Mobile-phone users looking for directions may consider T-Mobile’s new Garminfone. T-Mobile USA and Garmin International on Wednesday unveiled the Garminfone, which includes navigation software. T-Mobile has the exclusive right to sell the smartphone in the U.S.
The new Android-based device has a three-megapixel camera, a music player, and a 3.5-inch multi-touch display. It includes support for Microsoft Exchange, social networking, and instant messaging, and all standard Google services, including YouTube, Google Maps, and Gmail.
“Busy people balancing personal and professional lives are increasingly seeking smartphones, and the deep integration of Garmin navigation into the smartphone features of this device helps them do more than simply navigate their busy lives,” said George Harrison, vice president of marketing product innovation at T-Mobile.
Integrated into the navigation system is a feature that enables users to navigate to an address by clicking on it from a text message, a calendar appointment, an e-mail or a web page. The device also remembers where the user parked and provides navigation back to the car.
Also part of the navigation system are voice and on-screen directions and automatic rerouting. The smartphone uses text-to-speech technology to announce street names, and the screen automatically switches from day to night.
A camera with autofocus geotags images so users can navigate back to where photos were taken. Geotagged photos include latitude and longitude coordinates and place-names. Users can also e-mail the geotagged photos or post them on the web.
Travel applications such as weather, gas, prices and local events are also built in to the Garminfone. The phone is the first to include Garmin Voice Studio, an Android app that enables users to record and share personal voice directions from others.
While the Garminfone’s built-in navigation is a focus, T-Mobile wasn’t able to spotlight the core feature quick enough. The…