By We know: it’s hard to believe that ANYONE bought this phone. (And if they did, we’d find it hard to believe that they kept it for more than a day or two.) But if any of you out there are still rocking the Garminfone (made by the Garmin-ASUS duo that no longer exists) and you’ve been wanting Android 2.1, T-Mobile’s got you covered. Head on over to their forums now to check it out. (There’s no OTA process to go through and it must be applied manually over the wire. All of the links and instructions you need can be found at T-Mobile.) [via AC]
I can’t believe they are even offering an update for this phone. can’t understand why they didnt just bump it up to 2.2 though.
I know one person with a Garminfone, and I think the only reason she has it is because she works at Garmin.
SHOCKER!
Not to be picky, but need I remind you what “OTA” stands for? If you have to download it and apply it to your phone manually, then it’s technically not “Over The Air.”
Just sayin’ ;)
I’m surprised Garmin gave up in the device business and then bothered to release an update. Good for them for providing tech support. It might be a decent device now.
given the limited hardware in the garminfone, I’m curious as to the 2.1 performance. if it was decent, it would almost be worth picking one up for $49.99 from T-Mobile just to play around with.
Damn it, just tried to update my wifes garmin and the link is dead. Garmin pulled it. Any word on when they will have it up, if at all?
I bought the Garminfone three weeks ago. It’s the perfect phone if you are if want a GPS that doesn’t require a data plan. The 2.1 upgrade is a huge improvement. Everything is smoother and the Breeze UI is really nice. I liked the phone before, but I love it now. Had the 2.1 update been available months earlier the phone would have gotten much better reviews. Props to Garmin/Asus for delivering the update.
Check out page 3 of that thread for screen caps.
Overall, the phone is not that bad. Yes, I own it.
I got the 2.1 update and rooted it within 18 hours.
The UI is more HTC in appearance than what it used to be with the original 1.6 release.
The only things really missing are: 3.5mm headphone jack, camera flash.
Granted it is not snapdragon powered, but its price point is nice. And it has 4GB of ram for offline maps (free lifetime updates too), and a dedicated 512mb for user apps.
Getting it unlocked was a simple trip to ebay for a cheap code.
Phandroid you all are idiots, makes great sense why this site gets the least amount of traffic out of the android sites out there – – – this is a post from tmo forums , sums it up – –
“Yea and plus that post on Phandroid makes them look like idiots. They tell everyone TMobile has them covered if they want to update the phone to 2.1 idiots, it’s not even out yet and T mobile had nothing to do with it. Great reporting… NOT”
I love Garminphone and I think I bill buy one for my wife, too. There is nothing I wish would be better. I have a great GPS and phone for low price.
I honestly don’t know why people say “I can’t believe anyone bought this phone…” etc.
To be honest, it fills a very useful role as a combined data phone and standalone gps unit – which has *exceptional* reception with gps.
I own both this phone, and a Nexus One. While the hardware of the Nexus definitely rocks the Gfone’s hardware, the Gfone does, actually, do quite a good job.
The call quality is as good as my N1. The signal reception is also as good as the N1.
Yes, apps that run very quickly on the N1 can lag on the Gfone, but it does play Angry Birds ;)
The one thing I really, really like it for is the Garmin navigation. Sure, Gmaps does a great job, but try using them in an area with no cell data reception – which I run into a lot. Having it act as a stand alone unit is a great thing.
Plus, I think the routing is better than what I have experienced with Gmaps as well.
Anyway, it runs 2.1 quite well (I was lucky enough to snag the leak of the update project). I will be curious to see if what we got was a final version or not – but it seems like it is as stable as a final release.
For the price, you really can’t beat all you get with the phone and it’s included accessories / software updates etc.
i dont know about anyone else but this phone rocks. i have never had an issue with speed or anything else for that matter. great job T-Mobile
i have upgraded to the 2.1 everything still looks the same… I see everyone talking about breeze… what is that how do i get it.. and how and why do i root my phone??
i updated and all i got was a new app button for amazon mp3s and an app button for coupon offers. saw the screen shots for breeze and they look awesome. wishing i could change my home page from the standard garminfone home page
I got the older AT&T version. I was on chemo at the time, constantly got lost, needed something tha required no brain cell to operate, etc.
It seemed great – at first. Then, too late, I found I could not send or recieve pics via text.
It would have cost me $50 to take it back in and get a different phone and my brain and body were just not up to it.
Sadly, AT&T did NOT tell me they were discontinuing the phone, they did not tell me a lot of things.
I think the phone has possibilities. Maybe the tmobile one is better. If it is unloceked and I don;t have to be a t mobile cust, it might be worth it to goof aound with. But I am afraid of screwing up again. I need a decent priced phone that does enough but won’t blow my computer challanged mind. And is either AT7T or unlocked. *sigh* Good luck for those. The t mobile does sound interesting but….
