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The Indianapolis Star Erika Smith column: Garmin Nuvifone shines at navigation [The Indianapolis Star](Indianapolis Star (IN) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 23--As much as I tout cell phones that might as well be Swiss Army knives for all the stuff they can do, I also realize that some people want a phone that does only one thing and does it well. E-mail junkie BlackBerry users tell me this all the time. So do people who refuse to give up their basic, non-Web-enabled flip phones. I don't understand this, but I realize it's true. So, for those of you who like your technology piecemeal, the Garmin Nuvifone G60 (www.garmin.com/ nuvifone) from AT&T is worth checking out. You may recognize the name Garmin. The company is one of the top makers of satellite navigation equipment for use in cars, planes, boats and more. People who have a tendency to get lost -- some people I know can do that walking around the block -- rely on the audible turn-by-turn features to help them get where they're going. Garmin has taken this technology and put it into a cell phone. Now, I'll admit, navigation systems in cell phones are nothing new. AT&T has AT&T Navigator. Verizon has VZ Navigator. Sprint has Sprint Navigation. Google has a souped-up version of Google Maps for its Android phones. The Apple iPhone has Google Maps, too, plus a whole host of downloadable applications that can tell you how to get to where you're going. One is even made by one of Garmin's biggest competitors, TomTom. What's different about the Nuvifone is it just does navigation better. Really, it's not much like any other phone on the market, even though it does have some of the same features, such as the ability to send text messages, take pictures and browse the Web. The Nuvifone is a touch-screen phone. It has buttons only to turn the phone on and off, launch the camera and adjust the volume. But the screen has the funky roughness and roundabout precision of an in-car navigation system instead of the exact smoothness of an iPhone or a Palm Pre. This makes typing a serious pain. The on-screen digital keyboard is a decent size and expands into a QWERTY when you turn the phone on its side. But the smaller the keys are, the less likely the Nuvifone is to recognize what you're trying to type. So, sending e-mail and text messages can take forever regardless of the autocorrect feature. Luckily, the Nuvifone has big on-screen buttons to access common features, such as the phone, points of interest like restaurants and hotels, and the map for navigation. The map and navigation, of course, are where the phone really shines. The Nuvifone has voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions, just like an in-car navigation system. Click on an address in your phonebook or in an e-mail, and the navigation feature will pop up automatically. Also, it has a "Where am I?" feature that will display your current address along with the nearest police station, hospital and gas stations. You also can use the phone and navigation features simultaneously. But, personally, I think the coolest thing about the Nuvifone is Garmin Locate, which helps you remember where you parked by automatically marking your position when you remove it from the car. Talk about coming in handy in crowded, snow-covered parking lots this holiday shopping season. All of this probably would be enough to lure navigation aficionados. But just in case you wanted more, the Nuvifone also has a decent Web browser and the ability to view Microsoft Office documents, plays music and comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera. The Nuvifone is $199.99 with a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract from AT&T. To see more of the Indianapolis Star or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.indystar.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, The Indianapolis Star Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |