Garmin launches world's thinnest, sexiest GPS unit
- — 29 June, 2010 16:01
Garmin has launched its latest nuvi range of in-car GPS units in Australia, banking on an ultra-thin design and a high resolution, capacitive touchscreen to win over consumers.
The Garmin nuvi 3760 and nuvi 3790T are the slimmest portable navigation devices (PNDs) on the market in Australia, according to the manufacturer. They are just 8.7mm thick and built using a combination of brushed aluminium and stylish chrome edges.
Looking more like a large smartphone than a regular GPS unit, the models in the Garmin nuvi 3700 feature a glass, capacitive touchscreen that supports multitouch, a built-in accelerometer that allows the unit to be used in both portrait and landscape modes, and a dedicated pedestrian mode. The inclusion of multitouch technology means users can pinch the screen to zoom in and out of maps, just like you can on the iPhone and many other new touchscreen smartphones.
"We believe the nuvi 3700 range absolutely sets a new standard in the marketplace," said Matt De Moss, Garmin Australiasia's national sales and marketing manager. "Today's products must be as stylish as they are functional and we are very confident this represents the most complete and comprehensive portable navigation device on the market."
The flagship Garmin nuvi 3790T ($549) includes lifetime traffic alerts, advanced speech recognition, 3D city modelling and terrain, advanced lane guidance, Bluetooth hands-free capabilities and the ability to route based on historical traffic trends.
The entry-level model in the 3700 series is the Garmin nuvi 3760 ($449). It offers myTrends, a function that predicts routes based on your most frequently used destinations, Bluetooth hands-free calling, advanced lane guidance and pedestrian mode, but lacks the 3790T's lifetime traffic alerts, speech recognition and 3D city modelling and terrain.
Both models in the nuvi 3700 range include Australian and New Zealand maps, red light, speed and safety camera alerts, customisable wallpaper on the lock screen, a secondary speaker on the window mount and park position recall — a feature that saves your parking spot automatically whenever you remove the device from its in-car cradle.
The Garmin nuvi 3760 is available now through Garmin's regular retailers, with the flagship nuvi 3790T available "within two weeks."
