The Pharos Traveler GPS 137 is the immediate successor to the Traveler 127.  In fact, they share almost the exact same features, differentiated mostly by physical design and some variance in performance.  As such, it shares mostly the same advantages and disadvantages as the earlier handset.

First off, the 137 is a sleeker, more attractive update with a full touchscreen front panel, compared to the QWERTY-fitted one of the 127.  Departing from the clunky looks of its predecessor, the new device fits right into the current smartphone market, with streamlined looks and a very clean design.  Build appears to be very good, with a soft back cover.

The large 3.5-inch display is a stunner.  Offering a 480 x 800 resolution, it fosters extra-clear images with plenty of brightness to go around.  Naturally, the larger screen is a better unit for use as a GPS, as well.  It also comes pre-loaded with Spb Mobile Shell, one of the best third-party skinning for Windows Mobile phones to make that tired OS look fresh for a change.  It includes an onboard accelerometer, although performance on that end wasn't very consistent.

It comes with the same Smart Navigator software as the Traveler 127, along with a full set of maps, so your GPS service is free.  Like we said in that previous review, this isn't the best location-based software around and warrants a consideration, for the most part, only because it comes free with your phone.  Too bad, really, because it is a complete system, offering voice and text navigation, multiple routes, POI and trip recording. There are even real-time updates for traffic, gas prices, movies and local weather.  It's a good set of features, though, so many of the design issues can be overlooked.

As a phone, voice calls were decent, although it had a persistent background hiss.  Speakerphone was largely unusable, other than the most ideal conditions, like a quiet room with great reception.  It offers quad-band roaming, along with 3G and Wi-Fi, so connectivity suite is pretty complete.  Battery is rated at 7 hours and it can last you a good couple of days before recharging.

Since it's a Windows Mobile phone, messaging and apps suite are on par with industry best.  Much of the other features are just pretty standard, though, including a 2.0 megapixel camera (average stills), basic media playback (great movies because of the gorgeous screen) and average HSDPA browser speeds.

Like its predecessor, it's tough to recommend the Pharos Traveler GPS 137.  While it keeps its end of the bargain by outfitting a complete phone, implementation is still not solid.  If you're looking for value, though, a pre-installed complete GPS software and gorgeous touchscreen (around $500, depending on where you purchase) at this price point sounds like a good deal.

Originally slated for availability around a year ago, the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60 finally hit the market this year.  Boasting strong GPS features and a proprietary Linux build at the helm, it offers one of the more interesting smartphone options available today.

As you may have expected, the Nuvifone G60 shines best with its navigation features.  In this regard, it is actually a full-fledged GPS, with capabilities that rival dedicated standalone units.

Turn-by-turn navigation is available by default and will bundle all the needed maps, depending on where your phone was purchased.  Other maps, along with updates, can be downloaded (with purchase) from the Garmin-Asus website.  Features include a very helpful search facility (for both addresses and POIs) that's right out of Garmin-branded navigators, messaging integration (that lets you inform your contacts about your location) and browser integration (clicking an address on a webpage loads it on the map).

Physically, the G60 is a beautiful phone, with a well-designed hardware package.  The 3.55-inch screen doesn't offer the best resolution (only 480 x 272 pixels), but it manages great display quality, nonetheless.  The unique matte finish also works very well, making the phone extremely usable even under direct sunlight.

As a phone, voice call quality is pristine.  Speakerphone system is easily one of the best around, making it perfect for hands-free use in cars.  It offers a good set of messaging options, including a very easy email setup, although there's no MMS.  Support for viewing various document attachments (PDF, Word  and Excel) are also provided, though there's no editing facility.

Users can get online via HSPA and Wi-Fi, using a proprietary  WebKit-based browser.  Speed is generally acceptable (a little slower than average) and there's no Flash support, but layout is near-perfect.  Other specs include 4GB of internal memory, USB mass storage, a 3.0 megapixel camera (average) and some basic media playback.

