Apr 21st 2010 12:57AM]

another day another android failure

[smallj Posted Apr 21st 2010 12:57AM]

Android is taking over!!!! (dont let apple know they think theyre the best)

[techtroll Posted Apr 21st 2010 12:59AM]

Hopefully we won't see gps lag with these phone. I had problems running Garmin Mobile XT 5.00.10wp on my 528Mhz Touch Diamond, there was just so much lag and it took like 10 min to lock on a Satellite.

[tkedch Posted Apr 21st 2010 2:29AM]

@techtroll
did you try other radio for your phone? I have touch pro with XT, and it locks up within seconds.........

[techtroll Posted Apr 22nd 2010 1:30AM]

@tkedch What radio are you using? I'm using 1.00.25.05.

[student13 Posted Apr 21st 2010 1:04AM]

I think this is an excellent phone and here is why
PROS:
No downloading maps ( over 3G when you need to go anywhere)
No Roaming 3G charges
No data overage
Coverage everywhere (not where you have good cell reception).
Traffic over FM frequencies instead of over 3G.

CONS:
ANDROID 1.6 the phone should have 2.1 no excuses.

Should look more like either senseUI or regular android too heavily modded !!!!!!! Should look /have [PHONE/TXT MSG/BROWSER/MAIL DOCKED ] (like iphone).

Should get fm radio with RDS (station display and song name).

Should get FM traffix displayed on maps like in regualr garmin sets.

I hope a Garmin rep is monitoring this blog and will take in constructive criticisms.

[student13 Posted Apr 21st 2010 1:09AM]

I MEANT TO SAY THAT THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE AN EXCELLENT PHONE

[Shoemeister Posted Apr 21st 2010 1:09AM]

Well, they gotta do something to stay relevant.

Too bad this isn't that something.

[Johnny Rockets Posted Apr 21st 2010 1:20AM]

Haha: Garmin!

Sorry but there's no reason for your company to exist anymore.

You'd be better off (and so would a lot of people) making an _APP_ for Android that has offline map navigation rather than a whole phone. That way no one needs to buy your crappy 1.6 phone (and no one will), and everyone who needs/wants offline maps can get it.

[NuShrike Posted Apr 21st 2010 1:49AM]

@Johnny Rockets Exactly, ever since the Palm Garmin phones, it makes no sense for them to compete on the phone level.. they can't, proven before, and they can't even polish their separate app well-enough to being with.

[Johnny Rockets Posted Apr 21st 2010 1:21AM]

Also... Why is this breaking news?

[IT expert Posted Apr 21st 2010 1:44AM]

Glad they threw out the rotting carcass of Windows Mobile, and switched to Android.

[Chefgon Posted Apr 21st 2010 7:16AM]

@IT expert

When did they use Windows Mobile? The first nuviphone was a totally proprietary OS.

[kingstu Posted Apr 21st 2010 1:53AM]

I'm excited. The BEST navigation with Breeze UI. It will get upgraded to 2.1 and it has andriod market. Why is it a fail? Because people want to pay for a data plan to have maps? This will work perfectly with t-mobile prepaid sim and wifi if you want..The total cost of ownership can be as low as you want it.

[JFH Posted Apr 21st 2010 3:22AM]

@kingstu

People do not have to pay for a data plan to get maps.

[kingstu Posted Apr 21st 2010 3:31AM]

@JFH I know that a with this phone a data plan is not needed or required. I was pointing out that other navigation solutions require it.

[bahathir Posted Apr 21st 2010 2:01AM]

I wish Garmin will sell the Navigation Android apps. I tried Papago M6 on my N1.

[takinwande Posted Apr 21st 2010 2:42AM]

I do not think this phone will fail and here are my reasons.

Anyone that has ever used a Garmin GPS device knows that they have the best and easiest to use devices out there.
Placing this on an Android phone could prove to be a deadly combination. I mean "best os out there for now" + "best navigation experience" = happy users. :)

Furthermore, there is no need for a data connection to download the maps as they are already preloaded onto the phone. Can't go wrong there.

