Garmin Nuvifone G60 - one year contract?

[bass4040]

I might get it. Nuvifone is a gps phone so award winning gps is priority, no data plan or care about 3g, not buying for camera and pictures, wont pay extra to tell me its sunny and traffic everywhere in LA everyday, have a usb car charger already, always use dc adapter with gps units so batt no problem and prefer to use horiz mode anyways.

[Spazmogen]

There are lots of reviews popping up now. GOOGLE SEARCH
There seems to be as many positive reviews as there are negative.

CNET gave it 2 stars and immediately got slammed by readers who own it and their average rating was 4. A few accusations about CNET not doing a through review (sounds like Gizmodo). Gizmodo didn't like it right out of the box and didn't do a full review in my mind.

An obvious oversight about the lack of a car charger for it. That's a $2 part on eBay. The lack of MMS seems to upset some, but how often do people send MMS' ?

I'm in Canada and would like to see it up here.

[Moe3754]

I saw it the day it was released and thought that it was cool until the AT&T person told me of the extra five buck charge and all of the stuff that they took out of it, I would rather use my Nokia N86 with mobile XT and get everything for free!!! Would have liked to have it to try, maybe when someone comes up with a way to dump the AT&T firmware and load a generic firmware off of the asian phone and get it to a better place than it is now. I thought about getting the asian phone off of E-bay but they are going for $700.00 there!!

[Ic0nBoy]

Thinking about getting one for myself and one for wife. Will be handy to use the Ciao! feature to find each other if we're out and about in different places. Part of me is apprehensive about getting a phone that has many negative reviews. Hmmn....
But, what keeps pulling me back to this unit is the GPS. As much as I am keen to wait for a GSM Android 2 handset, what makes the G60 a plus for me is that if I am in an area with no cell signal, I can at least find my way around with the GPS. I am, perhaps naively guessing that a GPS signal will be more consistent than a cell signal...? All the other GPS options in iPhones, Pre etc. rely on being connected in the cloud. When that fails you, I guess you're stuck.

How do I get contacts from a previous phone or Google/Yahoo to the G60? Is there a way to sync/transfer? I wouldn't have to type in each one surely? Anyone know for sure...?
I see Amazon are selling it now for $100. That is a big drop from $400.

No phone will ever be perfect. I for one am not impressed with the iPhone. Have had the original iPhone and it has been nice, but really, not that wow, if I am 100% honest. I always said that I would like my next phone to have turn-by-turn GPS. SO many times I have been out (with my iPhone) and needed to have directions when driving. Making the Nuvifone jump might be risky but then others have said they are enjoying it. Guess it is all personal when it comes down to real-world reviews eh!

[Ic0nBoy]

I just got off the phone with an AT&T CSR (Charmaine) who was very polite and helpful. I asked about getting two Nuvifones from Amazon and she said I can do that and the contracts would only start once the phones are activated (and not the date the phones are purchased - just needed clarification on that).
I enquired about the requirements for a data plan and she said it is only iPhone and Blackberry phones that require it. I asked if she was sure and so she went and found out and said "No, the Nuvifone does not require a data plan. If you buy an SMS package (say $5), then you can add an unlimited data package for an additional $10/month."
That is very nice to know!
I again asked her about the data requirement saying I was told in a store that I had to have it and she said the data package is not required but beneficial, if you need to go online for anything.
Can anyone confirm this info please?

[kingstu]

The Nuviphone offered by AT&T versus the APAC version will definitely require a data plan if you insert a postpaid sim inside. It works perfectly fine with a prepaid sim. I got one of those FREE AT&T messages when I put my postpaid sim in it which basically said that if I was not on a data plan they would add one to my account.

Once it is unlocked it should work with a T-Mobile prepaid sim as well as a without a sim. That's really why I like the Nuviphone. It doesn't have to be an "everything" phone and it isn't "useless" once you upgrade your phone. But it is obvious AT&T isn't trying to make this phone a winner. They have put all their eggs in the iphone basket.

[Jim1348]

Thank you for the update. I assume that APAC is the Asia and Pacific version. I have a T-Mobile pre-paid SIM card now that floats between an unlocked Motorola Tundra and a Pharos GPS Phone 600 that has Garmin Mobile XT installed in it. I think some of the big differences between the Garmin Nuvifone and a smartphone with Garmin Mobile XT are as follows:

Garmin Nuvifone Garmin Mobile XT Phone

Flight Status (Included) Flight Status (Included)
Yellow Pages(Included) Weather (Included)
Converter (Included) Fuel Prices (Included)
Ciao! (Included) Traffic (Included)
Traffic (Premium) Google Local Search (Included)
White Pages (Premium)
Weather (Premium)
Movies (Premium)
Local events (Premium)
Fuel prices (Premium)

So, to look at this analytically the Garmin Nuvifone:

-Flight Status feature remains free
-Weather (was free is now premium)
-Fuel Prices (was free is now premium)
-Traffic (was free is now premium)
-Google Local Search (was included, but now gone)
-Yellow Pages (new and free)
-White Pages (new and premium)
-Movies (new and premium)
-Converter (new and free)
-Ciao (new and free)
-Local Events (new and premium)

Although sort of comparing apples to oranges, the Garmin Nuvi 1690 NuLink has two years of services included, but then charges after that for the following:

-Google Local Search
-Real-time Traffic
-Gas Prices
-Ciao!
-Weather
-Movie Times
-Local Events
-Send to GPS
-Flight Status
-Converter
-White Pages
-myGarmin

In some respects the Enhanced MSN Direct feature on some stand alone GPS units might be a better deal for some folks as it also has News Headlines, Stock Quotes, and Doppler Weather Maps. I do think that I will get a Nuvifone eventually, but I can wait for the prices to come down on a used Nuvifone.

