Preview: Garmin Nuvi 3700 GPS - Sleek PND with iPhone aspirations

Garmin is the undisputed portable navigation device leader in the United States, commanding the majority of sales and routinely topping our GPS ratings. However, Garmin has resisted the transition to making their navigation available through smart-phone applications, as competitors like Navigon and TomTom have done. The exception to this policy is with their own navigation-equipped Nuvifone G60, but that failed to make a dent in the rapidly expanding market. (Perhaps the upcoming Android-OS Nuvifone coming through T-Mobile will fare better.) With its all-new Nuvi 3700 line, it is clear that Garmin has been watching the Apple iPhone app offerings. (See our iPhone navigation app buying advice and reviews.)
 
The Nuvi 3700 borrows liberally from the iPhone, with a similar physical design, the ability to display in portrait or landscape modes, and touch-screen shortcuts. The device itself is slender at just 9 millimeters thick. Like the available Magellan and TomTom mounts for the iPhone, the Nuvi 3700 mount includes a second speaker to improve sound.

The Nuvi 3700 line has a 4.3-inch screen that allows for multi-touch controls, with commands such as a double tap to zoom and a two-finger twist to rotate the map. We have seen similar, touch-pattern controls on some Sony devices, as well as iPhone apps. These can make it easy to perform common functions, but do come with a learning curve.

The core features build on established Garmin offerings, with reality view, lane assist, "Where am I?", speed limit indicator, pedestrian mode, and ecoRoute to provide the most fuel-efficient route.

The Nuvi 3700 also adds several new features, such as historic traffic data to provide guidance appropriate to the day and time, reflecting the impact of rush hour and other traffic-flow factors. In recent years, TomTom has distinguished its offerings with historic traffic information, effectively adding intelligence to route planning with this helpful feature.

The Nuvi 3760T and 3790T both provide free, lifetime traffic alerts to reflect the current conditions, as well as historic information. Both include Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free phone use.

The new Nuvi 3700 line shows that PNDs continue to evolve, reflecting the changing market. As more consumers transition to smart phones, expect future PNDs to be further positioned to compete with other dashtop devices, as well as phones.

Soon as we get a Nuvi 3700 into our GPS lab, we'll put it through our tests and report on how this model performs.

—Jeff Bartlett