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Hands-off with Garmin's nuvifone
We're not sure it was a real great idea on Garmin's part to put its new smartphone / GPS / iPhone wannabe in a darkly lit room, on a bright pole, with a shiny globe around it... but hey, it's not our company. Needless to say, it was pretty difficult to get a shot of this thing, and impossible to get it in our hands. Imagine if the Samsung Blackjack was all screen, and you can pretty much get an idea of what this little guy is like in person. Check the gallery below for our attempt at photos.%Gallery-14960%
Garmin gets official with its nuvifone
We know, it's not like the nüvifone is a total surprise any longer, but just in case you tend to rest easier after digesting information straight from the source, here goes. Garmin's recently (and abruptly) announced handset obviously marks the firm's first solo foray into the cellphone arena, and according to Cliff Pemble, the firm's president and COO, it's the "breakthrough product that cellphone and GPS users around the world have been longing for." That being said, the unit will feature a 3.5-inch touchscreen with a trio of primary icons -- Call, Search and View Map -- along with an internet browser, HSDPA support and preloaded maps of North America and / or Eastern and Western Europe. Furthermore, it houses "millions" of POIs, doles out turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions and becomes Garmin's first device to include Google's local search capability. As for pricing and availability? We're looking at a Q3 2008 release, but we'll have to wait things out before finding out a price and who exactly will be carrying it. Check out the gallery below for shots of the device and its UI, and head on over to Engadget Classic for lots more pics.
Garmin announces the nuvifone
That's right folks -- Garmin has just announced its new iPhone-like smartphone, the nüvifone. The device features full browsing, PIM, phone and of course, GPS functions. It's an HSDPA, quad-band phone, also equipped with WiFi, Bluetooth and a somewhat familiar ultrathin design with full touchscreen support. The unit will use Garmin's proprietary OS which is based on the UI its GPS units utilize, and sports a 3.5-inch LCD display... not unlike certain PNDs you know and love. There's no word on price or release date, though the company swears we're going to be hearing about it soon.
Which nuvi is the right nuvi for you?
Yeah, we sure love our charts / tables too, and with Garmin's nüvi lineup now bordering on thoroughly overwhelming, we're glad to see the folks over at NaviGadget doing the dirty work and cranking out "the ultimate nüvi comparison table." Click on for a much easier way to digest the latest outpouring of nüvis, will ya?
Garmin's pricey nuvi 850 shows up fashionably late
Quite frankly, we were a touch overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of new nüvis announced for CES, but apparently, Garmin has managed to recuperate from its own outpouring and is dishing out yet another newcomer. On the docket today is the nüvi 850, a Bluetooth-less navigator that attempts to compensate for its lack of handsfree support by featuring a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution touchscreen, a rechargeable Li-ion good for around four hours, a microSD slot, speech recognition, a 3D map view, support for MSN Direct and a built-in media player. Additionally, you'll find an FM transmitter, audio out and an internal (read: non flip-up) antenna to ratchet the style factor up a notch. According to Garmin, this fairly potent device will be up for grabs in Q2 for upwards of $800.[Via NaviGadget]
Hands-on with Avis' upgraded Where2 GPS
Avis is showing off its new Where2 portable nav unit this week, a customized Garmin Nuvi 780 that will replace the StreetPilot-based units currently in Avis' arsenal. The software has been mildly reworked to offer routing to Avis rental return locations and the like, but we think the best part of the customization is the bezel. Come on, tell us that red isn't way better than Garmin's own gray? Look for the new units to be available -- by rental only, of course -- in March.%Gallery-13176%
Video: Garmin's nuvi 880 on display
Just in case you've been longing to take a peek at the Garmin nuvi 880, you're in luck. This high-end navigator was sitting pretty for Mahalo Daily's Veronica Belmont here at CES, and as you've probably surmised by now, she was able to pick it up and snag some video. Yup, it's right beyond the break.
