Sydney, 2nd October 2009 — Garmin, the global leader in GPS navigation, launches the ultimate companion for Australia’s intrepid explorers, the Oregon 550 touchscreen handheld GPS device. Integrating a 3.2 megapixel digital camera and a 3-axis compass into this popular series of intuitive touchscreen handhelds, the waterproof Oregon 550 is the ultimate outdoorsman.  

 

With easy-to-use interface and equipped with versatile features the Oregon 550 is the perfect  solution for those looking for a multipurpose GPS device, whether you’re on the road hiking, cycling or on holiday, or in the bush climbing, camping or even up a mountain.

 

“As everyone looks for ways to do more with less, the Oregon 550 is the one GPS device you can  turn to for all of your activities, in any climate, on any terrain, at any time of year,” said Matt DeMoss, Garmin Australasia’s National Sales and Marketing Manager. “Easy enough for beginners to master, Oregon will guide you in your adventures, capture the highlights and bring them back home.”

 

There’s no need to carry a separate digital camera in your rucksack or pocket, Oregon 550's 3.2 megapixel autofocus digital camera with 4x digital zoom automatically geotags each photo with the location of where it was taken, allowing you to mark, remember and navigate back to that exact spot in the future. The camera is waterproof and allows you to take and view pictures in landscape or portrait orientation, and 850 MB of internal memory offers enough storage for the longest of adventures. Pictures can then be printed, stored or shared online and once your Oregon 550 is connected via USB, you can use https://my.garmin.com easily look through the photos.

 

The built-in 3-axis compass and enhanced touchscreen are two other key features to the Oregon 550. The 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass shows where you’re heading even when you’re standing still. The Oregon’s glove-friendly display is brighter and easier than ever to read and use in all conditions, responsive to the touch of your finger, yet resistant to the forces of nature.

 

Weighing only 192.7 grams, the Oregon 550 comes with two pre-charged AA NiMH batteries, providing up to 16 hours of life on a single charge with zero battery loss when not in use. In the box is a carabineer clip for easy carrying and a USB cable for high-speed USB connections. A microSD card slot provides even more storage for photos, mapping applications and memory, and allows you to view pictures from other devices with Oregon's picture viewer.

 

The Oregon 550 range also has unique features to take you where you want to go, no matter what path you’re travelling on:

 

On the trail: With its high-sensitivity, GPS receiver and HotFix™ satellite prediction, Oregon 550 locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover. You can store up to 2,000 waypoints, 200 routes, 5,000 geocaches and a tracklog of up to 10,000 points and 200 saved tracks.

 

On the mountain: The built-in barometric altimeter tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude, also working throughout changing weather conditions by plotting pressure over time.

 

In a group: With Oregon 550, you can share your waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly.

 

Oregon can also take over from you other devices, just by adding various accessories to suit your activity or optional MapSource® microSD cards preloaded with detailed maps.

 

On the road: OptionalCity Navigator mapping provides detailed street maps, millions of preloaded points of interest and onscreen turn-by-turn directions to your destination, and an optional Auto Nav kit adds a suction mount and car charger.

 

On the trail: OptionalTOPO Australia mapping provides detailed 100K coverage, with coast to coast 3-D DEM (digital elevation model) shading accompanied by 20 metre contour coverage and route elevation profiles in compatible units. With routable roads, getting to your destination is made simple with turn-by-turn directions. TOPO Australia also includes Points of Interest and outback routes including Birdsville, Strezelecki, Oodnadatta, Canning Stock and more.  

 

On the water: Add BlueChart® g2 maps, which provide everything you need for a great day on the water, including depth contours and harbours.

 

On the run or on a bike: Ideal for a trail workout, the lightweight Oregon is compatible with Garmin’s heart-rate monitors and speed sensors, and an optional handlebar mount makes it easy to track your speed, distance, elevation and location no matter what your mode of transport.

 

Oregon 550 is the latest breakthrough from Garmin, which has spent 20 years using technology and innovation to enhance users’ lives, making Garmin a household name in the automotive, aviation, marine, wireless, outdoor and fitness industries.

 

The Oregon 550 RRP is AU$749 and is available from outdoor, four wheel drive and camping stores To learn more aboutthe Oregon 550 Series and Garmin’s other products and services, go to www.garmin.com.au 

 

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.

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 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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