GPS devices vs converged smart phones

snipet from news article....

personally - I like my Garmin Nuvi 260,
and don't really think about "carrying it around" like a cellphone.
I also wonder how folks are actually using their nav application
on a cellphone - only as needed, or a lot -
and the logistics of actually using it in a car ?
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Remember: Convergence, not Divergence
As converged mobile devices continue to gain in popularity, some of the
biggest casualties will be firms that sell gadgets that will be converged
away. Some pundits argue that there is room for stand-alone gadgets to
co-exist with converged mobile devices. But remember, it's all about
convergence and not divergence. Why would you want to carry around separate
GPS, camera, music, phone, and other devices when they can all be merged
into one solution? Already, the MP3 player has become a standard feature in
every smartphone, cannibalizing the stand-alone portable music player
market. Next up is one of the hottest electronic gadgets in recent years:
the stand-alone GPS system.

Some of the latest smartphones already have GPS navigation capabilities, and
as this function becomes a standard feature, stand-alone GPS device makers
like Garmin (NasdaqGS:GRMN - News) are at risk. Garmin dominates the
stand-alone GPS market with more than 50% share and has realized the threat
of convergence, going defensive with plans to roll out the Nuvi smartphone
by the end of 2008. However, the mobile phone market is completely foreign
to Garmin, and it is unlikely that the firm can dominate the converged
mobile device market like it has the stand-alone GPS space. A silver lining
for Garmin may be Apple's triumphant foray into the smartphone market with
the iPhone. But, then again, very few companies can replicate Apple's
success at rolling out elegant, trendy, and user-friendly devices.


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"If everything seems to be going well,
you have obviously overlooked something." - Steven Wright

I love havng TomTom right there on my SmartPhone, as well as MemoryMap for
when I'm walking/cycling. Because it's considered unwise to leave your
SatNav in the car, I'd hate to have to cart a standalone unit around with me
as well as my phone. It sits in a windscreen-mounted cradle in the gap
between steering wheel and door, with a power connector tucked unobtrusively
into the dashboard. And I can still use the phone hands-free with a
bluetooth headset.

On the convergence front, I think we've still a way to go to get proper
camera functionality in the phone. While they may go on about how many
megapixels they have, most of the lenses are cheap plastic jobs, and I
daresay the CCD isn't the best, so the quality is rubbish compared with even
the cheaper end of the digital camera market.

functionality in the phone.

Nope, look at the high end Nokias some time.

are cheap plastic jobs, and I daresay the
end of the digital camera market.

Wrong.

Can be handy when out of the car at times tho.

cellphone - only as needed, or a lot -

Only as needed. I prefer to carry around only a
single device, so need everything in the cellphone.


I dont do that, I use a real GPS in the car, mainly because the
cellphone screens are too small to be viable for routine use in the car.

biggest casualties will be firms that sell

Yep, I dont bother with a watch anymore. Not ideal when you end up in hospital
tho. Easy fix for that is to have a watch in the bag with the other hospital
stuff.


And so does anyone with a clue.

want to carry around separate GPS, camera,

Why indeed ? I'd prefer to eliminate the keys and the wallet/cards/cash too.

cannibalizing the stand-alone portable
recent years: the stand-alone GPS system.

The problem is that most want a GPS with a screen bigger than they prefer with
the cellphone.

as this function becomes a standard
at risk.

I doubt it.

realized the threat of convergence, going

And all the majors have been supporting PDAs for a long time now.

unlikely that the firm can dominate the
lining for

Bullshit, anyone can copy that sort of thing just like they did the ipod.