In an era when time is money, and connectivity is everything, the use smart phones is becoming increasingly popular. The introduction of the iPhone, and the prevalence of the Blackberry, has hailed this paradigm shift, as these devices offer a myriad of different facilities like calling, e-mail, music, photos, and now even navigation, which was previously the domain of standalone devices made by the likes of Garmin – using GPS signals. Acknowledging this change, Garmin has brought out its own set of smart phones, as well as dedicated navigation devices for India.

The Asus Nuvifone G-60 offers services like voice-prompted navigation, providing turn-by-turn directions with street names, onboard maps and 3G connectivity. With the use of 3G, the phone allows the user to access ‘Yellow Pages’ to locate business centres, flight timings, etc., with just a voice command. Weighing 4.8oz including the battery, the G60 offers a 4.4x2.3x0.57 inch screen with a display resolution of 272x480 WQVGA. A maximum of 5,000 contacts, a 3-mega-pixel camera with auto-focus, and MP3 player, and geo-tagging make it a feature packed device. To store data, there’s a 4 GB memory card for normal usage along with the choice of using a micro SD card. Plus, the Asus Nuvifone G-60 offers a standby time of 250 hours and a talk time duration of 4 hours on a full charge.

For the business types, there’s the Nuvifone M20. This handheld device features Windows Mobile Pro, Wi-Fi with WPA encryption, a desktop web experience with full HTM browser and photo sharing. Besides these, like the Asus Nuvifone G-60, the M20 too offers voice prompted turn-by-turn navigation. For better practicality, there is also a car mount available with the device. Plus, it has a large screen that allows the user to view portraits and landscapes with a virtual QWERTY keyboard touch screen thrown in. Plus, there’s WLAN and bluetooth connectivity with a mini USB 2.0 for better functionality. Weighing 99 grams (including the battery), the M20 also offers a 3-mega-pixel camera with auto focus and geo-tagging. Supporting a 4 GB memory card, the phone offers video playback in various formats.