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Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M10 emerges on Taiwanese pre-order page
It was only yesterday that we heard of this WinMo 6.5.3 beastie, and already Taiwanese ladies and gents can sign up to own one, pending a February 6 delivery. The new pre-order page confirms our earlier indications of a 3.5-inch WVGA display and 5 megapixel camera, while adding the knowledge of 512MB of both RAM and ROM, plus MicroSD storage expandability. A relatively low end Qualcomm MSM 7227 600MHz CPU drives the show here, and we're told a spare battery (1,500mAh by default) or a car holder for navigation also come as part of the 13,900 TWD ($435) package. So, are you excited or what?
Garmin-Asus taking wraps off first Android gear, M10 WinMo phone at MWC
It might be happening a little later than they'd originally hoped, but Garmin -- through its partnership in Garmin-Asus -- should finally be unveiling some Android-based phones pretty shortly in an effort to kickstart the firm's weak showing thus far in the dog-eat-dog handset world. The VP of the mobile device business over at ASUS is talking up the joint venture's 2010 plans this week, saying that it'll show its first Android product at MWC next month with the hope of striking a pretty even balance between Android and WinMo shipments in the long term (no mention of the G60's proprietary platform, interestingly). What's more, they want to push a solid million units this year, and they'll be looking to reach that goal by building somewhere between 4 and 5 models -- at least one of which is likely destined for T-Mobile USA, as far as we can tell. Android isn't the only thing on the docket for these guys at MWC, though: they'll also be showing the M10, allegedly running Windows Mobile 6.5.3 with a 3.5-inch resistive display and a 5 megapixel camera with a retail price a little over $400. Finally, there are plans in the works for a TD-SCDMA phone for China Mobile that'd be available toward the tail end of the year -- so all things considered, these guys might finally have a shot of making a dent in the market for once.
T-Mobile signed up for HTC Espresso, new Garmin phone in first half of the year?
Bringing the mighty HD2 on board is already quite a win for T-Mobile USA, but the fun doesn't stop there -- clearly these guys must have some other exclusives in the works, and TmoNews is noticing a tip trend toward a couple specific devices. First up, the phone we've heard rumored as the HTC Espresso is said to be coming to Big Magenta (we just made that up, you like it?) as either the myTouch 2 or myTouch Slide. Why "Slide," you ask? Well, there'll apparently be some sort of QWERTY keyboard in tow -- which, if true, hopefully means the carrier will be getting its non-QWERTY Android love from somewhere else. Next, T-Mobile is said to be working with Garmin (or Garmin-Asus, as it were) on a handset, something that would make perfect sense considering that we just saw an AWS-compliant device from those guys in the FCC. In terms of timing, we're rumored to be looking at May for both of these -- but considering how rarely these dates stay steady this far in advance, we wouldn't even raise an eyebrow if they slipped into the second half.
Garmin-Asus working on an AWS smartphone, but what is it?
How many phones does Garmin-Asus sell on T-Mobile? If you guessed zero, you'd be absolutely correct, so we're buzzing about this FCC filing that popped up in the last few hours detailing a "PDA Phone" with AWS 3G frequency compliance. To be fair, this could be a device for Canada's WIND Mobile, too, now that it's sharing T-Mobile's spectrum space -- but either way, we've got to wonder what kind of phone we're looking at here. It seems a little late in the game to be re-releasing either the nuvifone G60 or M20 with new bands, so we're hoping this is legitimately new hardware in the mix; if so, it'll be interesting to see if the nuvifone franchise still has a chance to redeem itself after the G60 became one of the most catastrophically delayed launches in mobile history. Nothing a little Android can't fix, right?
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.
How would you change Garmin-Asus' nuvifone G60?
