Looks like those of you using a BlackBerry Storm on the Verizon network now have another choice for navigation beside the VZ Nav. Users have been fawning over the Garmin Mobile application largely because it’s available for $79 (via special discount links) and is a pay once and use forever application.

In addition to turn by turn directions (which can be optimized for car/motorcycle, pedestrian, bicycle) the application features weather, points of interest (including gas prices) and real time traffic reports.

Taken as separate components – weather, traffic and gas locators are available for free in separate applications. What really sells this program is that Verizon BlackBerry Storm users can avoid the $9.99 monthly fee for using the built-in VZ Nav.

Garmin charges $99 per year ($79 via this link) for an unlimited use license with no monthly fees. Some models of BlackBerry will also allow either a 3 or 7 day trial.

One of the Howardforums members pointed out that VZ Nav integrates several options into the contact menu as follows:

In a wonderfully informative post, user Smuuth replies with how Garmin handles this integration:

Those options are not in the Contacts menu if VZNav is not installed.

With Garmin Mobile, when you click on “Where To” then “Contact”, it takes you to your contact list. If a contact has an address, but has not yet been “Geo-located” by Garmin Mobile, it will ask you if you want to do that now. Once a contact is “Geo-located” (Garmin Mobile adds a field to the contact information) you have several options for that contact:

You can navigate to that contact from where you are
You can save the contact information as a “Favorite” or in your “Mobile Manager” account.
You can “Find Nearby” POIs (Lodging, Food, etc.) to that contact.
You can View Map at that contact’s location.
You can View Traffic near that contact’s location.
You can View Weather at that contact location.
You can edit the geo-location information for that contact.
You can call the phone number listed for that contact.

So, in answer to your question, it would appear that Garmin Mobile can do what you want, though in a slightly different manner. I have never had VZNav and have no desire to get it, but I will be purchasing Garmin Mobile when my free trial is done.
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Link: Garmin Mobile $79 discount page
Link: OTA download – free trial Garmin Mobile for BlackBerry (reported not to offer free trial for Storm users)

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