Garmin and Asus team up on location-based mobiles

The original Nüvifone will be rebranded as the Garmin-Asus Nüvifone

Consumer electronics manufacturer Asus and satellite navigation firm Garmin have teamed up to develop mobile phones focused heavily on location-based services.

The two companies have begun joint development on a range of new handsets under the Garmin-Asus Nüvifone banner, and the first offerings are due to hit the shelves later this year.

Garmin announced its intention to get into the mobile market in January 2008, when it unveiled details of the original Nüvifone, which it intended to release during the third quarter of last year. The device will be rebranded as the Garmin-Asus Nüvifone G60 and should be out in the first half of 2009.

"We believe that converged devices are an emerging opportunity," said Min Kao, chairman and chief executive at Garmin.

"This alliance is advantageous to both companies because it allows us to combine our resources and establish a strong foundation from which we will innovate and introduce the world to the benefits of location-centric mobile phones.

"We have been working with Asus for over a year on the initial Nüvifone that was announced in 2008 on the basis of an original design manufacturer relationship."

Kao believes that the joint expertise can help develop new products that meet the changing demands of the mobile customer, who is increasingly turning to mobile devices for relevant information based on their location, according to the company.

"This alliance allows Asus and Garmin to seamlessly combine the strengths of both companies to offer market-leading mobile phone solutions that are of the best design and highest quality," said Jonney Shih, chief executive at Asus.

"Our technologies should accommodate our customers, not the other way around. We believe all devices should perform and communicate seamlessly, not just anytime and anyplace, but in real time and in real places. We are confident that the Nüvifone series will meet this objective."

All phones developed under the partnership will be aimed at providing seamless connectivity, communication and navigation. They will all offer the same turn-by-turn, voice-prompted navigation features found on high-end Garmin portable navigation devices, as well as quick access to online points of interest through internet-enabled local search.

The Nüvifone will also include a social networking application dubbed Ciao that is designed to bridge the gap between multiple location-based social networks.