Hands-on with Garmin's latest GPS lineup
Garmin really didn't hold back on the releases this year, what with the new nüvi navigators, Forerunner 405 watch and Colorado handheld. We got a chance to handle a few of these, and we must saw we're pretty impressed by the thin form factors and sharp touchscreens. The new MSN Direct features probably won't revolutionize your GPS experience, and features like news snippets seem downright gimmicky when faced with the full-on internet access most of us currently enjoy on our phones, but plenty of folks will still find use for the gas price tracker, live traffic updates and movie times, and the interface really couldn't be simpler.%Gallery-12683%
Yup, here's Garmin's CES lineup
Whoa, Nelly! Garmin just did the deed and loosed a swarm of details on its jam-packed CES 2008 lineup, and sure enough, there aren't too many surprises. We'll let the new nüvi lineup get us started. First up, we figured you Americans should know that the previously Euro-only pink nüvi 200 is headed your way in Q1 for $249.99. Next up is the currently unpriced nüvi 260W, which looks to boast the exact same features as the nüvi 260 save for that luscious 4.3-inch touchscreen that this one is rockin'. Right on cue, it's the nüvi 5000 ($799.99), which you can catch more on -- along with the now official nüvi 780 / 880 (pictured above) -- right over here. Hungry for more? Head on past the break. %Gallery-12588%
Garmin looses pink nuvi 200 / 250 GPS systems on Europe
Europeans that just so happen to be in the market for a new GPS system and consider pink their favorite color can uncork that bottle of Champagne, as Garmin truly is coming through and delivering not one, but two pink navigators to your homeland. Both the nuvi 200 and nuvi 250 are set to hit Europe in "candy pink and powder pink" hues, and while the nuvi 200 seems to be exclusive to Halfords, the limited edition nuvi 250 should be more widely available. Aside from the color options and the "matching accessory case," the duo looks to remain unchanged from their less vivid siblings, and both are slated to land next month for £169.99 ($347) and £199.99 ($409), respectively.[Via Pocket-Lint]
Garmin nuvi 760 reviewed
The nuvi line has proven to be a big seller for Garmin -- we know half a dozen people who own a 300-series alone -- so expectations are obviously pretty high for the newest flagship device in the family, the 760. Luckily for nuvi diehards, the company has done just about everything right here, according to GPS Review, packing the 4.3-inch widescreen unit with nearly every bell and whistle you could possibly want in a PND while still maintaining the ease-of-use Garmins are known for. Specifically, you're getting pre-installed maps of North America, cellphone integration via Bluetooth, FM transmitter, text-to-speech, MP3 playback, and a cleverly designed traffic antenna built into the power cord that's capable of connecting to Clear Channel's Total Traffic Network. Apparently the biggest improvements over the 600-series are screen brightness, a "last position" feature to figure out where you parked, and a new routing function that lets you plot out a multi-stop trip or determine the best order in which to hit multiple destinations. Quibbles here are relatively minor -- wonky re-routing, too-late voice prompts -- and it seems the biggest barrier to purchase with the 760 is its price: at between $700 and $800, it costs quite a bit more than other models with nearly the same feature set.
Garmin planning pink nuvi for Europe?
Perhaps concerned that it's developing a reputation as something of a hard ass due to its serial legal battles with TomTom, American navigation darling Garmin will reportedly try to show off its sensitive side in Europe during the upcoming holiday season. Buried in a piece about the state of mass market satnav, Reuters reveals that Garmin has a Buddy-like, pink "nuvi-branded device" in the pipeline aimed at the fashionable ladies of Europe, most likely some variation of the 200 series. No more info is given, and since this doesn't sound like a very exciting product to begin with save for the fresh paint job, interested parties should probably keep their eyes on European GPS forums.[Via GPS Tracklog]
Garmin intros the nvi 750, 760, and 770 GPS units
Garmin has unloaded some big GPS guns in your direction -- taking the form of the nüvi 750, 760, and 770 -- and life as we know it will never be the same. According to those "in the know," the new units feature settings which allow you to store up to ten commonly (or uncommonly) used routes, plus the little 4.3-inch-widescreen-havin' guys will also sort routes for multiple destinations -- a feature which has been lacking in past models. The 700-series also gets upgraded here-and-there by way of added information like speed limits for highways and interstates, and a unique feature which helps you find your car in mall parking lots by marking the spot in which the nüvi was removed from the car. All three of the new units provide an FM transmitter for broadcasting voices and music to your stereo, and the 760 and 770 models include Bluetooth support, so you can rock extra-safe, hands-free driving when you're making your next big excursion. The nüvi 750, 760 and 770 will be available in the 4th quarter of 2007 for $642.85, $857.13, and $1071.42, respectively.[Via GPS Tracklog]
Garmin to unveil nuvi 700 at IFA?
Details are few and far between on this one, but the folks at GPSAndCo are reporting that Garmin is going to expand its nuvi line even further at IFA this week, with the hereto unheard of nuvi 700 apparently set to make its debut. According to the site, this one will boast a widescreen display and a design similar to the 200w and 250w, but with features more in line with the nuvi 660. That would include, they say, live traffic information and an FM transmitter, among other features. While that's up in the air at the moment, we should know one way or the other soon enough, with IFA officially getting underway on Friday.[Via Navigadget]
Garmin intros Nuvi 260 with text-to-speech
It looks like Garmin hasn't yet run out of digits in its 200-series of GPS devices, with the company today introducing the Nuvi 260 model, the first of the series to boast text-to-speech capabilities. That notable feature will let you keep your eyes on the road while the device calls out street names and directions. Otherwise, the device appears to be pretty much identical to others in the series, boasting a 3.5-inch touchscreen, pre-loaded maps of the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, six million points of interest, and an SD card slot for expansion, among other standard fare. Look for this one to land sometime this month with an MSRP of $499.99.
