New phone coming out with very good potential, from Garmin a cell phone,GPS combo with internet and google maps.

Check it out (right click on big images and say view image)

Introducing the Survivorman 3000 by Garmin

http://www8.garmin.com/nuvifone/

Images:

http://www.slipperybrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/garmin-nuvifone.jpg

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/01/nuvifone_new1.jpg

http://www8.garmin.com/buzz/nuvifone/m/g/sc-hnavigation-lg.jpg

http://www8.garmin.com/buzz/nuvifone/m/g/sc-camera01-lg.jpg

http://www8.garmin.com/buzz/nuvifone/m/g/sc-browser-lg.jpg

Nice looking phone...wonder what carrier it will use...

I'm not sure as of yet, but if they play their cards right and see the phone at a reasonable price it could be a big hit. I'm not to concern with the carrier as I am to the freq band it operates at. I am very confident there will be a way to unlock the phone with in a few weeks of the release and as long as the freq jives with the carrier you want. They said late 3rd quarter, I'm thinking near Christmas the way Garmins marking department goes. I like the capability and we shall see down the road. May be it can compete with the N95 and Iphone. I bet Nokia with the N95 is hating this.

I agree, Garmin needs to reduce a lot of there prices to stay competitive. I still think the Garmins are the best GPS for durability and functionality. They are finally getting a little more accurate with better chip sets.

According to Garmins webpage it appears to be a GSM phone so if you have a GSM carrier (i.e. AT&T, T-Mobile) you should just have to put your SIM card in it. Assuming Garmin sells this as an unlocked phone you should be able to use it with any GSM carrier.

When somebody who doesn't make phones tries to make a phone they generally need a few attempts to get it right.

I'll stick with my blackberry. I thought the GPS in it was pretty good...then I went to maps.google.com and my mind was blown.

Garmin has sold a GPS/cellphone combination in the past.

As for Garmin's recent improved focus on product updates and hardware etc I think you can thank Tom-Tom's entry into the US market: it's amazing what a little competition can do... It does appear Garmin is now making real investments on both the product and market sides of the game.

This device isn't due out until fall, probably the Christmas market.

I stand corrected.

This one looks like a real dinosaur:

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=8481