I’ve never had the opportunity to check out one of these phone from Asus and Garmin, but I’m hoping to as I like Windows Mobile and they look like great phones, at least on paper or PR anyway. Today though Garmin and Asus have announced the M10 which features Windows Mobile, 3.5” WVGA display, touch screen with 512 ram and rom along with 4gigs of flash. Since it’s from Garmin it’s got a fully feature navigation system built-in as well that is supposedly the equivalent of a high end Garmin stand alone unit. It’s going to be available in Europe and Asia in the first half of 2010 with sadly no mention of the US in the PR..
Garmin-Asus, a co-branded alliance between Garmin® Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), and ASUSTeK® Computer Inc. (TAIEX: 2357), today announced the Garmin-Asus M10, a full-touch, all-in-one smartphone powered by the latest version of Windows Mobile® from Microsoft Corp. The M10 keeps professionals connected with business and personal contacts, email, calendar and IM, in addition to featuring preloaded mobile navigation from Garmin. The M10 is expected to be available through carrier and retail channels in Asia and Europe in the first half of 2010. The M10 will be on display at the Garmin-Asus exhibit (Hall 8, #8B127) at Mobile World Congress, February 15-18, 2010.
“Windows phones move seamlessly from work to play, creating new experiences through a variety of hardware, applications and services”
“The Garmin-Asus M10 is our answer to people’s need for work-life balance. The M10 runs Windows® Mobile, making it the ideal smartphone for business use, while its smart navigation capabilities, comprehensive social networking features and connected services enable users to lead a truly smart lifestyle. The M10 is the phone for the new Smart3 era.” said Benson Lin, Vice President and General Manager of ASUS’ Personal Mobile Devices Business Unit, Handheld Business Group.
“The Garmin-Asus M10 is a powerful time-saving tool that is designed for anyone who is tired of carrying numerous devices and instead wants to carry one device that gives them many of the same features found on a stand-alone phone, laptop, PND and digital camera,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO.
A Premium Smartphone
The Garmin-Asus M10 runs the latest version of Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile 6.5.3 features upgrades that enhance user experience and provides access to Windows Marketplace for Mobile, which offers a vast number of Windows phone applications for download.
“Windows phones move seamlessly from work to play, creating new experiences through a variety of hardware, applications and services,” said Andy Lees, senior vice president of Mobile Communication Business at Microsoft. “We are pleased to work closely with Garmin-Asus to bring to market Windows phones based on the latest version of Windows phone today and look forward to our work bringing more Windows phones to market in the future.”
The M10 has a sleek design with a 3.5-inch WVGA display and a finger-friendly user interface. The Billboard feature displays the most important information so users can review all at one glance. An intuitive 3D Task Manager also allows users to switch easily between running applications. Keeping the phone responsive and the navigation smooth are 512 RAM and 512 ROM, while 4GB of Flash memory provides ample storage for multimedia and data.
The M10 is equipped with a 1500 mAh battery for hours of uninterrupted use, as well as a full QWERTY soft keyboard for speedy text input. HSDPA wireless connectivity and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) ensure that messages are sent and received quickly. In addition, the M10 can be synched to Microsoft Exchange® so that contacts, calendars and emails are always available and secure.
‘Click and Go’ Navigation
Recognizing that location is relevant to every aspect of every day, the Garmin-Asus M10 is designed with location information at its core and it delivers the most advanced location experience on a Windows phone. Navigation functions are linked to frequently used applications such as calendar, contacts, email, internet browser, and messaging; making an exceptionally intuitive and smooth navigation experience.
The M10 has advanced navigation features equivalent to a high-end Garmin nüvi® such as lane assist with junction view that guides drivers to the correct lane for an approaching turn or exit and realistically displays road signs. It also has highway mode that tells drivers the next three upcoming street exits so they can plan ahead*. The M10 is ready for automotive navigation out-of-the-box, and it includes everything a customer needs to use the device in a car, including a powered cradle and windshield mount*.
Ushering in a Connected Lifestyle
The Garmin-Asus M10 boasts a range of social capabilities, including access to Facebook™ and Picasa Web Albums™. It also places real-time information on connected services* such as weather, safety cameras, traffic, flight status, and fuel prices at users’ fingertips. In addition, the M10 is equipped with a high performance five mega-pixel camera that automatically geotags photos so that users will always know where they were taken and can easily share them with friends via Facebook and Picasa.
Availability
The Garmin-Asus nüvifone M10 is expected to be available through carriers and retail distribution channels in Asia and Europe beginning in the first half of 2010. Journalists should contact Garmin-Asus media representatives to arrange product demonstrations or interviews. Additional information about the nüvifone product line is available at www.GarminAsus.com.
* Availability of accessories and services may vary by market.
About Garmin-Asus
Garmin-Asus is a co-branded strategic alliance that enables Garmin Ltd. and ASUSTeK Computer Inc. to combine their complementary resources to develop world class LBS-centric mobile phones.
About Garmin Ltd.
The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – 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.
About ASUS
ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era, with an extensive product portfolio that includes notebooks, netbooks, motherboards, graphics cards, displays, optical drives, desktop PCs, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones and networking devices. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home, office and person. ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than ten thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company’s revenue for 2008 was 8.1 billion U.S. dollars. ASUS ranks among BusinessWeek’s InfoTech 100, and has been on the listing for 12 consecutive years.