
Garmin Asus's first attempt at a mobile phone was a bit of a disaster, but undeterred they have pushed on with a number of different handsets, the most interesting of which is the
Garmin Asus Garminfone also known as the
Garminfone by T-Mobile. Exclusive to T-Mobile in the USA, the Garminfone brings all the advantages of specialist satellite navigation to the flexible Android platform.
The Garminfone comes at an awkward time for manufacturers of personal navigation devices, as Google now gives away free turn-by-turn navigation with Google Maps. However, Google's product does not really match the quality of established manufacturers such as Garmin and TomTom, and it is the more discerning market that Garmin Asus is targeting.
Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, Garmin Asus have built the Garminfone on the Android platform, although we don't know what version of Android the Garminfone uses. This gives the Garminfone a wide range of applications running on a relatively stable operating system which should appeal to many customers.

The hardware is pretty straightforward and not really very high-end as far as Android is concerned. There's a 3.5" 320 x T-Mobile Garminfone 480 pixel touchscreen display, 3 megapixel camera, WiFi and HSPA high-speed data with maximum download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps. Of course, the Garminfone supports GPS too.
Because this is an Android phone, then there's a decent web browser, email client and a huge range of other applications that you can choose. T-Mobile USA does have other Android handsets available though, and for general purpose use the Motorola CLIQ is difficult to beat.
There's no word on pricing, but if priced like the CLIQ it should be less than $150 with a new contract. T-Mobile and Garmin Asus say that the Garminfone should be available during the spring, and this particular model will be sold in the USA only.
Garmin Asus Garminfone(Garminfone by T-Mobile) at a glanceAvailable: Q2 2010
Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 +
UMTS 2100/ 1700
Data: GPRS + EDGE + UMTS (3G) + HSPA + WiFi
Screen: 3.5" 320 x 480 pixels
Camera: 3 megapixels
Size: PDA-style device
4.6 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches / 4.9 ounces
116 x 62 x 12mm / 139 grams
Bluetooth: Yes
Memory card: MicroSD
Infra-red: No
Polyphonic: Yes
Java: Yes
GPS: Yes
OS: Android
Battery life: Not specified