Garmin nüvifone G60 GPS Phone (AT&T) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After owning the Nuvifone for a week and a half and spending 4 plus hours a day trying to get things working correctly, I am very disappointed. The two other reviews appear to be written by Garmin employees. (one was deleted)
OK, let's get down to details.
The first thing you will need to buy is a DC adapter for your car or the GPS turns off in 1 minute. The "everything you need in the box" is just a powerless windshield mount. AA&T doesn't carry ANY Nuvi accessories so be prepared to order it from Garmin are find an adapter that works. It is a standard D/C charger plug to a mini USB with a 90 degree bend. Once that is done the GPS part work fine in 3D mode, but has some bugs in 2D mode (the way I always use any GPS). The pink line (your path) disappears , changes color or just doesn't show. This happens ALL the time. The voice instructions work fine and the directions are correct. So you will get to your destination as longs as your don't look at the GPS or rely on the pink path drawn in. In the default 3D mode it works correctly. So let's give it 4 on the GPS part. Hopefully a future update will fix this problem.
Also the GPS portion does have search (like most Garmin GPS's) which will locate businesses, stores, etc close to your location. This generally works good unless the database isn't updated (i think its updated when you buy new maps,...not a free update) . Stores open and close,..so.. the database is sometimes wrong. My first time using it to find a new doctor's address sent me to the wrong part of town. The doctor moved 2 years earlier. However between the built in data base and the real search ,..such as a Google search or AT&T yellow pages search, you will find what you are looking for. I get it a 3.5 rating in this area.
Now the phone part. There is NO one touch dialing, no MOST USED numbers, only your contact list and recently called list. Scrolling down 170 contacts to find the one you need is SLOW. There is a very tiny A-B, C-D, etc list on the very edge, however it is difficult to actual hit these buttons. Most of the time you accidentally hit a contact and then have to quickly hung up and start all over again from "A". You can not go from A to Z backwards (scroll up) but have to scroll down from A-Z in normal alphabetical order. Simplifying A,B,C,D ,.... ok, A,Z,Y,X,W ... no. So if you are calling someone with a name that starts with a T or a W, you have a long scroll. I try to use the recent call list for a favorites. However you must constantly delete normal callers out the list as it becomes VERY large quickly. If you call a number that requires you to enter additional number,...1 for operator,...2 for customer service,..etc, It is hit or miss that you can do that. The phone turns dark after ???? 5-10 seconds??? (seems to very) and the locks. By the time you press the power button and double tap the unlock button, the wait is too long.The answer machine says "I'm sorry lets try that again" or sometimes it just disconnects.So the phone part can be frustrating.
When receiving a call, if you touch the power button it sends the caller to the answerphone and turns off the ring. There is no option just to turn off the ring and allow you to answer the call. Accidentally hitting the oversized power button happens 30% of the time for me. This is also very frustrating! I give the phone rating a 2.5 out of 5.
Internet Function,hummm,.... OK, lets just says it is pretty terrible and very frustrating. You can not view the small cell pages like an Iphone but the full pages. Input is difficult, when scrolling across the page, you instantly jump to a link (not what you wanted). The back button goes back 1 to an infinite amount of pages, and you start over again. There is no forward button when it goes back too many pages (which is almost always the case). When attempting to get to Garmin's site and to the nuvifone accessories page,..I gave up after about 30 minutes of trying. Many objects on webpages do not work in the browser. No radar animations, no videos, no pop-up windows (which sometimes can be a good thing) work at all. The internet part rating is a about a 2 out of 5
The 3G speed is very slow compared to The Iphone. However this may be because the Iphone is using smaller cell pages. The Garmin often seems to be loading for a very long time. I hit the stop button so I can continue navigating.
With this in mind the 30 buck a month data plan is a mostly a waste.
Getting my email worked fine after getting it set up. The default settings did not work for me. I however can not read Microsoft .docx in attachments which it is supposed to be able to do. I have not investigated the problem yet. Since the emails are left on your server, you can download them on your home computer and read the attachment. The emails download to the Garmin are basically copies on the emails on the server. Also the emails can be viewed as a web page so you can view it as it appears on the computer. So,... the email part work good ,..lets say a 4 of 5 rating.
Texting seems to look and work like everyone else's, so that parts good,..P.S. there also 15 buck a month text plan.
The 6 buck a month fee for white pages, temperature and traffic is optional and the traffic may not even your area. One may wonder way should I pay for white pages, traffic and weather when I'm paying for a 30 buck data package. I'll just use the internet and get the info just as quick. Well if you think this will work then reread the internet part of this review above. PS,..the weather is just "your city" temperatures, not radar.
The 3m camera is terrible. The pictures with my 1m Samsung phone blow them away.
Some reviews say there is a video player and recorder. There isn't. It can not play videos or record them. No youtube. The camera function also rates a 1.
Audio is the next problem. The volume button is accidentally activated anytime you touch the phone. Most of the time I don't hear it ring because the volume is too low. There is no independent ring volume. It is all linked to the master volume switch which gets accidentally shifted every time you touch the phone. The volume on max is low. The audio sounds like a box with the speaker rattling. MP3 play back at a very low volume.
Well that's it. OK phone, texting good, and very good GPS. The rest is garbage and needs some work badly. Remember you need the data plan,text plan (if you want texting) and maybe the optional services plan (traffic, white pages, gas prices etc). That's a lot of extra bucks extra a month. And,..if you need to update you maps,..that you will need to buy the maps from Garmin or other stores at a nice 75 bucks per update. So the GPS portion isn't totally Free.
What's the final verdict?? Well if you want a decent phone, a close to real Garmin GPS, text occasionally, and have very limited internet use, then go for it. If you spend most of you day on facebook, youtube and twitter and like to take pictures and videos, then look for something else.
I edited the review because I have spent another 30 hours of testing and so far have not returned the nuvifone,.at least not yet. Garmin could have made a great Phone-GPS but for some reason settled for a fair one. They need to put the video player-recorder back, fix the camera flare (blurring) and be able to use the small webpages to make this phone a GOOD phone. They need independent volume controls, and options for the on off button.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin nüvifone G60 GPS Phone (AT&T)

