Latest Mobile Phone News

Back in June, Google announced that Android 3.2 would be arriving beginning this summer for Honeycomb tablets. Motorola, being Google’s launch partner for Honeycomb, was first to get the update. Next on the list was ASUS and as of late last week, Eee Pad users in the US started getting their version of Android 3.2. I updated my Eee Pad over the weekend and the process went seamlessly. As long as you’ve got more than 25% left on your battery you’re good to go. If you haven’t updated your Eee Pad since the launch you’ll need two updates to get to 3.2. The 3.2 update on the Eee Pad brings about a new splashscreen as well as a TegraZone app. TegraZone is NVIDIA’s custom marketplace that leverages the Android Market. TegraZone is used exclusively for games that are optimized for NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 SoC.

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Garmin and Asustek Computer will not establish any latest co-branded handsets but will continue to sell models that have already been launched, marking the beginning of the end of their co-branded mobile business.

Asustek plans to design and manufacture its own Asus-branded cell  phones going forward and will continue to preload Garmin navigation and location-based service applications on some of those handsets, the companies said in a joint statement.

Garmin plans to expand its mobile handset application development policy and plans to offer navigation and other applications through customer app stores.

The companies have launched six handset models under the Garmin-Asus brand since they formed a strategic alliance in February, 2009. The companies pledged to continue software updates and support for these handsets.

The companies said they will reveal more details about the separation of their co-branded business during their third quarter earnings calls, which are Oct. 28 for Asustek and Nov. 3 for Garmin.

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You had to know it was upcoming, folks. It’s been thrown out there that Garmin and ASUS – the duo that brought us cell phones for instance T-Mobile’s Garminfone, the A10, the Nuvifone, and more – will not be renewing their contract once it expires in January of 2011. This follows mumbles that the launch of the Garminfone was a commercial and critical failure, over and above other mobile phones beneath their joint umbrella across Europe and North America.

The stratagem to mingle phone and GPS made sense back when this partnership was first inked, but the market has changed so significantly since then. As the smartphone market grows quicker than we could’ve hoped for, innovation knows no limits and knows not how to slow down. Google’s own Android comes pre-installed with one of the most comprehensive maps and navigation suites you can find, and many of their competitors either do the same or offer maps and navigation via download.

And while Google Maps doesn’t provide the same experience as what Garmin-ASUS’ products does – installed maps for data-independent navigation – there are many options in the market that offer that fine unconventional for a much cheaper price than what you’d have to pay for a latest phone.

So the prospect of a GPS handset becomes unfruitful, because all smartphones are now GPS phones. At this instant, if Garmin wants to take benefit of the flourishing smartphone market, their only choice will be and should be to get their applications up into app stores for every foremost mobile operating system.

They already have a head start with Android, so don’t be surprised to see them making their way to the market sometime next year. As for ASUS? Well… I guess they go back to a healthy peripheral strategy and churning out more PCs that no one ever hears or cares about since the introduction of the Eee.

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Garmin-Asus, the co-branded alliance between Garmin Ltd. and ASUSTeK Computer Inc. has announce the launch of the Garmin-Asus A10 – its first Android Navigation Smartphone for the Indian market. The Garmin-Asus A10 is a powerful touchscreen smartphone that boasts of Garmin’s sophisticated professional vehicle and pedestrian navigation technology and is based on the advanced Android 2.1 (Éclair) platform. Designed for urban professionals who travel frequently within city environments, the A10 offers support for multiple navigation modes like Professional Pedestrian Navigation and In-car Navigation.
On the launch of the Garmin-Asus A10, Mr. John Chen, Business Head for Mobile Communication Business at ASUS (India) said, “We are extremely pleased to launch the A10 which is our first Android powered Navigation smartphone to be launched in India. The A10 is an extremely powerful smartphone that has navigation capabilities equivalent to Garmin’s premium automotive navigation devices. It enables users to interconnect instantly with other users with unique features like “Geotagging” wherein a geotagged photo can be sent to friends who can then initiate navigation to the location by simply clicking on it. Equipped with Connected Services like Ciao, Flight Status, Currency convertor and Weather Updates – the A10 is a unique smartphone offering from Garmin-Asus that users will definitely want to carry with themselves at all time.”

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The first GPS-oriented smartphone promised by Garmin is delayed again. After Q3 2008 and Q1 2009, we are now promised to see the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60 in the third quarter this year.The Nuvifone G60 packs a huge 3.55-inch touchscreen, a 3.2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, but on top of all that – Garmin promise full-pack navigation suite with optimized touch-based interface. Unfortunately, the G60 doesn’t run a popular smartphone OS, but a proprietary Linux-based one. You may as well remember that not that long ago, Garmin and Asus announced a strategic partnership for making GPS-oriented mobile phones and they even announced their next device – the Nivifone M20 – this time based on Windows Mobile.

Garmin Asus Nuvifone G60 Specifications

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Officially announced less than two months ago, the Garmin-Asus M10 has just been launched in India, being the country’s first Windows Mobile 6.5.3 smartphone.
The M10 offers maps for 62 major Indian cities, Garmin turn-by-turn navigation, lane assistance, and a Ciao feature that keeps you informed on the roads your friends are traveling on.
The new Garmin-Asus smartphone also comes with a 3.5 inch WVGA (480 x 800) touchscreen display, accelerometer, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, 5MP autofocus camera, 4GB of internal memory, and MicroSD card support.

The Garmin-Asus series of GPS-oriented Nuvifone handsets has introduced a new mobile phone that’s a bit more affordable while providing all the same GPS features as its bigger brothers.
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 – available in both Hindi and English – are linked to frequently used applications such as calendar, contacts, email, internet browser, and messaging; making an exceptionally intuitive and smooth navigation experience. All of the maps come pre-loaded on the phone’s internal memory.
The M10 also has highway mode that tells drivers the next three upcoming street exits so they can plan ahead. The device 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

Premium Garmin-Asus Smartphone
The Garmin-Asus nuvifone M10 phone 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.”

Garmin-Asus M10 Features
The Garmin-Asus nuvifone M10 Smartphone 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 Garmin-Asus nuvifone M10 handset 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 Garmin-Asus nuvifone M10 phone can be synched to Microsoft Exchange so that contacts, calendars and emails are always available and secure

Advanced GPS Smartphone
Recognizing that location is relevant to every aspect of every day, the Garmin-Asus M10 nuvifone is designed with location information at its core and it delivers the most advanced location experience on a Windows phone. GPS 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 Garmin-Asus nuvifone M10 has advanced GPS 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 Garmin-Asus nuvifone 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.

Garmin-Asus digital camera function
The Garmin-Asus M10 mobile phone 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 Garmin-Asus nuvifone M10 Smartphone is equipped with a high performance 5 megapixel digital camera that automatically geo-tags photos so that users will always know where they were taken and can easily share them with friends via Facebook and Picasa.

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