Garmin navigates its way into iPhone territory

We’ve long had to put up with a seemingly endless parade of would-be “iPod killers,” so it seems only fitting that we’ve now moved on to a bevy of “iPhone killers.” Latest among this devious lineup is the first cellphone entry from GPS maker Garmin, the nüvifone.

At first glance, the nüvifone looks, well, pretty darn similar to the iPhone. Big 3.5” touchscreen? Check. Sleek minimalist design? Check. Big red and green buttons to answer or ignore calls? Check. The biggest difference is that the nüvifone sports true GPS capability, allowing you to use it as a navigation device. They’re also bandying video-recording support, music-playing, picture-sharing, and more.

I’ve used Garmin’s GPS units a few times, and I have to say that they are pretty easy to use, but I still don’t think they hold a candle to the iPhone’s user interface. A phone and Internet-enabled device is obviously a lot more complex than just a single-purpose navigation device.

Of course, any real comparison between the two is entirely premature. The nüvifone isn’t due out until the third quarter of this year, and Apple’s been updating the iPhone’s capabilities pretty regularly. Garmin hasn’t released pricing or partnership details, so we don’t even know which carrier(s) they’d be paired with.

Either way, though, competition is certainly good for this market. Hopefully it’ll be enough impetus for Apple to keep bringing innovative new features to the iPhone.

Category: News

Posted by Dan Moren on Feb 1 2008, 3:03 PM ET

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