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A hundred bucks turns a BlackBerry into a Garmin navigator

By Michael Hatamoto, BetaNews

May 15, 2008, 5:18 PM

Garmin announced a new lifetime offer to Research in Motion BlackBerry smartphone owners: its complete turn-by-turn, voice direction service for a one-time fee of $99.99, for the life of their BlackBerrys.

The deal will also give BlackBerry owners access to traffic updates, weather information, and local fuel prices. The turn-by-turn directions take into account accidents, traffic congestions, road closures, and other incidents. With a catalog of millions of point of interest (POIs), users can identify a nearby destination and receive custom directions to that specific location.

All data is stored on Garmin's servers as opposed to the device itself, so directions are up-to-date.

Most companies, Garmin included, typically offer a charge for mobile directions and similar phone-based services per day or month. In this case, the one-time purchase can be made directly through Garmin's Web site. The one-time fee will put pressure on competing services from AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and others.

AT&T's Navigator and Verizon's VZ Navigator offer turn-by-turn directions for mobile phone owners, in addition to maps, food and business lookups, and more. Both Navigator and VZ Navigator cost users $9.99 per month or $2.99 per day.

One critical feature many BlackBerrys lack is embedded GPS. For those without it, Garmin is suggesting they can be paired with a Garmin Mobile GPS 10x device, which borrows the BlackBerry's Bluetooth connection, and which is sold by some online retailers for -- ironically -- $99.99. Some stand-alone Garmin in-car GPS navigation systems sell for under $200.

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By methuselah

posted May 17, 2008 - 4:11 PM

As "All data is stored on Garmin's servers," does that mean you won't be able to find your way when you are out of cellphone range? There have been a number of places I've been where I've had no cell service, but my GPS worked just fine.

Score: 0

By tscar13

edited May 16, 2008 - 7:58 PM

That's 45-50 Euros to you in the U.S. but Garmin is still junk at that price.
Now as to IPhones, they are overpriced so Apple can lower the price in Europe and still make a lot of money but Apple isn't as popular here as in the states so don't hold your breadth while waiting.
Have a nice evening:)

Score: 0

By Danno

posted May 16, 2008 - 1:21 PM

I am waiting for the $200 turns an itouch / iphone into a POS3

Score: 0

By Hollywood__

posted May 16, 2008 - 12:19 PM

You are better off with a small dedicated Garmin unit, turn by turn is OK but looking at a map from overhead shows you connecting streets, alternative routes, everything.

For once I went with the smallest unit over the one with the most features. I bought a Garmin Nuvi 200 which is slim and tiny and now I couldn't go out of town with out it. I can't remember the last time I used a map for anything.

It wasn't the cheapest, but they currently do not make one smaller than the 200.

Score: 0

By Austin814

posted May 16, 2008 - 8:59 AM

Except for Verizon Wireless customers since Verizon disables the GPS chip and instead when using the Navigator uses cell towers to locate you. To bad Verizon disables any feature they think they might be able to charge for. Even OBEX is disabled on the BB from Verizon.

Score: 0

By kungfubeer

posted May 19, 2008 - 10:11 AM

Must be because they haven't completed the "Can you see me now" tests.....

It will spark a whole new line of commercials!

Score: 0

By daq

posted May 15, 2008 - 6:39 PM

About time! Thank you Garmin! It costs the companies next to nothing to provide GPS services since the phone does most of the work anyway. I've been using a phone with dedicated GPS chip for a while and I was feeling really sorry for people paying per use charges for GPS service.

Score: 0

By shicaca

edited May 15, 2008 - 5:57 PM

I hope the turn-by-turn directions from at least Verizon become a bit more economically priced. $3/day for directions is a bit much, especially since the one and only time I tried it, the navegator couldn't find a freaking address no matter how many different ways I tried to type it. It was exceptionally slow to load, as well, even in the Verizon EVDO service area in Detroit, of all places.

I was travelling down the road, granted, but only at 35mph with occassional stops. All in all I would say that it would take 3 minutes just to dl the app, and another 6 to try to get the directions. I finally said to hell with it and called someone for directions. I'm glad I did. They went onto google maps and away we went.

The GPS systems have always bothered me, though, not limited to just phone GPS. The incar systems as mentioned cost $200-1000+ (integrated in car systems), yet they're not up to date, and you can only get updates to the maps if you BUY it from them from anywhere from $65 - 300 depending on what type of system. There's GOT to be a better way of doing this. I hope the geeks unite in this one.

/ end rant

PS- I would be willing, totally, to spend $100 for something like this if it meant I had unlimited and FREE directions to where ever I wanted to go. For a continuing fee, though? Forget it.

Score: 0

By tstr

posted May 15, 2008 - 7:58 PM

It's also $10/month (about $0.33/day that way), or part of a Premium plan (if that's what you have). Doesn't necessarily make it great, but better than $3/day.

Score: 0

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