A method and touchscreen-based handheld electronic device having dual navigation modes are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a handheld electronic device, comprising: a controller; a touchscreen display connected to the controller; the controller being configured for displaying on the touchscreen display a graphical user interface (GUI) having a display area defined by a boundary; and the controller being configured for providing a cursor navigation mode and a pan navigation mode, and for switching between the cursor navigation mode and the pan navigation mode in response to respective input.