Garmin's Nuvifone to be manufactured by ASUS?

Word on the street (and by "street" we mean mysterious corners of the internet) is that Garmin's upcoming Nuvifone will actually be manufactured by the ubiquitous and varied ASUS. According to "industry sources" -- that rare breed never seen yet often heard -- the two companies have been working on the device for the past two years, with the computer-maker lending a hand in the RF technology department amongst other things. The sources further claim that the Nuvifone will be the first in a series handsets, with plans to roll out new models through 2010... the year we make contact. More on this breathtaking bit of news as we get it, faithful readers.

[Via Unwired View]

[Habitual Cheetah @ Jun 18th 2008 3:28PM]

Asus seems to be doing alot now.

[Krush @ Jun 18th 2008 3:31PM]

Sweet - Asus makes some cool phones and the construction usually is solid - no cheapo Samsung/LG feel to it - call me a racist but I like picking on ppl - maybe because I'm 80% dolomite ... but I digress - what were we talking about anyway - never mind I don't actually care who makes it.

[From my Cube @ Jun 18th 2008 3:38PM]

racist

[OneLove @ Jun 18th 2008 3:41PM]

wah?

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 18th 2008 3:42PM]

@Krush

You're 80% a 70's car?

[rock99rock @ Jun 18th 2008 3:53PM]

Krush.... the new clak.

[teej @ Jun 18th 2008 5:22PM]

Krush...the new Flashpoint.

[Shannin @ Jun 18th 2008 5:37PM]

@Mark Anderson: or he is 80% rock

[Krush @ Jun 18th 2008 8:02PM]

@Mark
...more like a were-car

[marlboro @ Jun 18th 2008 8:29PM]

i don't think the guy r futurama fans

so i think the joke went over there heads

[Malikye @ Jun 18th 2008 3:35PM]

i'll pick this phone over the iPhone anyday

[aaron @ Jun 18th 2008 4:03PM]

Why?

[duh @ Jun 18th 2008 4:20PM]

@aaron

The iPhone is a multi-media centric phone. It has GPS, but its GPS is worthless when there is no AT&T coverage because the maps are not preloaded. The Nuviphone is a GPS-centric phone. And truthfully, I like the interface more. Not everyone wants to stare at a black screen with bits of color thrown in. Especially when you're using it while driving (which people do).

The Nuviphone might even have novel technologies like copy & paste and MMS!

[Juan Lugo @ Jun 18th 2008 3:41PM]

What service provider will have this phone?

[Habitual Cheetah @ Jun 18th 2008 3:48PM]

AT&T -_-...
makes me sad i have tmobile. hopefully they unlock this sucker quickly

[OneLove @ Jun 18th 2008 3:40PM]

...And they didn't call it the eee-nuvifone!?? No way!

[Barton @ Jun 18th 2008 10:01PM]

You mean nuveeephone?

[Barton @ Jun 18th 2008 10:02PM]

Ah crap homeboy beat me to it... by a lot.

Nuveeephone ftw!

[bob e @ Jun 18th 2008 3:46PM]

what the screen rez on this peoples?

[gad get @ Jun 18th 2008 3:57PM]

"...2010... the year we make contact. More on this breathtaking bit of news as we get it, faithful readers."

Wow! I knew there was a reason I regularly skim over these Engadget stories! You never know when you're going to get some truly incredible news!

[Brian @ Jun 18th 2008 4:03PM]

I khan haz nuviphone?

(I'm going to keep posting this crap until I have one... or until I run out of ways to misspell the sentence)

[Martin @ Jun 19th 2008 1:40PM]

Surely it would be called something like the "EEE-Phone" if it were manufactured by Asus.
Personally, I'm more interested in the recently leaked EEE-fridge and EEE coffee machine.

[Homeboy @ Jun 18th 2008 4:11PM]

NuvEeephone????

[Farmer Joe @ Jun 18th 2008 4:17PM]

That picture is weird. It looks twisted.

[Dave @ Jun 18th 2008 4:46PM]

Outsourcing!

The wave of the future...

[loadstar81 @ Jun 18th 2008 5:01PM]

Nothing surprising here. More than likely, the phone will be manufactured by Pegatron, the subsidiary of AsusTeK that handles OEM manufacturing for a wide variety of companies (most technology companies have probably had AsusTeK manufacture something or other for them at one point). It's not like Garmin would've manufactured the devices themselves, really.

[PEZ @ Jun 18th 2008 11:39PM]

I wonder if past Garmin GPS's have been manufactured by AsusTek? Intersting bit of info.

[Jarrod Job @ Jun 18th 2008 5:07PM]

Palm Lifedrive?

[Joe @ Jun 18th 2008 5:47PM]

Guess they iQue was so successful they want to built off that ability to branch into the popular device space with their GPS systems...

[ep @ Jun 18th 2008 6:34PM]

I would still like to know what underlying OS powers the NuviPhone (and all other Nuvi/StreetPilot devices). Did they really develop a whole kernel/os specific for them or does anyone think their devices run something else that's been modified (QNX, etc)?

[mattworldwide @ Jun 18th 2008 6:52PM]

If I don't have the data plan will I be able to use the GPS on this?

[Malikye @ Jun 18th 2008 7:00PM]

you can always install a GPS program such as Tomtom or iGuidance. those programs will use the built in GPS receiver in the phone and you won't need the data plan