AT&T to start selling Garmin nuvifone in October
After more than a year late, Garmin Ltd. ‘s GPS / wireless device nuvifone hybrid is finally going on sale in the U.S.Garmin, based in the Cayman Islands, based in Olathe, Kan., said Tuesday that AT & T Inc. will start selling the G60 nuvifone exclusively from October 4 in AT & T stores and online. The device will sell for $ 299 with a two-year contract and $ 100 mail-in rebate.
The Nuvifone, already on sale in parts of Asia, is a touch screen device with many standard features of high end phones, including a Web browser and 3 megapixel digital camera. It shares the characteristics of the line of Garmin Global Positioning System powered devices, and can give step by step driving directions, traffic warnings and a search engine for nearby restaurants and shops.
Announced in January 2008, the Nuvifone is Garmin’s entry into the cell phone market and is considered key to the future of the company. Mobile operators have been eroding in the market for Garmin, adding navigation features to their phones.
But the commercial launch of the nuvifone has been delayed several times – was originally scheduled to be sold in the first half of this year – like Garmin has worked to iron out technical issues and negotiating with wireless providers to carry the device .
In February, Garmin said it was teaming up with Taiwan-based Asustek Computer Inc. to develop and produce a branded line of feature-rich mobile phones.
Garmin shares added 35 cents to $ 37.20 in Tuesday morning, while shares of Dallas-based AT & T fell 24 cents to $ 27.19.
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