The nuvifone G60 is a great new idea--a smartphonethat fully integrates a GPS navigator with voice, data and mobile Internet. Because the GPS is not a separate application, the G60 gives you the ability to navigate while you talk on the phone or use other features. Check your email and enjoy full HTML web browsing over Wi-Fi or your data network, snap photos with the built-in 3 megapixel autofocus camera, view Microsoft Office documents, and plenty more. All on a sleek and light device with a 3.5-inch anti-glare touchscreen. With nuvifone, you can always know where you are and where you're going.






The Navigation Phone.
Industry-Leading Navigation From Garmin Navigation is the feature that really sets this phone apart, just as you'd expect from Garmin. Each nuvifone G60 comes standard with voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions with spoken street names, onboard maps and millions of points of interest (POIs).

A car mount is included for standard automobile use, but don't forget this is an ultra-portable smart phone. That means you get one-step navigation from contacts, email and local search results. You also get handy features like Garmin Locate, which helps you remember where you parked by automatically marking your position when you remove it from the car. The "Where am I?" safety feature displays your current address and nearest police, hospital and fuel services in one click. And use the pedestrian mode for in-hand navigation at street level.

Included Connected Services Grab information you need when you need it over AT&T's trusty 3G network. Use the Yellow Pages to find and navigate to businesses in your area--click for voice-prompted directions if you don't want to stare down at the screen. Quickly check flight departure/arrival times or gate info when traveling. Convert currencies, measurements or temperatures on the go. Use the location-based Ciao! social networking platform to share your location with friends.

Premium Connected Services With a nominal subscription fee, Premium Connected Services give you even more. Get traffic alerts for delays and construction. Search businesses in the white pages or check local movie times--and navigate there once you find what you're looking for. Check your current and five-day weather forecast. Check out upcoming concerts, theater, and other entertainment options. Even find the best fuel prices near your current location with one click.

Versatile Connectivity When you're near a Wi-Fi connection (b or g), enjoy rapid-fire desktop-style web browsing in a full HTML browser. You can also check your POP3 and IMAP email accounts, with built-in support for common free clients like Hotmail and Gmail. Of course Wi-Fi isn't necessary--the G60 can also use AT&T's EDGE and 3G networks so you're always in touch. And with the onboard GPS, where you are becomes an active part of the process with geo-tagged SMS, e-mail and photo sharing.

The G60 also supports plenty of Bluetooth profiles (hands-free, headset, advanced stereo audio distribution, remote audio control). Communicate and navigate hands-free, stream your favorite tunes, and more.

smartphoneTools Aside from its connected services and GPS ability, the G60 offers plenty of smartphonemust-haves. Essential tools like a calendar and calculator help you get through the day. A check list feature and notes app help you get things done. A world clock with stopwatch and alarm clock helps you keep track of time, and a 5,000-contact address book helps you keep track of people.

For those who can never quite escape work, the G60 allows viewing of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, along with PDF documents. You can also enjoy your favorite JPG images.

Entertainment and Personalization No device is complete these days without an MP3 player, and the G60 is no exception. Play back your favorite MP3 tunes or stream them using the integrated Bluetooth. Expand your memory with the on-board microSD slot, just in case those maps are eating up all your memory.

The 3 megapixel camera is also a fun and handy tool. Enjoy auto-focus and image stabilization for better pictures, geo-tag your photos so you can share location along with image, and enjoy your pictures on the brilliant touchscreen with landscape and portrait viewing.

As with most phones, you can add your favorite ringtones to the G60. You can also use Answer Tones to have your friends hear your favorite song or funny phrase when they call you.

Finally, choose graphics to personalize your device, including wallpapers, backgrounds, custom menus, icons and plenty more.

nuvifone G60 Specifications

Frequencies: GSM/GPRS/Edge 850/900/1800/1900; 3G UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100
Dimensions: 4.4 x 2.3 x 0.57 in.
Display resolution: 272 x 480 WQVGA
Weight: 4.8 oz. (battery included)
Contacts: 5,000 max.
Camera/photos: 3 MP camera with auto-focus and geotagging
Memory: 4 GB on-board storage
Expandable memory: microSD card, HC capable, expandable up to 16 GB
Music player: MP3 playback
Headphone jack: 2.5 mm
Battery: 1200 mAh removable/rechargeable lithium cell
Standby time: Up to 250 hours
Talk time: Up to 4 hours

What's in the Box nuvifone G60, Vehicle suction mount with cradle, Lithium-ion battery, Wall charger, USB cable

Click here for more information about Garmin nüvifone G60 GPS Phone (AT&T)