Garmin has announced the nuvi 1690 and the nuLink! connected service this morning. The nuvi 1690, which passed through the FCC last month, is Garmin’s first connected PND in the United States. The nuLink! wireless module built into the GPS unit provides Google Local Search, fuel prices, flight information, weather forecasts, movie listings, white pages listings, real-time traffic updates, and Ciao, Garmin’s location-based social network.
The nuvi 1690 also supplies the features common to most Garmin GPS devices. Preloaded NAVTEQ maps of North America, EcoRoute (fuel-efficient routing), voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, lane assist with junction views, a preloaded POI database, and hands-free Bluetooth calling are all included.
Shipping in the fourth quarter, the Garmin nuvi 1690 will have a suggested retail price of $499.99. At first glance, expensive, but nuLink! connected services are included free for the first two years after which it’ll cost $5 per month.
