Garmin iPhone App?
We’ve been hearing for nearly a year now that Garmin has had an iPhone app in active development, but was holding off releasing it until their mobile handset (Nuvifone) project had clear results. Now that the results are a bit more clear and Garmin seems to be ditching their phone efforts, a Garmin iPhone app (and Garmin Android App too) seem much more likely. That was nearly confirmed today with this quite from Garmin and Asus announcing their break-up.
“Garmin will expand its mobile handset application development and plans to offer navigation and other applications through certain consumer application stores.”
Sounds pretty close to a confirmation to me. And with certain Nuvifone models running Android already an Android app should be a slam dunk to release.
This is welcome news if it is solid. In theory, Garmin should have an Android app (and WM) pretty much ready to go, based on their nuvifone software. My only hope now is that if they finally are going to do this, they are going to hit a home run with it. I hope they don’t come to the party late and do something less than NDrive, ALK and others are already doing. I want to see connected services, traffic, etc. Lets hope that they finally understand how to be a software company now.
Garmin hasn’t shown me that they’re capable of thinking as a pure software developer. From the beginning they’ve been first and foremost a hardware supplier. Of course they’re very capable on the development side, with their gps applications being the most stable/reliable of any of the consumer nav suppliers (ie TomTom, Magellan, Navigon. etc). But Garmin can be too business-like. Slow to jump on the bandwagon, poor communication/advertising compared to a company like TomTom. But then TT was a software developer start with, much less comfortable with hardware, and learned it’s marketing years ago. Several of it’s early managers and execs traveled thru Apple on their way to Palm Software, which became TomTom. Garmin will never be able to toot it’s own horn as loudly as TomTom or even Navigon IMO. So even if their mobile nav solution is more solid, reliable and as fully-featured as the competition (not saying that is will be), it won’t be perceived that way. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Garmin just hasn’t shown any inclination towards heavy, over-the-top marketing speak and that leaves them feeling too stodgy for some of today’s consumers. Perception becomes the reality.
I am hoping they release a topo app on iPhone. With the detailed maps you can get on the Oregon series device!
I’m waiting for garmin apps for iphone to be released, soon enough hopefully!
iphone is complete without garmin apps!
correction :
the right word should be : incomplete
my bad!
The Garmin app is out on the iPhone. It’s Garmin Streetpilot. It costs $39.99. Nothing out on the topo side yet though.
please let me know if there is one…