The nüvifone G60 took nearly two years to go from introduction to on sale at AT&T, and just weeks after its introduction, it has been nearly completely forgotten. Smartphones like Motorola's Droid and HTC's Droid Eris have already snagged the spotlight, and of course, that $300 (on contract) price tag that it debuted with didn't help attract any eyes, either. That said, we're sure at least a few (couple?) of you bit the bullet post-price drop, and now we're overly anxious to hear how you feel about it. After two years, does this thing really live up to the expectations? Are you satisfied with the navigation capabilities? Is the lackluster battery life worrying you yet? Should Garmin-Asus even bother with a second-gen device? Sound off in comments below!
Garmin-ASUS nuvifone M20 makes jump to Windows Mobile 6.5
Two years ago, the idea of a Garmin-developed smartphone running the latest Windows Mobile operating system was enough to generate spasms of anticipation across the internets. Oh how things have changed. Today the Garmin-ASUS team has announced a Windows Mobile 6.5 update for M20 owners currently stuck at 6.1. It's also expanding the M20 theater of pain to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech, Turkey, and other markets by the end of 2009 -- note the omission of North American and Western European countries. Fine by us, we're perfectly happy to wait for the revamped Android handset running Google's turn-by-turn Navigator... oh, wait.
Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 review
Had the device you're peering at above come out just a few months later, it would've taken two full years to go from introduction to on sale. Thankfully, the good folks over at Garmin and ASUS (and Garmin-Asus, as it were) were able to get the nüvifone G60 out to AT&T before the holiday shopping season of 2009, but were they still too late? There's no doubt that this very smartphone had a lot of folks drooling in early 2007, but to say a lot has happened in the mobile realm between then and now would be doing the truth a grave injustice. The iPhone 3G has fallen to $99, a slew of Android handsets have hit the market and dedicated PND (portable navigation devices) have found themselves in the bargain bin. Oh, and some pretty fantastic GPS software has managed to land within Apple's App Store and the Android Market. In other words, competition couldn't possibly be hotter, and considering that the specifications haven't been updated on this $299 device since it was originally announced, you're probably wondering if it even deserves a chance. Read on to find out the answer. %Gallery-74444%
Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 unboxing and hands-on
There she is. 20 months and 1 day after its original introduction to the world, the Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60 is at long last in our (admittedly sweaty) palms. The highfalutin' smartphone isn't slated to hit AT&T shelves until this Sunday, but we were able to wrangle a retail unit early in order to bring you a sneak peek at what's to come. Frankly, we've been looking forward to this day for a long (long!) time. We've got a soft spot in our hearts for the Garmin navigation UI, and we have to say, that very same look and feel has been beautifully migrated to the mobile space. Upon unwrapping the phone, we were struck by just how classy the whole thing looks. It's plenty thin for being a GPS-turned-phone, light enough to not weigh you down and sturdy enough to somewhat justify the $299 (on contract) price. We did some brief browsing around, and everything felt satisfactorily snappy. The resistive touchscreen had some expected give, but by and large screen presses did exactly what we wanted 'em to in our limited testing. We're aiming to give this bad boy a serious critiquing over the next few days, but for now, feel free to peruse the absurdly detailed gallery below.%Gallery-74444%
Garmin nuvifone G60 officially coming to AT&T: October 4th for $299
Can you believe it? No, seriously -- can you believe it? Nearly two full years after its surprise introduction to the world, the nüvifone G60 is finally coming to US shores. In an official press release outed today, the Garmin nüvifone G60 has been blessed with an October 4th launch date on AT&T. Oddly enough, nary a mention of "ASUS" or "Garmin-Asus" is found, but regardless of semantics, you can bet that it'll be looking for buyers this Sunday. The internal GPS chip and 3 megapixel, auto-focusing camera will enable users to geotag photos and emails and navigate using the same heralded user interface that folks rely on today with the company's standalone PNDs. You've already pounded the specifications into your head by now, but the last figures you'll need to know are these: it'll run $299 on a two-year agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate, and if you're hoping to access Premium Connected Services -- which includes traffic updates, white pages, weather, movie, local events and fuel price content -- you'll be forking out $5.99 per month after the 30-day trial expires. So, after all of this, who's in?
Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 finally ready for AT&T: $300 on October 4?
Let's just be brutally honest here: Garmin-Asus' nuvifone G60 is basically the Duke Nukem of phones. We've been following it since before Garmin and ASUS formed their joint venture, since before we had an inkling of what carriers might pick it up, and before other models running other platforms got thrown under the nuvifone branding umbrella. It's been a heck of a ride -- a ride that seemed exciting for the first year or so, but at this point, the phone's stretched our patience to the breaking point and set expectations so unrealistically high that it seems virtually impossible that a US launch could quench our thirst for awesomeness. The world will never know with certainty what took so long -- maybe it was met with a lukewarm response from carriers, maybe the formation of the joint venture set everything back a bunch of months -- but whatever the case, it looks like we'll finally be able to navigate the G60 right into our hands come October 4 on AT&T. With triband HSDPA, a 3.2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and microSD expansion, the phone really doesn't scream "high end," but AT&T must think that the promise of an authentic Garmin nav experience is enough to command a hefty premium because a two-year deal is going to run $299.99 with a required $30 data plan -- and that's after $100 mail-in rebate. Follow the break for a gander at AT&T's G60 FAQs for salesfolk. [Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Rumor: Garmin-ASUS nuvifone G60 to run $300?
While several shipping dates have come and gone, we're still hopeful of seeing Garmin's nuvifone in the flesh and on the street at some point in the future. If you've forgotten (and nobody would really blame you), the HSDPA, quad-band handset will boast GPS (of course), WiFi, Bluetooth, plus a full browser. The G60's been available in Asia for some time now, and while a confirmed US launch has been much anticipated, no pricing has ever been announced. Rumors now abound that the device will carry a $300 price tag on contract, running about $550 without. Of course, it is just a rumor -- and one that we hope is off base, too. [Via Navigadget]
Both flavors of Garmin-Asus nuvifone coming to AT&T?
After years of wrong turns, it looks like Garmin-Asus's nuvifone has finally found its way to a US provider, with two separate sources claiming the nav-enabled handset will be coming to AT&T, and soon. This falls in line with earlier indications that it would be making a slight left turn onto American streets in Q4, and will mark the end of a tortuous journey to retail. Both the G60 with its homemade OS and the Windows Mobile M20 are said to be inbound, meaning you'll still have a choice to make even if you choose one of these. No confirmation from AT&T just yet, naturally, but we'll keep you posted. Read - Garmin-Asus M20 Heading to AT&TRead - Garmin-Asus G60 Heading to AT&T
Garmin-Asus nuvifone M20 launches in Taiwan, Windows Mobile and all
Following last month's launch of the proprietary OS'd G60, Taiwan's now playing host to the Windows Mobile-based M20 from Garmin-Asus, the joint venture's second model. Local carrier Chunghwa will be carrying the phone, which features HSDPA, a VGA display, 3 megapixel cam, and comprehensive navigation capabilities that earn it the Garmin name -- but it turns out they'll also be launching the iPhone 3GS and Hero in the next few days, a situation that effectively defines the phrase "hostile competitive landscape." Best of luck, Garmin-Asus -- given the Duke Nukem-esque delays you've encountered in your bumpy road to retail, you need all the luck you can get if you want to turn a profit any time soon.
AT&T's upcoming handsets include BlackBerry 9700, Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60
This "pre-launch" list of upcoming AT&T phones leaked out today, and it's pretty interesting -- in addition to the BlackBerry 9700, it also features the illusory Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60, which finally looks like it'll be coming to the US just a short 18 months after first being announced. Other notables include the HTC Tilt 2 and something called the HTC Pure, which Boy Genius Report says may be a variant of the Snap. No Android or webOS on this list, sadly, but hey -- the nüvifone is coming. Can you feel the excitement?
