07/30/2008, 8:25am, EDT
Wednesday, July 30thGarmin nuvifone delayed until 2009
Garmin's long-promised nuvifone won't arrive until 2009, the company said today. Announced in January, the GPS-based smartphone was originally planned for a summer launch but is now targeted for a launch sometime during the first half of 2009. The release is being held up by "carrier specific requirements" that will require changes to the handset, according to the company. Which carriers are involved is unknown, though its particular 3G support makes it a likely candidate for AT&T as well as a number of European providers.
The delay creates a significant setback for the nuvifone, which would have originally launched in the same general timeframe as the iPhone 3G but will now appear at least six months later. Apple's device also now has similar cellular Internet access features as well as the defining GPS receiver, although the current implementation is less advanced than what Garmin has promised, with an interface that would effectively replicate the company's stand-alone nuvi GPS units' turn-by-turn directions.
Garmin is also facing increased competition from the BlackBerry Bold and an increasing number of other smartphones that make GPS standard and can use it for non-mapping functions, such as geotagging photos or running location-based social networks.
Filed under: iPhone, gadgets, mobile phones
Other story tags: Garmin, nuvifone
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Garmin Nuvifone
It is sad that the introduction of the Nuvifone shall be delayed while in the future later introduction of this phone it may be already badly outdated product lacking modern features as already its small 3 mega pixel camera. Assuming of course that during the next year the cameras are already fighting on the 12 mega pixel level.
secrecy
see, this is why apple does not talk about products before they're ready to release them. now everyone knows that Garmin was going to do a GPS-enabled phone, and they'll be working on their own takes on it, copying features that Garmin discussed, and generally stealing Garmin's thunder.
my guess is that this product will be DOA or just plain irrelevant!