Garmin announced a new navigation application for smartphones today with the introduction of Garmin Mobile XT. For a suggested retail of $99, you get a microSD card complete with navigation software and maps of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, or Europe. You’ll need a supported smartphone with integrated GPS for this to work; once you pop the microSD card in your phone, the application starts right up.
Most GPS-enabled smartphones already come with software or work with free offerings like Windows Live Mobile or Google Maps, so there might not be a big draw for Garmin Mobile XT on the surface. The add-in services might bring some more value however: "Garmin Mobile XT builds in unique features such as support for travelguides, topo maps and custom points of interest, as well as advancedfeatures such as route planning with saved routes, custom avoidancesand visible trip logs. Garmin Mobile XT users also have the benefit ofrouting to the location of a contact in their phone’s address book orto a calendar appointment (on supported platforms)."
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