Garmin Nüvifone
 | |
| Manufacturer | Garmin |
|---|---|
| Compatible networks | Quad-band GSM GPRS/EDGE HSDPA |
| Availability by region | 10/4/2009 (AT&T) |
| Form factor | Candybar Smartphone |
| Display | 3.5 in, color LCD |
| Connectivity | WiFi, Bluetooth[1] |
| Data inputs | touchscreen |
The Garmin Nüvifone is a line of Internet-enabled mobile phone and personal navigation devices manufactured by a partnership between Garmin and Asus. It makes use of a touchscreen with virtual keyboards and buttons. The product was announced on January 30, 2008 and only a prototype (presumably not fully functional) was available at the time.
Nüvifone is a 3G hybrid handset that can be docked into a vehicle mount. Once snapped onto the vehicle mount, it can automatically kick in the embedded GPS navigation and simultaneously enable hands-free calls. It is featured with a geotagging built-in camera that can help recipients of the geocoded photograph trace to where the photos were taken.[2]
According to the first press release by Garmin, it was expected to be made available to market in the third quarter of 2008.[3] A later speculation pointed to the second half of 2009.
In February 2009 it was announced that the Nüvifone would be launched as the Garmin-Asus Nüvifone G60, as part of a series of forthcoming Garmin-Asus Nüvifone devices.[4] AT&T is the exclusive carrier for the Nüvifone.[5]
The next device in the series was the Garmin-Asus Nüvifone M20. This has a 640x480 pixel VGA touchscreen, runs Windows Mobile 6.1, offers triband GSM/EGPRS + HSPA and WiFi connectivity, plus an accelerometer, a 3MP camera, 256MB of RAM, 256MB of ROM and 4GB (8GB in some territories) of storage. The processor is a Qualcomm 7200A chip operating at 528 MHz. It also links into Garmin’s Ciao! location-based social networking application.[6]
In 2010, Garmin announced it will stop making nüvifones altogether.[7]
List of Garmin cell phones
| Name | OS | Release date | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| A10 | Android 1.6/2.1 Eclair | July, 2010 | Africa/Europe |
| M10E | Windows Mobile 6.5.3 | July, 2010 | Asia/Europe |
| A50/Garminfone | Android 1.6/2.1 Eclair (update) | June 9, 2010 | US (T-Mobile)/Europe |
| M10 | Windows Mobile 6.5.3 | February 6, 2010 | Asia/Europe |
| G60 | Proprietary (Linux) | October 4, 2009 | US (AT&T) |
| M20 | Windows Mobile 6.1 | February, 2009 | Asia/Europe |
See also
References
- ^ Topolsky, Joshua (2008-01-30). "Announcement summary on Engadget". Engadget.com. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- ^ Elena Malykhina (2008-01-31). "InformationWeek". InformationWeek. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- ^ "Press release". .garmin.com. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- ^ "i4u". i4u. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- ^ AT&T the exclusive carrier Garmin official site
- ^ Pocket Picks: Garmin-Asus impresses with its M20 navigation meets smartphone Archived March 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Garmin to stop offering cell phones Archived October 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine