Garmin-Asus announces Nuvifone M10, A50

Much like last year, Garmin-Asus got a head start on Mobile World Congress 2010 and introduced two new additions to its line of GPS-enabled smartphones, the Nuvifone M10 and the Nuvifone A50.

Promised since 2009, the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone A50 is the company's first Google Android device and features all the usual Google and Android services, including Google search by voice, Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, and Android Market. In addition, the A50 offers Microsoft Exchange support for e-mail, calendar, and contacts.

Of course, as a Garmin device, the handset will ship with the company's navigation software, complete with maps, voice-guided navigation, and even more advanced tools like lane assist with junction view and connected services for weather, traffic, fuel prices, and so forth. Users will also have the ability to download cityXplorer maps, which provide routing using public transit options.

Other notables include a 3.5-inch HVGA touch screen, 4GB internal storage plus a microSD slot, a 3-megapixel camera, and a multitouch capable WebKit browser.

Meanwhile, the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M10 will run Windows Mobile 6.5.3 and has some unique features to help users more easily access their apps and multitask. First, there's a 3D Task Manager that will allow you to switch between running applications and second, there's something called Billboard, which will display a user's most important information at a glance.

The M10 has many of the same GPS features as the A10 and the navigation functions are linked into your calendar, contacts, e-mail, Web browser, and messaging apps. You'll also be able to geotag any photos you take with the phone's 5-megapixel camera and share them via Facebook or Picasa.

The quad-band, HSDPA-capable phone also features Wi-Fi, 3.5-inch WVGA touch screen and 4GB of Flash memory (512MB RAM/512MB ROM).

The Nuvifone A50 is expected to be available in Europe in the first half of 2010; the M10 will be available in Europe and Asia in the first half of 2010. Pricing details and North American availability were not released at this time, but both phones will be at MWC 2010 so you can be sure we'll be checking them out in person. Hopefully they'll be much better than the Garmin Nuvifone G60.