Garmin's latest GPS will show movie listings, gas prices and other local information through a partnership with AT&T.
The Nüvi 1690 includes nearly a dozen local services delivered by wireless Internet, including real-time traffic, weather, events, flight status and a currency converter. There's also Bluetooth integration, which allows you to take calls from your cell phone directly through the device.
The GPS itself costs $500 and includes two years of the additional services. After that, the so-called nüLink service costs $5 per month.
As GPS devices take on more responsibilities, comparisons to smartphones is inevitable, because there's overlap. If you were to buy a smartphone with a data plan and a decent selection of apps, you'd already have all the functionality that Garmin's new product offers.
The difference is price. After paying $100 or more for a smartphone, you'd still have $15 to $30 per month in data charges above the phone service itself, not including extra costs for turn-by-turn GPS. In two to three years, the cost of data alone will have outpaced what you would have paid for extra features on a dedicated GPS device.
Still, I don't think the comparison is without merit. Personally, I think the convenience of having everything on one device is well-worth the premium.
It's cool that GPS devices are evolving, but there's something to be said for the flat-fee, navigation-only GPS. Not every smartphone includes turn-by-turn navigation without a monthly charge. Unless that changes, a simple navigator could still be an essential gadget.