Garmin-Asus nuvifone finally coming to America in Q4 (or so they say)
With Garmin-Asus' nüvifone G60 already on sale in Asia, it makes sense to hear that said smartphone will soon make its way over to North American soil. Of course, it also made sense to think that this thing would be launching on AT&T about forever and a day ago, so we're not holding our collective breath just yet. At any rate, Garmin recently made abundantly clear on a quarter-end conference call that the GPS-infused handset is in the final testing stages with an undisclosed amount of US carriers, and if all goes well, it'll hit the streets in Q4. What's crazy is that every last specification remains unchanged from when it was announced back in January of 2008; meanwhile, Apple has shipped two new iterations of its iPhone, Android has blown up significantly and even Motorola and Palm have seemingly resurrected themselves from the grave. Knowing all that, will anyone even bother to show up to snag one in "just a few months?"
Garmin-Asus confirms nuvifone G60 for sale this month in Taiwan, M20 soon after
Is this really happening? Are we all collectively in some sort of lucid, dreamlike state where Garmin-branded cellphones flow like water, or is this the real deal? Correct us if we're wrong, readers -- but if we're reading this press release correctly, Taiwanese folks will have a crack at Garmin-Asus' nuvifone G60 come the 27th of this month, just a few days from now; Singapore and Malaysia will have theirs meanwhile by the end of August, and Europe and the US are "on schedule" for the second half of the year (we hesitate to associate the phrase "on schedule" with this product, but we'll let it slide this time). If WinMo is more your cup of tea, the M20 will be coming to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia in August as expected -- the US isn't on the roadmap for this one, but Europe should have it later this half. These phones have taken so long to arrive that they'll be fighting an uphill battle against irrelevance -- but with the reality that handsets will be all but replacing dedicated portable nav units in the coming years, it's a play that Garmin's gotta still be eager to make nonetheless.
Garmin-ASUS nuvifone G60 spills loads of Linux-laced screenshots
Yeah, we've seen our fair share of glimpses at Garmin-ASUS' nüvifone G60, but with the Linux-based phone just weeks away from shipping over in the Far East, these last minute looks are becoming all the more tantalizing. A reviewer over in Malaysia managed to spend a bit of quality time with the handset, and while he's still waiting for his official review unit, he managed to snag a litany of screenshots that gives us a fantastic idea of what to expect from a user interface perspective. We have to say -- we kind of dig the whimsical look at a glance, but it makes us wonder just how serious of a smartphone this thing really is. With Android already out, does this UI look like it has the chops to compete? Hit the read link and let us know.[Via GPSTracklog, thanks Rich]
Garmin-ASUS nuvifone M20 and G60 shipping to Singapore in August
After a patently absurd amount of delays, it actually feels like the Garmin-ASUS nüvifone tandem is approaching a proper launch. Whether or not anyone actually cares anymore, however, remains to be seen. Across the sea over in Malaysia, one particularly lucky soul seems to have stumbled upon both the Linux-based nüvifone G60 and the WinMo-powered nüvifone M20, and he claims that both handsets will be shipping en masse to the region "within 30 days." Best of all, that totally jibes with what we've heard directly from Garmin today, which has informed us that the smartphone will be in Singaporean stores in August, with a few other Asian nations seeing it in late July. Now, if only North Americans could look forward to the same...
Garmin-Asus set to launch first Android phone in Q1 2010
Garmin-Asus isn't exactly doing a ton of talking about it just yet, but PC World is reporting that the company has confirmed that it plans to release its first Android-based smartphone "no later than the first quarter of next year." An Asustek exec reportedly further added that the device could even come a bit earlier, but unfortunately didn't have anything to say about a potential price, or anything about the phone itself, for that matter. Of course, as you're no doubt aware, Garmin-Asus already has a Linux-based phone in the form of the G60 (pictured above), but it's not clear if that proprietary OS will continue to co-exist alongside Android, or if it'll get ditched in favor of Android. If it doesn't, Garmin-Asus will have quite a few balls in the air at time, since the company is already pretty firmly committed to Windows Mobile as well.[Via PhoneArena]