I am the garminfone and also did the 2.1 upgrade from the “leaked” source on T-mobiles forum.
Yes it is my first ever droid phone, so my review is quite limited.
I kind of liked the stock version and once I got Breeze, I really like it a lot.
other then the no 3.5mm jack and no camera flash,
its a decent phone for its cost (I got it free, which makes it even better)
It seems to handle muti=tasking quite well as well as surfing the web.
also given all the apps on the market now, this phones potential is unlimited.
It also has built in wired tether, which requires no root.
The only real issue I have is when I am using tether, wired or not, some of my calls/texts gets lost, my Gmail account might be the culprit IDK.
I am not quite sure about price differences and am assuming the garminfone is much cheaper then its competitors, which makes it the perfect phone for those on a lower budget.
I love my GARMINfone
Hey, for those of you that do own Garminfone and are looking for an upgrade to 2.1 I’d love to explain something. First of all, go to GarminAsus website and get an upgrade for Eclair directly from there. However once you will load it onto your phone (307.6 mb size), your phone will loose its wifi capabilities. Next step would be to use the link users have placed in the forum which basically drops the firmware version of the OS down to 4.0.25. Do not be concerned, even though this may sound like a downgrade it isnt. The initial upgrade from the manufactorers website will be your core OS. All the 4.0.25 will do is fix the wifi issues in it. If you havnt upgraded to 2.1 you must use the link from the website bc the one posted on the forum is meant to only correct the issue once you’ve upgraded. The forum link and GarminAsus web link are totally different. If you happen to download only the 4.0.25 upgrade onto your stock system, you will not see any changes.
I just got the Garminfone from Tmobile after reading that it was free with my upgrade and as a free device it blew all the other free devices out of the water. Don’t be fooled by these clowns that are telling you that the phone is garbage because its not! As soon as i took it out of the box i upgraded the OS to 2.1 and it became a completely different device. It handles 2.1 very well. As a original G1 owner and one of the first users to use android i left it for an iphone because it was lacking in apps at the time. Now i am really impressed with how far android has come in such a sort time. YOU CAN NOT GET A BETTER GPS ON A CELL PHONE PERIOD! Google maps was Ok but it fails majorly in comparison to the Garmin GPS and the signal stays strong and accurate. As a phone the device is crystal clear especially the speakerphone. Its the best one i have had(blackerry storm, iphone, G1 are the last three phones i have owned). The UI under 2.1 is great you have the option of using the original Interface or the Breeze Interface. I have been thinking about rooting the phone to give myself access to proprietary apps that only available on different phone models and Networks. Right now this phone is tethered to my laptop and it give me really fast internet and download speed. I don’t Tmobile knew what they had in this device and should have work more with Garmin and google to get the most out of this device. The sales people at Tmobile do a horrible job at selling products and if i did not know what i know then i probably would have taken his suggestion and paid extra money on a different device. Always do the research for yourself and read online what others are doing with the device you are considering before you go into the store and be told that” you can’t tether with the Garminfone, or you can’t upgrade the OS.” This is a device that i will probably own long after my next upgrade is a available.
Ok people, for one there is a 3.5 mm jack. It was supplied in the damn box u got with the phone. Its on the headphone. All u need is a 3.5mm male to 3.5mm male audio cable jack. I picked one up at the nearest gas station for $9.00.
Second, if u want a different home page, check out ADW LAUNCHER, in ur Android market. With this, my Garminfone’s home page looks very similar to my wife’s Samsung Vibrant.
Ofcource this is for the people who didnt get the memo on the upgrade in time to install it. Like me
I have a Garminfone just got it about 3 weeks ago. And i love it. Works good for me and i love the Android software. My son has one also. I would recommend it to anyone. Some people have a problem with everything. I say if you have a problem with cells then invest your money and you invent one then you can make it like you want it. Just a thought
So what exactly were the changes that come with the 2.1 upgrade. I downloaded the software from a different site then the GarminAsus website and upgraded it and nothing really seemed to change and I just tried downloading the update from the the GarminAsus website and its the same file I downloaded before any help is appreciated
all that seems to change is I can change the color on the homescreen, and thats about it and I may have been able to do that before just didn’t notice it sorry about the double post.
i went to the garmin site and downloaded the 2.1 upgrade and installed it to my phone but after it verifies befor the upgrade it says its an in valed file how do i fix that i got the file from garmin site please help
Love the Garmin and with the 2.1 update it is that much better.
This is a fantastic phone! The issues that most people mention are really quite trivial. It is my 1st android and as a former windows phone user, I must say that this phone flat outperforms most other android phones that I have experienced! Great job to all involved!
