Garmin selects MediaTek for outdoor PND's

[MtnHermit]

Not enough here to be sure just what is happening. Did SIRF not clear up its patent problems?

 

MediaTek has announced that its single-chip all-in-one GPS solution MT3329 is in mass production and has been integrated with a wide range of Garmin outdoor navigators, the Garmin GPSMAP 60 series.

 

The MediaTek MT3329 single-chip baseband features 165dBm ultra-high sensitivity, according to the company. Besides, the MT3329 enables precise positioning even under slow movements such as hiking or mountain climbing.

 

The original article

[freeday]

Now, all Garmin outdoor-systems will have the same bad accurancy. (offset up to 100m)

I hope, that my 60csx will never break.

[+SUp3rFM & Cruella]

Don't know if that's new, but I remember reading the first stories about Garmin and Mediatek back in 2007.

 

http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20070827PB205.html

[MtnHermit]

Now, all Garmin outdoor-systems will have the same bad accurancy. (offset up to 100m)

Not necessarily. While for sure SIRF proved it could create a high sensitivity - high accuracy chip for low speed hand held use, that doesn't preclude others from doing the same.

 

Much of the blame has to fall to Garmin for trying to adapt cheaper automotive chips to hand held applications. Clearly the CO & OR have taught them a lesson or two.

 

While the hand held market is smaller, it is not trivial. No reason to suspect that Garmin couldn't have gone to Mediatek with clear hand held specs. Hopefully the MediaTek MT3329 is just such a chip and the last three years of high sensitivity - low accuracy are in the past.