It's like an iPhone for people who know the world doesn't revolve around them.

/sorry, that was mean
//might actually be a snarky marketing angle

It's certainly interesting, but as someone who talks more than I drive, it has to be a great phone first, and a great GPS second. I'm not sure that it's compelling enough to replace my BT enabled phone/BT enabled GPS combo. Yes, I have to carry two separate devices, but ultimately I use those for completely separate things most of the time, and when I do have to combine them it works pretty well.

I was thinking this could be the best phone on the market had the iPhone not been released, but then I realised: my Garmin GPS stays in my car and, being an automotive navigation system, is only useful in my car. Seeing as the nüvi line is an automotive line, the ability to have your GPS with you always is not all that useful.

The iPhone is brilliant because I don't need to carry around both my iPod and my cellphone all the time. These are two items people keep on their person. My Garmin stays in my car, and that's how it should be.

@A strolling player:

But good GPS gives 10ft. or so resolution, and it's simply a matter of incorporating useful pedestrian mapping into the database. I've seen handheld nav systems that include walking directions, and if that tech is properly blended into a phone, then why wouldn't you want that convergence? Heck, I love having the AGPS in my LG 9900...it's not just triangulation off of cell towers, it actually pulls GPS signal.

Side note: I wonder if this is the first look at a Google phone? That interface looks gorgeous and simple.

I love having a GPS in my pocket at times, especially on vacation. The "bread crumb" trails are really cool to download into google earth later on.

As far as the nuvi being an "automotive product line," I'd imagine that would change as the various lines sort of converge. I'm still partial to my etrex vista, but it's useless for directions. Great for hiking, travel stats, and general waypointing, though (and waterproof).

@A strolling player: Your GPS stays in your car until someone steals it.

On a related note: While the owner of a Nuviphone would take it with him when leaving the car, would a would-be thief see the Nuviphone's mount and think there's a plain ol' GPS hidden somewhere in the car?

@Jeb_Hoge: Including pedestrian mapping would make this phone make considerably more sense. Still, this is more refinement than innovation, to me; looks like Garmin trying to do with Verizon did with VZW Navigator, except better, and windshield-mountable.

I'm not saying the iPhone is a brilliant navigator; it sits somewhere between printed-out Google directions and a (current) GPS-enabled cellphone. However, as a device, the iPhone makes more sense because it reduces my pocket clutter.

Maybe because I drive a lot more than I walk. If I lived in, say, New York, I can see the nüviphone making a lot of sense.

@Hyman Decent: Someone steals my StreetPilot c320 = excuse to buy TomTom / nüvi something or other.

@A strolling player: Even if you have enough money to be able to afford to replace a GPS every so often, you'd still have to deal with the hassle of cleaning up broken glass and driving around without a window until you get the opportunity to have it replaced.

any word on battery life? My TomTom has a huge battery and it only lasts a couple hours when its on.

@Hyman Decent: The problem is that I'm not going to take the mount down even if I take my GPS out of my car, so, broken window anyway for centre console fishermen. I try to put it in the console when I remember, anyway.

@Hyman Decent: Surely most thieves are smart enough to assume that 9 out of 10 times, if the mount is empty the GPS is probably not in the car.

Everyone I know with a non-integrated GPS takes it with them when they leave the car. That's kind of the point of a quick release, highly visible mount.

Remember, it has MP3 capability. Add a mini SD slot and you've got a decent MP3 player too.

@A strolling player: @Hyman Decent: Thinking of this... do people still steal mid-level car stereos? I used to take my faceplate off, but gave up because it became too much of a hassle with the iPod, cellphone and occasional GPS I already lug take out. 3 years and many urban parking garages later, the stereo is still there, despite my having a window mount for the GPS.

I have a Nuvi 200W, it's accuracy is impressive - takes me down all sorts of obscure shortcuts that I'd never have found otherwise, great for avoiding traffic jams and finding the quickest route.

Tell me I can dump the highway databse and replace it with Garmins FAA approved aerial navigation VFR sectionals, and I'll be first in line ... hopefully it will generate real-time WX ... RADAR coverage, be still my pilot's heart.

As to tweakers mutilating your car to get at various electronic devices ... I built my TomTom into the dash cubby ('06 Subaru Outback), so when we're parked it just ... disappears.

@eltonito: I guess it depends on where you live. Hmmm, I guess I should move.
@mtsmiths: How's your TomTom's reception inside the cubby?

GPS receivers these days (SIRF III, I think is the spec) do OK without pure line of sight. My receiver is about three years old and the size of a thimble, and can lock into birds from the room over my garage. It helps to have LOS to the sky at startup, maybe, but once you're locked, especially if you've got 7-8 birds, you can pop the sucker in a glove box and it stays up. I use my GPS receiver with my Dell PDA in a dash mount, and if I'm not running GPS, the PDA makes a pretty decent MP3 player.

@weatherman:

You are not a true hoon, nor a true jalopnik. What brought you here?

/troll

Actually, i'm in complete agreement. I have a GPS in my car, and i never use it, mainly because i know how to get to work, i know how to get to my friends' house, and if i get lost, i'm more likely to break out my phone and just call them to figure out where the hell i am.

I LIKE to blindly strike out in the general direction of where i'm going and try to find my way there.

@eltonito: That's why I don't bother hiding my $275-a-year-ago-and-now-discontinued GPS. Honestly I should be hiding my still-worth-$300 Passport 8500 X50, but how many people do you see with radar detectors on their windshields/dashboards and intact windows?

@ash78: I know the world doesn't revolve around me... it revolves around my iPhone.

I heart Garmin. They're baised in Overland Park, near Kansas City where i live. This in the paper today.

iPhone = posting from the doctors office ... I <3 my iPhone
together, we<3Jalopnik

@Schm:

I like Garmin's KC-ness, I don't like them not giving me even an interview for a chance to be underpaid (so I've heard anyways), but still live in KC. Oh well, Detroit's not too bad.

@93celicagt2: So the gist of your post is "I own one, but GPS's suck and are for losers! However, swerving around while talking on your cell phone and slowing down traffic to read street signs is perfectly acceptable."

I could try to elaborate on why I love my GPS and the multitude of ways I use it, but you either get technology or you don't. Clearly you don't.

@Hyman Decent:

It sits on a slide-out platform and tips up against the open cubby door (which lifts up) so the position is exactly like a windschield bracket. When not in use it flips down flat and slieds into the cubby, door closes, et Voila!, no teaker/pawn shop bait.

I put an $850 alarm system and a $3500 hard top on my S2000 to thwart thieves. So they disabled the alarm, bashed in the windows and stole the hard top, leaving stereo and $499 radar detector behind.

My Nokia Navigator has 'proper' GPS built into it, and works just fine as a phone.

And Bluetooth means I get voice-prompted navigation through my Scala Rider helmet-mounted headset when I'm riding my motorcycle. Brilliant?

Now - what's so special about this Garmin thingy again?

That should of course have been "Brilliant!" rather than "Brilliant?"...

it looks really cool

i have used Verizon's GPS on my phone.. it does work wonderful