Overall, it's safe to say that the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60 is a GPS with phone features.  The rest of the capabilities are really average at best, with the OS (which the company will be abandoning after this release) feeling unfinished.  Its navigation talents as well as in-car use, though, is largely unrivaled by any phone out there, making it a tough choice to consider.

We've scoffed at a number of feature-rich handsets before that neglected to include a GPS among its list of talents.  For some reason, navigation capabilities have become a required functionality for any phone that's at least upwards of the mid-range.  The HTC Touch Cruise takes it a step further, not only offering a GPS as an aside, but puts it front and center of its overall functionality.

This second iteration of the Touch Cruise brand, this phone sports a slim 0.5-inch thickness, to go along with a 3.6-ounce weight.  Build is solid while handling is similarly exceptional - a definite plus for any navigation-centered handheld.

Check out these daily deals available on HTC Touch Cruise.

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

HTC Touch Cruise T4242 Unlocked 3G GPS WiFi Touch Phone US $249.98 --> Ends In 15d 11h 45m <--

NEW HTC Touch Cruise 09 Quad band Phone UNLOCKED US $289.99 --> Ends In 14d 10h 21m <--

HTC Touch Cruise II T4242 Windows WM 28 Smart Cell Mobile Phone Unlocked US $249.99 --> Ends In 26d 11h 47m <--

HTC Touch Cruise P3650 Windows WM Smart Cell Mobile Phone Unlocked US $249.99 --> Ends In 26d 11h 47m <--

Leather Wallet Case for HTC Touch Diamand Cruise Phone US $19.99 --> Ends In 23d 6h 28m <--

Car Sticky Air Vent Mount Holder for HTC Smart Phone ii US $8.99 --> Ends In 10d 14h 33m <--

Universal Car Air Vent Mount Holder for HTC cell phone US $9.99 --> Ends In 1d 15h 40m <--

Display is a 2.8-inch touchscreen LCD with a 320 x 240 resolution.  It's clear and bright, although not as sharp as some of the best panels we've seen from HTC.  The biggest disappointment in the phone is the display's performance under direct sunlight (which, as a navigator, it will find itself in often), with quality suffering considerably despite remaining usable (barely).

We had a notable problem typing on the sub-3-inch screen.  While we're used to working out QWERTY on 3.2-inch devices, its implementation on the 2.8-inch Touch Cruise was decidedly difficult, mostly requiring a stylus to properly compose emails and long text messages.

Interface, like HTC's current smartphones, uses the familiar TouchFlo 3D running over Windows Mobile 6.1.  As you may already know, we love this particular UI and that continues with its implementation on the Touch Cruise, which adds a few GPS-centric tabs to the toolbar.  It comes with the usual bevy of features as with HTC's other smartphones, including emails, IM, office apps, full HTML browsing, media playback and even a dedicated YouTube app.

Despite all those talents, the phone's main selling points are its GPS-related features, of which it has plenty.  In the US, the Touch Cruise uses the CoPilot Live for turn-by-turn directions, offering text and voice instructions, 2D and 3D maps, day and night map colors, detour routing and multi-destination programming.  A separate Map Search tool allows you to look up stores, restaurants and other establishments close to your location, even without launching the GPS software.  The phone, by the way, ships with a 2GB SD card that contains all the maps you will probably need (actual contents will depend on which region you actually buy the phone from).

A new feature called Footprints take the geotagging of photos a step further, allowing users to add notes and audio to each image.  With the app, you can plot a photo's saved location to Google Maps and navigate there with just a press of a button.  It comes with a 3.2 megapixel optics module, by the way, which offers pretty decent quality for a phone camera, although it doesn't  come with a flash.

Calls on the device are pretty good, with the occasional (very seldom) cut audio on our end.  Speakerphone wasn't the best, however.  Overall, the handset deserves to be called a GPS-phone for its rich set of functionality towards that end.  Unless Garmin-Asus can outdo what the HTC Touch Cruise has so far managed so well, I see a difficult road ahead for their highly-touted yet extremely-delayed GPS-phone that goes head-to-head with this impressive handset.

Photo Credit: TechChee