[bass4040]

an att csr says no data plan required and kingstu says you need one
so what is the answer

[Squid7085]

But, what keeps pulling me back to this unit is the GPS. As much as I am keen to wait for a GSM Android 2 handset, what makes the G60 a plus for me is that if I am in an area with no cell signal, I can at least find my way around with the GPS. I am, perhaps naively guessing that a GPS signal will be more consistent than a cell signal...? All the other GPS options in iPhones, Pre etc. rely on being connected in the cloud. When that fails you, I guess you're stuck.

GPS is available pretty much the planet over. There are very few places that GPS signal does not reach, and chances are, you won't be traveling there. The only thing that decreases GPS accuracy is being inside. With GPS, if it can see at least 3 birds in the sky, it will work. With that said, you will have GPS pretty much always. Cell service is based on Towers, so you have to be within the Range of a tower. You could be in the middle of Area 51 with not a single blip of Cell service, but have a perfect GPS location. On the flip side, you could be in the basement of a building with great cell service and the GPS has no idea where you are.

Secondly, you are wrong about all GPS options needing to be connected to the cloud. A few of the iPhone options are completely self sufficient. I personally use Navigon, but Tom Tom makes one too. I can say from experience, those will work without a blip with or without cell service. Others such as the built in Google Maps and AT&T Nav do need data. As far as the Pre, I have no idea. Lol

[Jim1348]

One thing that I have wondered about is if there is anyway to supplement the Nuvifone navigation with cellular data when out of range of satellites. For example, say you are inside somewhere and want to navigate, but can't get data from the satellites, why not take the cellular data and use that for navigation until reacquisition of satellite signals?

[askdanny]

Have used the Nuvifone for a week and love it. I talked to an ATT CSR today and a supervisor. Both said I needed a data plan because it was classified as a smart phone. I informed them politely that this phone doesn't use ATT Navigation but is a GPS in itself with preloaded maps. That I could even use the GPS feature without the phone being activated. All I wanted was a voice plan and I would keep the phone. My request was refused.

I think Garmin's mistake wasn't to include a mediocre browser but to include one altogether. If they weren't greedy with their premium service and had kept this phone a 'non-smart' phone, you would have a great cell phone ($39/mo voice plan) that would give you satellite navigation with preloaded maps and Points Of Interests (restaurants, gas stations, etc.) anywhere in the country--even when you don't get cell coverage. That is something the iphone can not offer.

If you're going to display a product right next to the iphone but can't compete with it, then don't.

My nuvifone is now sitting on the counter, packaged and ready to be sent back to Amazon. Not because of the phone, but because of ATT's stupid rules to force data plans on customers who don't want it.

[Ic0nBoy]

Finally decided to go for it and both my wife and I have the G60. Not perfect but really like the GPS. Used it for road trip from California to mid-west!
They definitely need to move the Enter/Return button above the delete button. Grrr!
Also, I find that the road shown while routing does not show as accurately compared with TomTom. My G60 and other Nuvi GPS show slight bends in the road compared to a TomTom unit which shows the bends more curved. Today, a road curved right, went straight, curved back left and straight on again but the G60 and Nuvi only showed the slightest of a bend at all. The TomTom unit showed the road shape as I would have seen it - helpful in the dark, especially when you don't know the road ahead. Just a little observation.
By the way, anyone know on a G60/Nuvi how to have POI show on the map route I am on? On the old TomTom, you could choose which POIs to show on your map route e.g. Pharmacy, Dentist, Theater etc. On the G60/Nuvi, all I have is the current route showing with a few side roads as they come by - not even a train track showing. Am I missing something...?

[Moe3754]

Settings-Navagation-Automobile-Map Detail-More

Is how it is done and you have to zoom in to the closest setting to see all the different places on the road, works just like any of the Garmin Nuvi stand alone GPS units.

As for the G60 map performance it is just as good as my Nuvi 760 and my Nuvi 885, personally I think that all of the so called experts that said this phone was so bad have their heads up their back side and need to learn that most of all this is a GPS unit with a phone as a EXTRA because as I said it is just exactly as my two other Nuvi units!!!!

It will fill in the void when I am on vacation and on foot or public transportation, sure could have used this in San Antonio TX.

[bass4040]

What will happen if you dont have a data plan and use the nuvifone. Does att find out if you don't tell them or do they know as soon as you make a call

[kingstu]

I had the nuvifone before and I'm getting one again. It's $249 on Amazon and that is without contract. Amazon Nuvifone $249 If you have a postpaid plan with AT&T they will check and make sure that you have an appropriate dataplan. If you have prepaid with AT&T they won't care if you have data or not. If you get it unlocked you can use it with any carrier or without any sim. You can use the full GPS functionality and other options with an unactivated or expired AT&T sim. I can't see a reason for buying a stand-alone GPS when the Nuvifone has all the features of their best GPS and then some extras.

Amazon also had it for 1 cent with new activation. I personally think this is a feature phone and not a smart phone but all the features can use Wifi data at home so you don't need to use celluar data if you don't want to. I hope the price will continue to drop and then more people can use it.