The guys at Garmin today took some time to show us their new baby – the nüvi 3700 series. At just 8.7mm thick with a 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, the device literally looks like a slightly wider iPhone 4. Which means it’s sexy…
It’s also incredibly well specced. There are two models – the 3760 and the 3790T. While both feature the new slim design, the 3790T also offers lifetime traffic updates, 3D city mapping (so you can see things like the Sydney Opera House as you drive past them) and voice commands. So you can control certain features of teh device by simply speaking out loud. The command you use to launch voice control is also customisable – you can put in anything from “Voice control” to “We’re taking this baby to light speed” before controlling the device with your voice.
Because of the device’s thin profile, it easily fits in your pocket which makes it useful for pedestrian navigation. Thanks to an inbuilt accelerometer, the device automatically switches to portrait view when held upright. There’s also a coupl eof cool features that will automatically direct you to favourite locations and avoid traffic based on your previous driving experiences using the device – in other words, the satnav learns your habits before it begins plotting your downfall routes automatically.
The catch – and it’s not really a catch – is the price. The 3760 is $449 and the 3790T is $549. It’s a premium price, that’s for sure, but it’s also gorgeous. I’m not going to say that makes it worth the price, but it definitely helps…
[Garmin]