In the midst of announcing what some call a disappointing second quarter, uber-GPS-maker Garmin Ltd also postponed the release of its new nuvifone, first anticipated for late quarter of 2008, now anticipated for sometime in 2009.

According to Garmin's press release, "we have found that meeting some of the carrier specific requirements will take longer than anticipated. We remained pleased with carrier interest in the device and are working toward marking necessary design changes to meet their requirements."

Many industry insiders labeled Garmin's nuvifone as the messiah of GPS-enabled Smartphone industry, with enough features and navigation prowess to usurp the iPhone from its gold-platted, fruit flavored throne. In January Jalopnik wrote, "Garmin is a big name brand in the GPS navigation industry. Arguably, they're the top dog. And when they make a big change, like this one, everyone will take note."

Navigadget says the nuvifone's anticipated features should be impressive. "Take the 3.5" screen for example, or the ability to connect to the internet with a full browser on 3G networks," they write. "Geotagging of photos is of course standard on such a device and there are multimedia playing capabilities too." 

Given the introduction of Apple's iPhone 3G this month, CNET says the "wow" moment for Garmin's Smartphone will be subdued. "The technology isn't unique anymore so it will really come down to the navigation software," senior editor Bonnie Cha writes.  "Garmin certainly has the experience having been in the GPS business since 1989, so let's hope the Garmin Nuvifone is worth the wait." 

Gadling's blog reports the nuvifone's delay "is actually not all doom and gloom. Having to make changes for mobile phone carriers means there is clearly significant interest in it from the mobile operators which means you should be able to buy the phone directly from your phone company, with a significant discount."

Ubergizmo says, "there is a silver lining to this dark cloud -- it gives you more time to save up for one if you haven't yet done so already." 

Don't have the time to wait on a nuvifone or the ducats to afford one? Our buying guide provides a road map to the best gps at an affordable price.

Wired reports AT&T and T-Mobile are the top contenders to provide service -- but this is mere speculation, especially as AT&T already provides service for six GPS-enabled phones, including Apple's iPhone. 

Some say the delay has more to do with Garmin's struggle during 2008's second quarter. According to PC Magazine, "macroeconomic woes, intense competition and several new entrants have weighed on its prices and margins." Since October 2007, Garmin stock has lost 70 percent of its value.