Garmin finds its way into mobile phone market

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 31 Jan 2008 at 09:14

Garmin has announced that it's entering the mobile phone business with a new GPS-focused handset.

The device, dubbed the nuviphone, will attempt to take on the iPhone by pushing the company's satellite navigation technology to the forefront of the device.

Controlled through a 3.5in touchscreen, the nuviphone will feature a "Where am I?" function which will instantly locate a user on a local map, pulling up points of interest including cash machines, petrol stations and tourist attractions.

Pictures taken with the camera will be instantly geotagged, while a collaboration with Google will allow users to find results orientated around their current location when using the search engine, including traffic and weather reports.

Another Google tie-up will allow users to access geo-located landmark and sightseeing photographs through Google's Panoramio picture-sharing site.

The phone will support 3.5G, though not third party applications, a decision which has already proved unpopular on the iPhone.

Further details are sketchy, with the OS and price currently unknown and no network partners announced.

Garmin says it expects to ship the phone in the US this summer, though there's no word on when we might be seeing it in the UK.

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