Acer, Asustek working on custom 3G phones for China?

If the sources that Digitimes is reporting are correct, then China can expect to see a few more customized, 3G phones in the coming year. The sources are saying that both Acer and Asustek are planning models for 2010, and that Acer is working with China Mobile and China Unicom to produce TD-SCDMA and WCDMA models while Asustek is reportedly set to release a China-specific Garmin-Asus branded handset for both carriers in 2010 as well. Now, keep in mind of course that none of this has been confirmed by either company as of yet, but the move certainly wouldn't surprise us, either.

[Dr Yusuf AlKindi Posted Dec 29th 2009 1:52PM]

The Japanese and Koreans already have cooler, cuter and more interesting cell phones than we in the formerly great USA have. Now, China will have better cellphone. Lenovo, which used to be owned by IBM is making cool phones for the post-Maoist in the Middle Kingdom. We are soon to be a tekno backwater! We lost DEC, Wang, Compaq and Osborne. Now what?

I think I will have to find someone to tutor me in Mandarin. (Unless those robots with the weapons take over first.)

[arnavdesai Posted Dec 29th 2009 1:56PM]

@Dr Yusuf AlKindi
Actually Lenovo was never owned by IBM. Lenovo is China's largest laptop manufacturer & bought the Thinkpad brand name from IBM.

[SirNoDroin Posted Dec 29th 2009 2:18PM]

@Dr Yusuf AlKindi

Consumer Electronics != leader in technology.

In the end, technology is judged by who has the highest tech, most efficient killing machines....if china had those we would already be speaking Mandarin.

[cphu Posted Dec 29th 2009 3:46PM]

@Dr Yusuf AlKindi

Actually u had it wrong, it was Lenovo who acquired IBM's personal computing division back in 2005.

[0to60 Posted Dec 29th 2009 2:37PM]

I know its not big, but any engadget editor who is listening, i think your archive calendar is broken because it says that there are only 2 articles for every day in december. thought i oughta let you know.

[Xudd Posted Dec 29th 2009 3:28PM]

@0to60 It works fine on Chrome 4.0.266.0.

[rcartwr Posted Dec 29th 2009 2:59PM]

What the article does not say is that if words such as "Tibet", Faloun Gong", or the like are spoken or texted the phone reports it to the police. And it explodes the battery.

[mullingit0ver Posted Dec 29th 2009 3:40PM]

They're getting Garmin phones? Haven't they suffered enough?

[cphu Posted Dec 29th 2009 3:40PM]

Both Asustek and Acer are Taiwanese companies; since both China and Taiwan use mandarin as their official language therefore its no surprise that they will aim for the Chinese market.

[darkwithin Posted Dec 29th 2009 4:18PM]

modding them to keep survailance on them naughty little chinamen who needs to be spanked, *loud evil laugh*

[dgman Posted Dec 29th 2009 11:57PM]

I bet there will be an extra stuff in it to watch over its people.