Last we heard, Garmin-Asus gave themselves a target of 6 months to really turn around things for their phone business – or else, they’ll completely exit of the phone business altogether. However, it looks as though they’ll be cranking out a few devices beforehand to see whether or not they’ll have the capacity to compete in this ever growing market.

It appears that Garmin-Asus will launch either one or two Android powered smartphones before the end of the year – but it’s going to make its presence in the Taiwan market. Apparently the Garmin-Asus A10 is selling well over there, so that’s probably why they’re attacking that market in the near term.

Specifically, the A10 managed to rack up sales of 3,500 units in September and it’s positioned to hit the 3,000 mark in October. Plus, they’ll also promote the handset heavily in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Eastern Europe. Since the A10 seems to be a popular catch in those markets, the company intends to release a new version of it that’ll integrate an EasyCard by Taipei Smart Card Corporation which will allow owners to use their device to pay for public transportation.

Finally, they’ll also be in the works with some Windows Phone 7 device down the road, but they don’t plan on launching it until some time in the first quarter of 2011 – which is still well within that 6 month time frame of turning things around.
source: DiGiTimes

Garmin’s first venture into the smartphone market didn’t go quite as planned, but when you look back at the reputation the Nuvifone G60 brought to the table for AT&T, it was undoubtedly surprising to say the least that they were coming back for seconds. Instead of relying on their own home brewed Linux based platform, the long time GPS maker decided to ride the wave of Android – seeing that a handful of other companies experienced strong sales by siding with the open platform. Granted though it brought the core elements of Android that we all know and love, it still fared below the level that other manufacturers brought along with their customized experience. Garmin recently reported their Q2 financial statement with some good numbers being backed by their tried & true business of dedicated GPS handheld devices, however, things weren’t so great in their continued smartphone venture.

CEO Dr. Min Kao said in their statement, “In the quarter, we also launched the GarminfoneA50 with T-Mobile and the nüvifone A10 with Optus in Australia. Sales of our smartphone product category contributed $27M in revenue during the quarter. While this was below our plan, we are working aggressively with T-Mobile and other carriers around the globe on the appropriate positioning and pricing of our devices in the competitive smartphone space.”

Now the key point you need to look at here is the fact that their smartphone sales only managed to generate $27 million in revenue – yes, just revenue and not profit. Additionally, Dr. Kao mentioned that its was “below our plan” and they’re doing what they can to stay competitive in this always emerging market. This summer alone showcased the vast high-end Android offering available to consumers which made the Garminfone look quaint by comparison. Despite flaunting some less than impressive figures from their most recent smartphone venture, this is one key business they will need to look at with a close eye because the mobile market is encroaching on their usual turf at a faster rate – so they will really need to bring something compelling to the table next time around.
source: Garmin via Unwired View

After the sleek Android-powered Garmin-Asus nuvifone A50 (Garminfone in the U.S.), the joint venture is now introducing its second Android model, the Garmin-Asus A10. As its name suggests, the A10 will be slightly less equipped, mounting a 3.2-inch HVGA touch-sensitive screen, instead of the 3.5-inch panel found on the A50. The Garmin-Asus A10 is said to be a pedestrian-friendly navigation-centric smartphone, so we hope to see some interesting new functionality for those users who enjoy walking.

Anyway, one thing is for sure, and that is the fact that all the map data will be stored on the handset, freeing you from the need to have an active data connection. Other features of the A10 include a GPS (no way!), 1500mAh battery and the Android operating system, probably with the manufacturer’s customized interface on top.

The Garmin-Asus A10 is expected to launch in mid-2010, but its price is still unannounced. Anyone up for a walk?

source: Garmin-Asus

As the Mobile World Congress approaches, we notice companies are starting to get more active, unveiling new handsets each day. Today we see Garmin-Asus finally stand up and officially introduce two new smartphones, namely the Android powered nuvifone А50 and the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 based nuvifone M10.

Both will be pretty high-tech, featuring 3.5-inch touchscreens, with the A50 having HVGA resolution and capacitive tech, while the M10 will be sporting WVGA res and unknown technology (we do hope it will be capacitive though, since version 6.5.3 adds that feature).

The Garmin-Asus nuvifone A50 will have the personalized user interface we saw on the nuvifone G60 and will, of course, come preloaded with Garmin navigation and maps on the 4GB internal storage space. Navigation-related functions should be found in many system apps, along with access to Street View in Google Maps and enterprise features like support for Microsoft Exchange. The navigation itself will include features like lane assist with junction view and cityXplorer (provides public transit information) in some cities. The nuvifone A50 should be available in Europe in the first half of the year, with goodies like car mount and power cable in the box.

For Windows Mobile users, the Garmin-Asus nuvifone M10 will not disappoint either. Although it will come with automotive navigation installed only (the A50 will also include pedestrian navigation), it will integrate navigation functions with important apps like the calendar, contacts, internet browser, email and messaging. It will also sport lane assist and junction view, as well as highway mode. The nuvifone M10 will bring you real-time information about weather, safety cameras, traffic, flight status and fuel prices. It should also be packaged with handy accessories like a powered cradle and windshield mount (although this will vary by the market). The M10 is scheduled for H1 2010 availability in Europe and Asia.
source: Garmin-Asus (A50), more (M10)

Things are already starting to heat up in the mobile world just in time for the busy holiday season. We’re aware about the many Android devices slated to hit stores very soon, but one surprising one may just make it in the nick of time. Asus is gearing up for the important busy rush coming up soon and expects to release its Android smartphone in Q4 2009 – it’s still unclear whether or not if it will make in time for the lucrative shopping season. In addition, there were no hints as to what the specs we can expect from either Jonney Shih (chairman) and Jerry Shen (President and CEO). The only information they offered to speak about was their expectations on their notebooks and netbooks line. It’ll face some stiff competition already in the Android world if it does come out as expected – let’s just cross our fingers and hope it’ll make waves with some awesome specs.
via SlashGear