The nuvifone by Garmin has been long-awaited and though it’s set to feature great features like GPS, it’s not going to be released to consumers in 2009. Considering this phone will also have 3G, it was prepped and primed to competed directly with the iPhone 3G. But now with a release date coming at least six months after the iPhone’s release, its relevance is now coming into question.

The interface of the nuvifone is said to resemble that of Garmin’s GPS devices, so it may not be as advanced as previously thought. 

Interestingly enough, Garmin now has some real competition on their hands, as other smartphones contain GPS functions and even geotagging abilities, making the nuvifone not exactly a stand out unit. But we won’t know for sure until it’s release, which won’t be for some time.

[via Electronista]