Garmin Nuvi 1695 - NuLink connected GPS - 5-Inch screen, Google Search, Traffic

Garmin just announced the new Nuvi 1695, an updated connected GPS device that has a 5-inch screen. The Nuvi is connected to Garmin's branded NuLink! service, that includes data such as realtime traffic, Google Local Search, weather, fuel prices, flight status and more. They threw in a few more NuThings like NuRoute technology which offers you trafficTrends and MyTrends; two routing features that help you route around known traffic issues and allows the Nuvi to learn from your driving habits and preferred routes, giving it Yoda-like intelligence.

"The nüLink! 1695 is designed to give drivers a full variety of accurate, up-to-the-minute information that they can access quickly, on a full-size, 5-inch touchscreen display," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "When you add the power of Google Local Searches and nüRoute historical information, the nüLink! 1695 delivers the ultimate navigation experience."

The Nuvi 1695 comes loaded with information n board like phone listings and millions of Points of Interest, but also gives you the ability to access NuLink white pages and look up people and their phone number and street address. Pretty handy.

"The Garmin nüLink! traffic feature provides the best-in-class information from NAVTEQ™, a world leader in premium-quality mapping, to help customers navigate in and around congestion. "

The Nuvi 1695 also comes with available NEXRAD radar giving you insight into impending storms. This is something I've been waiting for in an auto format since Garmin launched an Aviation/Auto combo unit (GPSMAP 496) back in 2006.

The Nuvi 1695 also comes with several other features carried over to round out the offering:

Bluetooth Handsfree

Lane Assist with Junciton View of complex intersections to make on route decision making easier.

Text to Speech - says street names

ecoRoute - to help you document your mileage and save gas

Expected to be available this month, the Nuvi 1695 will retail for a street price of $449; the first year of Garmin nüLink! is free, and after that, the subscription renewal price for data services is $5.00/month.

Full Press Release after the jump......

OLATHE, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN - News), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the nüLink! 1695 - a 5-inch touchscreen portable navigation device (PND) that connects drivers with relevant, online information from Garmin's nüLink! service, including links to online information like Google™ Local Search, traffic, weather, fuel prices, flight status, and other real-time, location-relevant content, plus it uses nüRoute™ technology with trafficTrends™ and myTrends™ to make your daily commute easier than ever. The U.S. version of the nüLink! 1695 comes with one year of free Garmin nüLink! services out-of-the-box, and is also the first device to offer the nüLink! Store where customers can purchase optional premium services.

The nüLink! 1695 has a comprehensive set of points of interest (POIs) search capabilities thanks to nüLink!'s Google Local Search and white page telephone listings. Google Local Search brings online POIs to customers' fingertips and lets them search for destinations by name or key words just like they are accustomed to doing on their personal computer. Detailed search results are displayed for many POIs, including a location description, business address, phone number and popularity rating. Customers can also use the nüLink!'s white page telephone listing feature to search for a person's street address by their first and last name or phone number.

In addition to the local search capabilities, Garmin nüLink! offers a plethora of other online services that will help you travel like a local. Convenient services like local events and movie listings help customers find interesting activities wherever they might travel. Real-time flight status takes the stress out of traveling to the airport with up-to-the minute arrival and departure information for major air carriers. Plus, the Garmin nüLink! traffic feature provides the best-in-class information from NAVTEQ™, a world leader in premium-quality mapping, to help customers navigate in and around congestion. In addition to the standard included services, the nüLink! 1695 offers the nüLink! Store where customers can purchase optional premium services that offer information like real-time advanced weather with Nexrad radar and severe weather alerts, and premium safety camera alerts.

With nüLink! 1695 customers will receive efficient routing and realistic arrival times with trafficTrends, which recommends routes using historical data and recurring trends that Garmin has collected about traffic in your area at any given time of day. And making your commute easier than ever, the nüLink! 1695 remembers your frequent favorite destinations and uses myTrends to predict your destination without you needing to activate a route, displaying your arrival time and best route based on relevant traffic information. In addition, the nüLink! 1695 includes lane assist with junction view so drivers will see a realistic presentation of road signs and junctions along the route, as well as arrows that indicate the proper lane for navigation where available.

The nüLink! 1695 comes standard with ecoRoute™, an innovative application that helps customers stretch their dollars and conserve fuel by creating routes that are optimized for using less fuel. When a user selects the "less fuel" option, the 1695 will determine a fuel efficient route based on fuel consumption rates, estimated driving speeds and vehicle acceleration data. Customers can then develop better driving habits by reviewing the results of ecoRoute's Fuel Report and Mileage Report. When used in combination with nüLink!'s fuel prices, customers can not only optimize their routes but also can choose their refueling locations in order to minimize the cost of vehicle operation.

The nüLink! 1695 also has Bluetooth® Wireless Technology that makes it possible to receive and place phone calls directly from the device. It can be paired with over 200 Bluetooth enabled phones, and a driver can retrieve and dial numbers using a supported phone's contact list, the phone's call history log, or the nüLink! 1695's preloaded points of interest database.

The U.S. version of the nüLink! 1695 has preloaded maps of North America and is expected to be available in September 2010 for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $449.99. In the U.S., the first year of Garmin nüLink! is free, and after that, the subscription renewal price for data services is $5.00/month. Fuel prices in the U.S. are updated daily. nüLink! coverage area information is available at www.garmin.com/nulink.

September 2, 2010

Garmin Nuvi 1695 - NuLink connected GPS - 5-Inch screen, Google Search, Traffic