MOBILESINDIANEWS: Garmin Debuts New Navigation Phone

Garmin’s Nuvifone is finally making its way to the Asian market. Spawned by a co-branded alliance between Garmin and Asustek Computer, the Nuvifone is expected to make waves when it hits Singapore, Malaysia and other nations in the region — and its next stop could be AT&T. Dubbed the “navigation phone” by its makers, the Garmin-Asus Nüvifone series puts navigation and location-based services (LBS) on a single device. The phone is being marketed to consumers who are looking for an all-in-one, LBS-centric touchscreen phone with a mobile Web browser and personal navigator. “We can’t wait for our customers to start using a Nuvifone,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “Our lives are all about location. The Nuvifone is designed around that premise, and that’s what differentiates it from the myriad of other phones on the market.” In addition to entering the Asian market, where its makers expect it to be a huge hit, rumors are swirling that AT&T is poised to launch the Nüvifone in the United States. Where Am I? There are two models in the line. The Nuvifone G60 and M20 both have touchscreen displays that feature three primary icons: Call, Search and View Map. Customers can scroll through the other icons by swiping their finger across the display, and a built-in accelerometer allows screen viewing in either portrait or landscape orientation. Both the Nuvifone G60 and M20 come with preloaded maps of North America, Eastern and Western Europe, or specific Asia-Pacific regions. The Nüvifone series has millions of preloaded points of interest, including hotels, restaurants and street addresses. Since the maps reside on the Nuvifone, Garmin said customers will receive turn-by-turn voice-prompted directions to millions of destinations without accessing their carrier’s data plan. The Nuvifone G60 and M20 rely on a real GPS receiver in addition to assisted GPS, so customers