My favourite GPS maker has unveiled its new GPS-touchscreen-phone.

It would be great if they did a ruggedized version for boaters as well…

The nüvifone is an innovative mobile phone that has a wide range of advanced yet easy-to-use features. The all touchscreen device is the first of its kind to integrate premium 3.5G mobile phone capability with an internet browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and personal navigation functions in one device. When powered on, the 3.5-inch touchscreen display reveals three primary icons — “Call,” “Search,” and “View Map” which allow the user to effortlessly master the nüvifone’s functions.

For the ultimate in safety, the “Where am I?” feature lets users touch the screen at any time to display the exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations. The nüvifone also helps drivers find their car in an unfamiliar spot or crowded parking lot by automatically marking the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount.

More information and screens of the new phone at the Garmin web site.

Sadly, if the Canadian carriers’ snail-like take up of the iPhone is any example, we can probably expect to see the nüvifone roll out here sometime after the Vancouver Olympics. Hopefully I’m wrong.