Garmin today started the launch of its Nuvifone “navigation Phone” in Europe. Initially available in France and Switzerland from Garmin and in Poland, Czech Republic and Ukraine from ASUS, the Nuvifone G60 is however not supported by a single wireless operator across the continent making it a hard sell with a price tag of €599.
The personal navigation device (PND) market is showing signs of maturity as price points decline sharply, consolidation occurs, and shipment growth slows, reports In-Stat. In addition, the increasing competition from GPS-enabled mobile phones represents the most significant threat the PND market will face. Nevertheless, stand-alone PND sales will continue to grow over the next five years, albeit at an anemic rate.
