Garmin Asus nüvifone M10 review

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Verdict:

Poor battery life, an obsolete operating system and confusing software make this hybrid satnav/mobile phone frustrating to use, and we don't see the point in it.

Review Date: 8 Sep 2010

Price when reviewed: £299

Supplier: http://www.maplin.co.uk

Reviewed By: Barry de la Rosa

Our Rating 2 stars out of 5

Unlike TomTom satnavs, there's no way to set a preferred arrival time and there's only a choice of fastest, shortest or - oddly - off-road routing preferences. Finally, you can get traffic information via GPRS, but keep in mind that this will use your data allowance.

With new Android phones coming installed with Google's free Navigation software, and the recent release of the open-source Skobbler satnav app for the iPhone, there are other choices for mobile satnav that don't require you to use Microsoft's obsolete mobile operating system, and the M10's poor battery life and resistive touchscreen don't help matters.

Moreover, integration of Garmin's satnav software isn't as seamless as you might expect, and you're stuck with a virtual keyboard that works best with a stylus - definitely not something you want to do while driving. We simply don't see the need for this hybrid device.

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