Nuvifone G60 vs 5800XM Navigation Edition on prepaid

T

tweekduece

New member
I don't have a dedicated GPS so recently purchased a G60 Nuvifone and a 5800XM Navigation Edition for use as a car GPS and prepaid cell phone. Any thoughts? (I'll post my opinions later.)
 
Google maps needs a data plan I believe. The goal was to use it without cellular data(basically have a stand alone GPS with phone.)
 
Both phones (all smartphones) rely heavily on Assisted GPS which require cellular data to compensate for underpowered antennas inside. Can you make do without AGPS? Probably, but don't expect the level of precision you could get from even the cheapest standalone GPS with a dedicated (and much more powerful) antenna. So, if navigation is a priority you may consider investing $50 - $100 for a dedicated GPS. Aslo keep in mind that if AT&T gets wind of you using G60 you may be slapped with a mandatory $30 data plan, whereas with 5800 you should be able to get away with a $15 plan.

Just my $0.02
 
I am interested in doing the same thing with a Nuvifone G60. Since it is available for $249.99 from Amazon without a contract, it looks pretty interesting to me.

I was unaware of the Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition. That looks pretty slick, also.

I am still using my Pharos GPS Phone 600 with a Garmin Mobile XT micro SD installed in it. However, it appears as if it may be the end of the line for Garmin Mobile XT, so as time marches on I need to re-focus on a replacement for it.

As a side note, I really like the Slacker Radio application. Although the Nuvifone G60 is not specifically mentioned as a supported device, I would love to hear from anybody who has a Garmin Nuvifone G60 and can try the Slacker Radio application on their Garmin Nuvifone G60.

http://www.slacker.com/

http://support.slacker.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/67/kw/android/r_id/166

http://store.nokia.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdetailbymodel_10500_10101_-1_10000537_Y

http://www.nokiausa.com/find-products/phones/nokia-5800-navigation-edition/specifications

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-nuvifone-Phone-Only-Service/dp/B002R8S5AK/ref=cell_dp_woplan
 
I have both the Nuvifone G60 and the 5800XM Nav Edition. You can't add slacker radio app to either phone. The Nuvifone lets you add maps, add new voices to the GPS (or your own voice via Voice Studio PC app), and you can add new vehicles. That's about it for this version of Nuvifone. There was a recent firmware update but it didn't appear to add any new fuctionality.

They both can work as straight GPS without any cellular assist and without a sim card. (The Nuvifone works that way once it is unlocked.) I have used them both side-by-side and the Nuvifone is a much simpler GPS and much more integrated into all it's features. Even the mount is so easy to insert and remove the phone that it can be done one-handed.

The 5800 Nav Edition has far superior phone features but I haven't mastered it's GPS features. With the Nuvifone GPS turned off you can set whatever location you like to use for it's simulator and then local searches and POI are all derived from that location.

My take is if you really need a great GPS then get the Nuvifone. After using it I don't see much benefit in having a dedicated PND over the Nuvifone. Especially at the Amazon price. But if you really need your phone to do more (like play videos or install Apps) then definitely choose the 5800 XM.
 
Thank you very much for the reply. I suspected that Slacker Radio would not work with it. I actually bought a used BlackBerry 8320 a couple of days ago, inserted my T-Mobile pre-paid SIM card in it, downloaded Slacker Radio, and now I essentially have a portable Slacker Radio that also works as a cell phone. Since it also has wi-fi, I can surf when I am near a hot-spot.

I am getting close to buying a Garmin Nuvifone G60 from Amazon and knowing that it works as a GPS without a SIM card at all after being unlocked is very good to know.

How well does the web browser work? I am assuming that it will surf the web if connected to a hot spot without regard to cellular service.

Also, do you have any suggestions on how to get this unlocked? I have unlocked my Motorola Tundra in the past, but I am not sure if the Garmin Nuvifone unlock codes are readily available yet.
 
I have tested out most of the Nuviphone with AT&T prepaid, postpaid, T-Mobile sim as well as a roaming foreign sim. It is easy to turn off data connections and use Wifi for data for surfing the web, email, searches and similar things. The premium services (that cost $5.99 after 30 days free) don't seem to work unless you have a postpaid sim. They are carrier billed.

Nothing new appears after it is unlocked. It would need a flash with the APAC firmware to get missing features that are included in that version. Instead of "google local search" it has "yellow pages" with local search. Not sure how different the results would be.

There are a lot of individual settings on the nuvifone phones. Personalized ring tones, message tones, alert tones for each contact. It turns out to be good for someone who doesn't have exchange email and doesn't need a full smartphone. There are several unlockers from this site who have adds posted but I got mine unlocked from AT&T for free.
 
I have emailed several of the companies that advertise here, but I haven't received any replies whatsoever. Can anybody recommend any that are more responsive for unlocking a Garmin Nuvifone G60?
 
Kingstu,

It looks like Nokia has stepped up their game!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10438524-266.html?tag=smallCarouselArea.4

Nokia is making its navigation service free to all GPS-enabled Nokia devices in a move that will help the company better compete in the smartphone market against the likes of Apple and Google.

