Garmin® Goes Golfing with Approach™ G5, New Touchscreen GPS Device with Thousands of Preloaded Courses and No Annual Fee
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced its first touchscreen handheld designed exclusively for the golf course, the Approach G5. The latest breakthrough in Garmin’s expansive outdoor recreation and fitness line, the Approach G5 was announced in conjunction with the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, and will be on display at the Garmin booth (South Hall 4, #35832).
“The Approach G5 shows golfers the precise distance to the center of green or other key course features, which can eliminate the guesswork and make club selection easier – key factors in improving any golfer’s score,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “There’s no other existing golf device that combines the ease of use, large color touchscreen and preloaded information featured in the Approach, all with no annual fees. Within minutes of opening the box, you can be ready to tee off.”
The waterproof Approach will feature a touchscreen 3″ color display, which offers two simple options once powered on: Play and Preview. While playing, golfers will see detailed course maps with precise distance information from their current location to fairways, hazards and greens. As you move about the course, the Approach continuously updates your position and distances to each target. During the course of play, the touchscreen interface helps you decide the best tactic in many situations. Worried about that fairway bunker? A single tap on the map will show you how much club you need to carry it – or how little if you decide to play it safe. Perfected your 90-yard wedge shot? By dragging your finger on the map, you can find the precise distance needed to lay up for your perfect shot into the green. Is the pin placed in the back today? By simply touching the corner of the screen, you can focus on the green and reposition the flag to correspond with that day’s placement of the pin. Whether you’re tracking your improvement or simply want bragging rights, the Approach makes it easy to measure the distance of your last shot. Also, you can easily keep the scores for your entire foursome using the intuitive touchscreen digital scorecard.
Even when you can’t make it to the course, you can use the Approach G5 to preview any of the thousands of preloaded courses in the United States. Having preloaded courses, complete with detailed vector mapping unlike anything used before on a golf course, saves time while eliminating setup complications and computer frustrations. Golfers can go to www.garmin.com to check if their course is among those already available. Additional courses will be available at www.garmin.com, giving golfers the latest set of courses in one downloadable update.
Weighing only 6.8 ounces and powered by two AA batteries, the Approach G5 features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver and conforms with the rules of the R&A and USGA.
The Approach G5 lets golfers benefit from Garmin’s 20 years of using GPS technology to enhance user’s lives, making Garmin a popular choice for runners, cyclists, hikers and hunters and a household name in the automotive, aviation and marine industries. To learn more about the Approach and Garmin’s other products, go to www.garmin.com and www.garmin.blogs.com.
About Garmin International Inc.
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin is a registered trademark and Approach is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Notice on forward-looking statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. All statements regarding the company’s future product introductions are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2007 and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 27, 2008, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of Garmin’s Form 10-K can be downloaded at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
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