Garmin unveils next smartphone

 

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By Dawinderpal Sahota

Posted on 12 Feb 2009 at 11:38

Garmin-Asus will follow up the launch of its forthcoming G60 smartphone with a new handset, dubbed the M20.

Sat-nav firm Garmin began collaborating with Asus to produce a smartphone range last year. The G60 is expected to be their first instalment. The handset was due to be launched by the end of 2008, but was delayed due to the company's financial concerns. The handset is now slated for release sometime in the first half of 2009.

Now, the two companies have also unveiled the follow-up to their debut handset: the M20, which will run on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.

The phone has a QWERTY keyboard as well as a touchscreen. It boasts dual-band 3.5G/tri-band GSM capabilities, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity. It has a 2.8in TFT screen, 4GB/8GB storage options, and a three megapixel camera that automatically geotags images.

According to Garmin, the handset has a "desktop-like" internet browser, and features push email, document-viewing capabilities and Bluetooth. It also comes with the navigation capability of a premium Garmin sat nav, preloaded with maps and points of interest, such as hotels, restaurants, stores, and petrol stations.

The handset also includes Ciao, a service that helps users stay up to date on their friends' whereabouts, much like Google's new Latitude service.