Sure it might have been delayed but at least the FCC was kind enough to remind us that the Garmin Nuvifone does in fact still exist. The good news is that Garmin’s sexy nav-centric handset is likely still on track for a belated 1H 2009 release in the US and it does indeed don the 850 and 1900 MHz WCDMA bands needed for some 3.5G love via AT&T. The bad news, for Garmin at least, is that it may soon find itself in a race with Mio and the first to bring its handset to market will likely garner the most interest from consumers, barring a possible carrier contract. Mio announced earlier this month that it too would be bringing a handset to market in Q1 of the coming year that will be direct competition to the Nuvifone. While we haven’t yet seen live images of Mio’s upcoming offering, the company certianly knows what it’s up against and is aiming to deliver. As such, odds are good that Garmin is doing everything in its power to push the Nuvifone out as soon as possible. Good luck to both companies – we just want hot new phones.
[Via Engadget]
