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Navigation guru Garmin and computer-maker Asustek have teamed up again, this time to offer the Garmin-Asus M10, an enterprise-geared smartphone running the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5.3 operating system.
The M10 features a 3.5-inch WVGA, full-touch display, a 3D Task Manager – which is said to intuitively allow users to switch between applications – and support for email, calendar and IM. There’s a soft, full qwerty keyboard, a 1,500 mAh battery, and HSDPA, Bluetooth and 802.11 b/g connectivity.
With Garmin behind it, the M10 of course includes a GPS receiver, enabling the phone to tie navigation functions to applications such as calendar, contacts, email and messaging. For example, the M10 can offer turn-by turn-directions, down to guiding drivers toward the correct lane to be in before an exit; geo-tag photos taken with the device’s 5-megapixel camera; or point to the best nearby gas prices.
User can access social networks, including Facebook and Picasa Web Albums, and the M10 additionally features 512MB of RAM, 512MB of ROM and 4GB of Flash memory. The CPU is a 600MHz Qualcomm 7227, and the phone measures 4.5 by 2.2 by 0.56 inches.
“The Garmin-Asus M10 is our answer to people’s need for a work-life balance,” said Benson Lin, vice president and general manager of Asus’ mobile device unit, in a statement.
“The M20 runs Windows Mobile, making it the ideal smartphone for business use, while its smart navigation capabilities, comprehensive social networking features and connected services enable users to lead a truly smart lifestyle,” Lin continued.
Garmin president and COO Cliff Pemble added, “The Garmin-Asus M10 is a powerful time-saving tool that is designed for anyone who is tired of carrying numerous devices and instead wants to carry one device that gives them many of the same features found on a stand-alone phone, laptop, PND and digital camera.”
The Garmin-Asus M10 will arrive in Asia and Europe in the first half of the year, for a price neither company has shared. However, interested consumers can get an early look at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Feb. 15-18.