Just last week Garmin and T-Mobile announced the Android-based T-Mobile exclusive Garminphone, with planned availability later this Spring. Only a week or so later, Garmin and Asus are bringing you the next Android device in their lineup, the Garmin-Asus A10, a pedestrian-friendly phone that will help you navigate the world one step at a time.
The A10 comes equipped with Android (no details on version), 3.2-inch multitouch-ready HVGA touchscreen, 1500mAh battery, WebKit browser, 5MP camera with auto-focus and image geotagging, accelerometer, and of course access to all your favorite Android apps. One of the features Garmin-Asus are boasting about on this device is the pre-loaded maps. The A10 comes prepared to travel with or without connection to a cellular network. All you need is a clear sky and your A10 will take you where you need to go on foot or behind the wheel, including turn-by-turn directions that will not get interrupted if you lose signal. The device also comes with a "powered audio mount that magnifies the volume of the device's voice commands."
The A10 will be available mid-2010 in the Europe and Asia-Pacific markets, with no time frame or indication of whether it will ever navigate (har har) its way to the US. Pricing and carrier availability is also yet to be announced.
Via Engadget
Garmin-Asus Announces Newest Android Smartphone with Garmin Navigation
A10 Focuses on Pedestrian-Friendly Features and Navigation for Europe and Asia-Pacific
CAYMAN ISLANDS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Garmin-Asus, a co-branded alliance between Garmin® Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), and ASUSTeK® Computer Inc. (TAIEX: 2357), today announced the Garmin-Asus A10, a touchscreen smartphone running on the Android™ platform that is optimized for pedestrian navigation. The A10 is expected to be available in mid-2010 in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
For those times when walking is the best way to go, the A10 is ideal for city navigation because of its bright, 3.2-inch HVGA touch screen, electronic compass and long-lasting 1500mAh battery. As with other Garmin-Asus Android-powered devices, the A10's GPS capabilities are optimized to ensure that customers have the best location and navigation experience a smartphone can offer. Detailed maps are preloaded on the A10 so that users do not have to pay and wait for third party maps to download from a server, nor will they lose their turn-by-turn, voice-prompted navigation if they are out of cell phone coverage. In addition to pedestrian navigation, the A10 is ready for use in an automobile out-of-the-box, and it comes with a powered audio mount that magnifies the volume of the device's voice commands.
The A10 is a full-featured smartphone on the Android platform that integrates Google™ Mobile Services with one-click access to Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube™, calendar, contacts and Android Market™, where users can find more than 30,000 applications to expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle. Android applications that include location-centric content are also able to utilize the A10's enhanced GPS capability.
To optimize a user's ability to stay in touch with family, friends and business contacts, the A10 is compatible with Microsoft Exchange server and will wirelessly synchronize contacts, calendar and enterprise email. Account setup is quick and easy, and in a few simple steps users will have their contacts, calendar and email ready to go.
Additional A10 smartphone features include a powerful WebKit browser with multi-touch, five mega-pixel camera including auto-focus capability that automatically geotags images with an exact location reference. The built-in accelerometer will quickly change the display so that screens may be viewed in portrait or landscape mode.
The A10 also supports optional cityXplorer™ maps, which makes it possible to plan and use routes that include public transit options such as bus, tramway, metro and suburban rail systems.
The Garmin-Asus A10 is expected to be available in mid-2010 in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Additional information about Garmin-Asus products is available at www.GarminAsus.com.