Garmin launches nuvi 200W, 250W
No surprise here, but Garmin's launching those two new nuvis, the widescreen 200W and 250W. Both feature the same 4.3-inch 480x272 touchscreen display and the usual turn-by-turn voice directions, POIs, and extras like currency converter, world clock, etc. The only real differences are in name, price, and maps; the 200W will run you $500 and comes bundled with maps of the contiguous 48 + Hawaii and Puerto Rico, the 250W will run you $550 and has the same, but also includes Alaska and Canada as well. Expect 'em in July.
Garmin nuvi 200W and 250W to pack widescreen displays?
If you thought the 3.5-inch GPS market was getting a tad way oversaturated, apparently you weren't alone. According to a blurb at GPSPassion, Garmin has just recently let loose whispers of a widescreen four-inch version of the nüvi 200 and 250, both of which will don Ws at the end of their names to signify the extra real estate. The display itself will supposedly pack a 480 x 272 resolution, and while we can only assume that the actual software and feature sets will remain essentially the same, there's no way of knowing just yet. Notably, it's not yet clear if the North American-friendly nüvi 270 will end up gaining a bit of width too, but the 200W and 250W should hit European shops in the near future for an estimated €299 ($402) and €349 ($469), respectively.[Via NaviGadget]
The 2006 Engadget Awards: Vote for GPS Device of the Year
Now's your chance to cast your ballot for the 2006 GPS Device of the Year! Our Engadget Awards nominees are listed below, and you've got until 11.59PM EST on Sunday, April 15th to file your vote. You can only vote once, so make it count, and may the best tech win! The nominees: Garmin nüvi 660, Mio c710, Pharos iGPS-500, Sony PSP GPS, and TomTom GO 910. %Poll-292%
Garmin announces new 200, 600-series Nuvis
Garmin looks to trotted out Nuvis by the bucket load at CeBIT, announcing no less than a half dozen new models, as well as a new tool that'll let bosses keep tabs on their employees. Likely of most interest to those on this side of the Atlantic is the company's new 200-series Nuvis (pictured above), which now occupy the low-end of Garmin's Nuvi line. It comes in three different models models: the Nuvi 200, 250, and 270, each packing a 3.5-inch QVGA touchscreen and otherwise identical expect for the assortment of preloaded maps. Going for the basic Nuvi 200 will just give you coverage of the US, while the 250 adds maps of Canada, and the 270 goes all out with maps of more than 30 European countries. Rounding out the new Nuvis, Garmin's brought a bit more variety to its 600-series, adding the 600, 650, and 660FM models. Each boast 4.3-inch widescreen displays, with the 600 and 650 catering to North American and European drivers, respectively, and the 660FM (only available in Europe) adding an FM transmitter to the mix. Look for the whole lot of 'em to be available next month. Lastly, Garmin's also rolled out an app designed to work with its Mobile XT unit and GPS Buddy's products, which lets bosses take advantage of their employees' smartphones to monitor and direct them in real time -- no doubt set to prompt a rash of phones "forgotten" at the office.Read - Garmin Nuvi 200-seriesRead - Garmin Nuvi 600-seriesRead - Garmin Mobile XT and GPS Buddy
Garmin announces four more devices: Nuvi 370 / 670, VIB 10, and z?mo 450
Only a couple days after showing off some new GPS receivers, Garmin is continuing the love and announcing four more devices. First up is the Zumo 450, which is designed specifically for motorcyclists. This one's ruggedized and waterproofed for use on your hog and lets you save custom routes to an SD card and then share 'em with your fellow bikers (at least the ones who also own a Zumo, that is). The interface -- which can be used through a glove -- has over-sized buttons for safety and easier use. As far as security, the Zumo features a locking mount and the GarminLock -- a 4-Pin password theft prevention system. Next, is a pair of Nuvis -- the 370 and 670. Both these models feature integrated traffic receivers, Bluetooth, and a built-in microphone and speaker. Each includes MP3 player, picture viewer, and currency/unit converter software. The main difference is that the 370 sports a 3.5-inch, 320 x 240 pixel touch screen, while the 670 has a more generous 4.3-inch, 480 x 272 pixel touch screen. Last up is the VIB 10, a vehicle integration box. Designed to work with the StreetPilot c550, the VIB 10 connects the GPS receiver directly to your car's audio and power system, which while reducing cable clutter and freeing up your car's cigarette lighter, it however does also eliminate the ability to tune into live traffic services. Keep reading for a few pics of the other devices. [Via GPSGazette, Navigadget, and MobileWhack]Read - Nuvi 370 and 670 Read - VIB 10Read - Zumo 450