Starting Thursday, Nokia users will be able to download for free the client that enables GPS phones to get Ovi Maps and Navigation, as well as, various city guides on their phones. Nokia has been offering the maps and navigation service for more than two years. After its acquisition of Navteq announced in 2007, it enhanced the service by adding turn-by-turn pedestrian navigation. And it added premium content from partners, such as Lonely Planet.

Previously, customers could only access the basic maps for free. Turn-by-turn navigation and city guides had cost extra.

But that all changes Thursday when Nokia begins offering these services for free. Initially, the free service will be available for 10 of Nokia's phones, including the Nokia N97 mini, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia E72. Eventually, the software client will be available for all Nokia GPS-enabled phones. And starting in March, the company will begin shipping new GPS Nokia phones with the software and maps for the service pre-installed.

Taking mobile navigation to the mass market
Personal navigation devices, such as ones made by Garmin and TomTom, have become big hits with consumers. And now personal navigation is gaining popularity in mobile phones, thanks to GPS-enabled handsets, and applications such as Google Maps. Approximately 27 million people worldwide had GPS navigation on their mobile phones at the end of 2009, according to the research firm Canalys. Nokia estimates that by offering the service free on its phones it can boost that figure to 50 million.

"We think this will transform the mobile navigation market overnight by providing consumers with an out-of-the-box experience," said Tero Ojanper?, executive vice president of services for Nokia. "I'll admit it wasn't the easiest process getting this service in the past. But now we're moving from the early market to the mass market."

While Nokia still leads the world in overall cell phone sales, it's been losing ground over the past couple of years to new competitors such as Apple and Research In Motion in the high-end smartphone market. Competition will likely intensify in 2010 and beyond as manufacturers flood the market with a steady stream of new smartphones using the Google Android operating system.

Consumers are attracted to the new breed of smartphones, because of all the mobile applications that can run on these devices. Maps and Navigation powered by Google are key applications on these devices.

Taking on Google
Nokia sees personal navigation and location services as a major differentiator, setting its phones apart from its competitors and adding value for wireless operators. Specifically, Nokia executives believe that its mapping and navigation services are superior to Google's own Google Maps and Google Navigation, which are preloaded and offered for free on many popular handsets, such as the iPhone, the Motorola Droid, and Google's own NexusOne.

For example, Nokia's Ovi Map service offers navigation in 74 countries in 46 languages. And it can provide traffic information in more than 10 countries, as well as detailed maps for more than 180 countries.

Ojanper? said that creating and maintaining a dynamic mapping and navigation service is not easy. He said the company is continually updating its mapping content and it specifically looks at 250 different attributes to collect data using cars driving around various cities around the world to verify information is correct.

"Google offers free car navigation in one country," he said. "We offer it in 74 countries. We are truly global where others are not."

Another important differentiator for Nokia is the free access to the Lonely Planet Travel guides.

But Ojanper? also said that Nokia's service is better for wireless operators because the service and application consumes far less bandwidth than competing mapping navigation services, such as Google Maps and Google Navigation.

Ojanper? said that the technology Nokia uses to serve up its maps is 10 times more network efficient than Google's method. Nokia uses what's called a hybrid vectorizing mapping method, which allows users to zoom in and out of the map without downloading the same map multiple times. By contrast, Ojanper? said that Google's technology requires that a new map be downloaded each time a user zooms in or out of the map, which increases the amount of bandwidth needed to use the service.

For this reason, Ojanper? said he believes that wireless operators will want to work with Nokia to sell its phones and make the Ovi services available on their networks.

This sales pitch could be particularly useful in the U.S., where Nokia has a weak presence and only offers a handful of devices with subsidized price tags through a wireless operator. For several years, Nokia has sold most of its high-end phones in the U.S. directly to consumers. But in a market where someone can get an iPhone subsidized by a carrier for $99, it's difficult to sell a $500 unsubsidized phone.

That said, the new free mapping and navigation services could finally give wireless operators a reason to sell Nokia phones. It could also give consumers a reason to buy a Nokia phone, even without a subsidy. A personal navigation device can cost between $200 and $300, which makes a $500 unsubsidized Nokia phone look pretty good.

Ojanper? said Nokia plans to continue selling its phone directly to consumers but its primary focus will be to target wireless carriers in U.S. market.

Regardless of which channels Nokia chooses to sell the phone, one thing is certain. The company will have to spend some money marketing Ovi Maps and Navigation to the mass market. At this point, anyone with a computer is familiar with Google and is likely familiar with Google Maps.

Nokia's Navteq and Ovi brands are relatively unknown in the U.S., so the company has a lot of work ahead of it.
 
I have the Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition so the features it just added for other phones were already included in mine. I like the new maps application a lot and for the price point so many more features are included. But the Nuviphone G60 is still dropping in price and it is soooooo easy to use. There are reported to be several new nuvifones coming out this year that will have android and windows mobile so they will have a more powerful phone features.

If the price keeps dropping I am considering getting more nuvifones because they are head and shoulders above any other navigation out there currently and I might give them to my kids and recommend them to anyone who doesn't already have a smartphone and is also considering buying a GPS.
 
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