Garmin and the disappearing GPS

Jan 14 2011 Published by Ben Chong under Business trends

Or the need thereof…

Seriously, when was the last time you used a GPS?

By GPS, I am referring to a Garmin, TomTom, Magellan etc device that you either “stick” to your car’s windshield or pop on the dashboard.

I have not used my ancient Garmin in a long time. Not since I got my first Android phone.

Today, when I need to go anywhere new, I just pull out my T-Mobile G2 Android phone, launch the Maps app, search for the address, tap on the banner of the destination address on the map, tap on the “navigate” icon, choose “Driving Navigation”, and I’m on the way! If the address was sent in an email, I can just hold my finger over the text containing said address. Android automagically figures out that it is an address, and launches the Maps app.

Hello smart phone, good bye dedicated GPS device!

Google Maps is still not perfect for navigation in the sense that the map and direction data is not stored on the device. You still need some connectivity for the device to get the maps and directions. I found this out the hard way when I went to some place where there was no network connection. While the G2 was able to get all the navigation data to go to that place when I left home, it could not get the data to help me navigate home: there was zero cellphone or network access.

Here is where GPS manufacturers can avoid being made obsolete by smartphones: be able to provide products that allow offline navigation or complement the functionality of the built-in navigation apps.

Garmin tried shipping a GPS+smartphone device with Asus, the nuvifone (sold in some places as the Garminfone). This device combined a full-fledge Garmin GPS device with an Android phone. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a commercial success and Garmin and Asus terminated their partnership.

Garmin hasn’t given up (this is an existential issue) and is now selling the Garmin StreetPilot app for Apple iDevices. It is available on the iTunes app store at $40. Garmin currently doesn’t have a similar offering for Android.

Will Garmin’s approach of “cooperating with the competition” help prevent its GPS markets from being eaten by smartphones? That remains to be seen. There are a number of negative comments on the app.

Meanwhile, in a case of “your competitor is my competitor” cooperation, Nike and TomTom have come together to launch the Nike+ SportWatch. This combines Nike’s Nike+ shoe sensor watch technologies with TomTom’s expertise in GPS devices. This is clearly an attempt to roll back Garmin’s lead in GPS-equiped sport watches.

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The Branded Runner

Jun 09 2008 Published by Ben Chong under Business, Marketing, Product, The Bowlegged Runner

I don’t run particularly well. At least not compared to a lot of people. But then neither am I an all-show-no-go runner.

So I am not too ashamed to go out running while being decked out with different brands. See the pictures below.

I am really not brand-conscious. However, I value comfort and safety while running. At my age, I am also concerned about short and long term injuries. As a result, I look for equipment, apparel and consumables that will help me run the distance I want to go while keeping away the effects of heat and other bad stuff.

The question is how would I know if a particular piece of equipment is good for what it claims to do? The answer is: the brand. By wearing a Adidas running cap, for example, I am assured that I will be comfortable and not overheat. It sounds really dumb and I agree that I could have gone out to Target and bought a Champion-branded cap. It will probably work equally well, but Champion is an unknown brand. Do I want to take a risk with my health? I have run up to three hours at a stretch in that Adidas cap, sometimes finishing the run at noon. It gets hot in San Jose at noon!

This is something to bear in mind as Under Armour launches a range of athletic shoes which they term as “trainers”. It is not clear if Under Armour is positioning these shoes as running shoes or cross-trainers. One thing I am certain of is that I will not buy them for running. If you were to look at all the articles and forum postings on the choice of running shoes, you will realize that it is difficult to get the right pair of running shoes: something you can run for miles without shinsplints, ITB and other pains. Furthermore, runners tend to be rather loyal to particular models or brands that have worked well for them.

So Under Armour will have a tough time selling running shoes. It is not that other companies have not succeeded. Pearl Izumi launched their running shoes 4-5 years ago and have made inroads.

We will see.

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