Todd over at Laptop Magazine is in Singapore for the CommunicAsia conference, and it seems he got a hands-on demo of the Garmin Nuvifone. You might recognize Garmin from such hits as, "Being a Giant in the GPS Space," and "Making Navigation Units for Your Car." Well, they're getting into the mobile phone business now, as well, and of course are gearing up to launch a phone built around high-end GPS features. According to Todd, they're doing it right so far.
What impressed Todd most? Nuvifone's UI. Yup. Trust me, that's HUGE in the world of next-gen, do it all mobile handsets. Just ask Apple. Sorry, enough with the iPhone references today. Seriously, though, bad UIs have killed many a super-functional phone, so it's great to hear that Garmin's on the right track. Generously roomy touchscreen? Check. HIgh-end, easy to use GPS functionality? Check - seemingly, anyway ... the GPS receiver itself wasn't connected. Big, clear, colorful icons? Check. A Web Browser that a Garmin rep said, "Will be just like iPhones?" Check. LOL.
It remains to be seen what Nuvifone will look, feel, and act like in its final version, and where & how much it'll sell for. But it's always good to see a new high-end phone previewed with the words, "It Has a Killer UI." Check it out over at Laptop's Blog.