I can see why people might think 1.6 is nothing compared to 2.1 but even so, an article I read a while back said all android devices would be updated to 2.1 so it is safe to assume that this will be updated, maybe even before release or a little after.

[JFH Posted Apr 21st 2010 3:23AM]

@takinwande

Bull

[Celz Posted Apr 21st 2010 3:42AM]

@JFH This phone will sell.. Simply from brand recognition.. The first iPhone sold because of the my iPod is better than yours factor.. All the first iPhone had was a good web browser.. It was technically a feature phone without many features.. This device wont be a huge hit, but alot of 30-40 somethings people who have been using Garmin devices for the past 5+ years will see this as a brand they can trust and software they can use.. Millions of Americans dont want Google Nav simply because they dont know how to use it and dont want to learn.. They could care less of all of the new geektastic features.. My uncle got a Droid the day it came out and hasnt downloaded one app yet, he would probably take this phone over any other android phone

[ASEVENSEE4 Posted Apr 21st 2010 2:48AM]

I hope they advertise it enough. If no one knows about it, it will just drown in the sea of up and coming smartphones..

[Bushrod Posted Apr 21st 2010 2:58AM]

I'm gonna play devil's advocate here, so feel free to bash me. Here goes...

Pretty much all cell phones out there suck as navigation devices. They are slow to compute your route and generally don't have as streamlined interfaces as dedicated navigation devices. This phone has the potential to be as good as a dedicated Garmin nav device and be a solid Android phone, and hence be a pretty sweet phone for a certain market segment.

[Hydra Posted Apr 21st 2010 3:15AM]

Whats the point anymore? google turn by turn = WIN

[xdeiri Posted Apr 21st 2010 3:25AM]

some one need to tell me how to separate mobiles from other devices.

[dracoaffectus Posted Apr 21st 2010 5:12AM]

I'm interested...are hardware specs available?

[Chefgon Posted Apr 21st 2010 7:13AM]

Attention T-Mobile:

You need a real high-end Android phone, NOW. You can't rely on Google to sell your only high-end device when most people don't qualify for subsidized pricing through their store. My wife is begging me to switch us to Verizon so she can get a decent phone, and I'm quickly running out of reasons to say no.

[Olivier Posted Apr 21st 2010 11:01AM]

American culture strikes again: Americans, please stop dumping your forsaken Imperial Units on the rest of the world. UK population is slowly waking up to the metric system (aka the International System), so please at least allow the use of Kilometers!

[knwldg0010 Posted Apr 21st 2010 12:07PM]

Nice, but i think it is too little, too late.

[mobiware Posted Apr 21st 2010 4:39PM]

Yes it seems to run Android 1.6 as we reported back in February when this mysterious phone showed up in our app analytics logs:

http://www.mobiware.fr/2010/02/11/hello-garminfone/

[1eye4U Posted Apr 21st 2010 4:43PM]

been waiting for the Navigon Android app since they made a BIG announcement in January.... nothing for the U.S. and Canada just yet, it's still a waiting game.

Navigon and Co-Pilot will no doubt get the bulk of the offline GPS navigation business with the Android Smartphones and TOmTom will get the iPhone crowd. Garmin should just do the same instead of making these blah cellphone offerings.

[smlong426 Posted Jun 26th 2010 8:01PM]

Can you have simultaneous voice and data (2/3G) with Verizon yet? This is the one thing that keeps me on AT&T.

As for the Garminfone, I'm interested. I currently have a Nokia 5800xm and really like OviMaps with its locally stored maps. But, I want an Android phone. My big concerns with the Garminfone, though, are that the specs are pretty weak compared to other current Android phones with 800x480 SAMOLED, etc. HVGA display / video recording is even below my current Nokia 5800xm.