GPS market leader, Garmin, has thrown its hat into the mobile phone arena with an interesting first product, the “nüvifone”.

The stylish looking device combines phone, mobile Web-browser and GPS into one touchscreen handheld. The company boasts that it’s the ‘ultimate multi-tasker’ and the “first of its kind to integrate premium 3.5G mobile phone capability with an internet browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and personal navigation functions in one device.”

When powered up, users are greeted by a simple menu on the 3.5in touchscreen with three icons: Call, Search, and View Map. The phone automatically enters GPS mode when docked in a car and is made ready for hands-free calling. The system used is the same as Garmin’s popular Nuvi GPS product line.

“The nüvifone is an all-in-one device offering unmatched integration of utility and function in a single mobile device,” claimed Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “This is the breakthrough product that cell phone and GPS users around the world have been longing for - a single device that does it all.”

The nüvifone is Garmin’s first device to include Google local search capability. It also includes the “Where am I?” feature for those nights when you get sloshed and lost in the wrong part of town and, offers access to Garmin Online for up-to-the minute info on real-time traffic, fuel prices, stock prices, sport scores, news reports, local events and weather forecasts.

It has a camera with video capability and will play back your tunes and MPEG4 videos. It’s due out in Q3 – no prices yet. Jump for another shot.-Martin Lynch

mobile phone phones GPS garmin

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