To Micheal:
You have to download the firmware from the correct region. Otherwise it will say Invalid File. Like say for eg, you bought the GFone from Malaysia, download from Malaysia region from home website.
~Rosh
There is a promo/coupon code for 125$ off good until 3/14/2011 …. direct link to phone is http://www.themoststock.com/product/74834_m/1510374834M::/T-Mobile-Garminfone-Android-Phone-(T-Mobile)-1510374834M.html
promo code is 125BUXOFF its on the “save money” page at http://www.TheMostStock.com
Hope I was a help to someone ! My buddy works for a cell store, he hooked me up with the site, its where they buy some of their phones i believe.
125$ off promo … that kinda unheard of…. am i wrong ?! Anyway i am still trying to figure this phone out, I just got it today… upgrade from a 15$ piece of junk to the newest technology ,lol… it was time.
Hey. Just got the Garmin from tmobile.
They tell me there is no upgrade to 2.1 But everyone here seems to have it. Can you help a guy understand what, where and when? I’d like to use this phone at its maximum.
Im shocked at how many morons bad mouthed this phone its amazing, i have a mp3 player a dam good camera and GPS and its a phone that picks up wifi! what more do you want it to do plus i got it for 50 dollars and my bill is cheap
I got mine yesterday, it shipped with 2.1 installed. I did notice though, that this morning that the phone is gone from T Mobile’s site. I ordered 3 lines with this phone and got them free last week. I like it so far. I ordered an exchange with a LG Optimus T before the gfone even got here… I may have jumped the gun because I kinda like it even after only having it for a few hours.
i have a garminfone i just got it last week and i like it i don’t know why everybody is hating on it
Hello All,
Does anyone have one of these that they are not using or would like to get rid of?? If so, give me some contact info, etc. Tried to get on but Tmobile was out. Maybe someone got one for all of their lines and don’t need one.
Ive had my Garmin since Jan and its been a great phone, the update to 2..1 made it even better, i couldnt ask for anything more in my Garminfone
I got the garminfone as a trade for some things I was selling on craigslist brand new(about $90 worth) and I love it. I have had the Htc HD2, Evo, Iphone 3gs, htc hd7 and is way more bang for its buck.I got this and sold my Hd7 for a $350 profit. Love the OS very stable and GPS is awesome. All of you that say bad things about this phone are just into hyped phones. I will be buying another just in case mine breaks since tmobile has discontinued them. Garminefone is an underestimated phone!
Have the Garminfone Asus and if you need the 2.1 update go to http://www.garminasus.com/en_US/support/eclair/
and get it! first purchased two of them and my wife had the update I didn’t (go figure). I went online followed the instructions and loved it ever since. Especially considering it was T-Mobile’s free phone. :)
My screen is broken and has been since the 3rd week I owned it. I didn’t know I only had 14 days to add the warranty so I have been using a busted phone for MONTHS but it’s getting worse now. I LOVE this phone but T-mobile is out and it’s not looking too promising they are getting more in. Does anyone know where I could get the screen fixed or get a new phone at a good price? Does anyone have one they want to sell? My email is [email protected]
I’ve tried updating my Garminfone from my Toshiba, my girlfriend’s Mac, both from tmobile and from garmin. The system says its updating, the green scrolly-bar goes from left to right, it reboots, and then my phone remains exactly the same as it was. What gives? What are the differences?
I’ve tried updating my Garminfone from my Toshiba, my girlfriend’s Mac, both from tmobile and from garmin. The system says its updating, the green scrolly-bar goes from left to right, it reboots, and then my phone remains exactly the same as it was. What gives? What are the differences?
I’ve tried updating my Garminfone from my Toshiba, my girlfriend’s Mac, both from tmobile and from garmin. The system says its updating, the green scrolly-bar goes from left to right, it reboots, and then my phone remains exactly the same as it was. What gives? What are the differences?
I’ve tried updating my Garminfone from my Toshiba, my girlfriend’s Mac, both from tmobile and from garmin. The system says its updating, the green scrolly-bar goes from left to right, it reboots, and then my phone remains exactly the same as it was. What gives? What are the differences?
I’ve tried updating my Garminfone from my Toshiba, my girlfriend’s Mac, both from tmobile and from garmin. The system says its updating, the green scrolly-bar goes from left to right, it reboots, and then my phone remains exactly the same as it was. What gives? What are the differences?
install of new update was easy did you miss a step from tmobiles website. i love this phone so far. just got it a week ago.
i have one paid to much for it..but selling for 150..moving away and dont want roaming bills..getting different service in new are…reply to [email protected] it works great…
For anyone having trouble installing the update… make sure when you go to save the update to your desktop, that you make sure the end of the file name says .update before you click save.