Home › Reviews ›

Review: Garmin Asus Garminfone

Form Basics Extras Video Tour Wrap-Up Comments 17

GPS Music Camera Image Quality Browse / Customize Extras

Photos

Image quality was okay for a three megapixel shooter with no flash. That sensor puts the Garminfone at the low end of Android cameraphones, and frankly I'm quite disappointed that Garmin Asus didn't spring for something much better, such as a larger sensor or a branded lens. Photography and travel go hand in hand, and Garmin is missing an opportunity here. If you want a good camera on your phone, look elsewhere. If you just want some basic shots to mark your place or keep your memories fresh, the Garminfone might suffice.

Indoors, images were noisy and colors were off. Color noise speckled darker spots in images, and bright spots were likewise overexposed. Outside, under bright sunlight, I had the same trouble, only magnified. Dark spots disappeared completely into the shadows. White spots were totally blown out. Colors were at least more accurate under bright lights. Even deep reds didn't bleed as much as I expected, and images looked okay, if I didn't zoom in too much.

The lack of a flash hurts in low light situations. A cameraphone flash is never ideal, but it helps in a pinch, so the Garminfone will be of no help in very dark situations, like a bar or outside at night.

Video

The Garminfone can shoot video at QVGA resolution, or dip down to an even smaller QCIF size for MMS messages. Videos looked lousy. The light problems I saw in the still camera obviously hurt the camcorder as well, and even in slight shade details disappeared into a wavy, pixelated mess. The microphone also made sound seem distant and faded in video recordings.

MPEG-4 format (viewable with QuickTime)

Next page: Browse / Customize

Related

T-Mobile Will Carry Android Powered Garminfone

Apr 20, 2010
T-Mobile today announced upcoming availability of the Garminfone, a new Android tablet phone from Garmin. The Garminfone uses a 3.5-inch touchscreen, and seems to feature an interface similar to previous Garmin phones, such as the Garmin Nuvifone on AT&T.

iPhone 14 Plus Offers a Big Screen For Less

Sep 7, 2022
Apple has revealed the iPhone 14 series, with new features, improved specs, and new size options. In place of a Mini option, the iPhone 14 will come in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen size options as the Pro models.

Qualcomm Taps Iridium for Satellite Connectivity

Jan 5, 2023
Qualcomm has revealed Snapdragon Satellite , the company's solution for connecting Android phones directly to satellites for truly global coverage. The feature uses the Iridium network, a satellite constellation that has has been in operation for 25 years.

Asus Goes Big with Zenfone 11 Ultra

Mar 14, 2024
Asus has revealed its latest global flagship phone: the Zenfone 11 Ultra. This year's model abandons the compact form factor that was a hallmark of the Zenfone series in recent years; the 11 Ultra has a 6.78" FHD+ AMOLED display, whereas last year's model was just 5.9".

iOS 16 Revamps the Lock Screen

Jun 6, 2022
Apple today announced iOS 16, the next version of its core software for iPhones. The new OS features a major revamp of the Lock Screen with new personalization, including font & color options, and widgets that are similar to complications on the Apple Watch.

Garmin Asus Garminfone

3.5" display 320 x 480 pixels
S1 MSM7227 processor
1,150 mAh battery
Memory Card Slot

more news about: