Garmin launches Nuvifone, a GPS/phone hybrid

It's a GPS navigator with phone capability—not the other way around. After a long wait, AT&T and Garmin today announced that the Nuvifone will finally go on sale October 4th.

Our colleagues on the Cars Blog go into more detail on the GPS-cum-phone and its advertised features, but here's a rundown of some:

GPS features:

• Voice recognition
• Spoken street names
• Pedestrian mode
• Preloaded maps and points of interest (hence no download times, as on the iPhone)
• Car mount included

Phone features:

• 3-megapixel camera (with autofocus and automatic geotagging)
• Bluetooth capability
• Full 3G Web browsing
• WiFi Internet access
• MP3 player

As with the iPhone, AT&T is the exclusive carrier of Garmin's Nuvifone. And, as with the iPhone, that exclusivity could discourage some would-be buyers, given AT&T's middling scores in our Ratings of cell-phone service, available to subscribers, and its seeming struggle to handle even its current network load.

The phone will cost $299 after a $100 rebate, and requires a two-year contract with a minimum $30 per month data plan. Extra features such as traffic, weather, and gas-price info cost an extra $5.99 per month.

When it comes into our labs, our GPS and cell phone teams will be putting their heads together to test this unique device.

For more on the Garmin Nuvifone, check out the Consumer Reports Cars Blog. —Nick K. Mandle