With the Garmin-Asus nuvifone A50, the satnav slash smartphone maker has finally taken the plunge into Android it’s been talking up for a while now, and this time, it’s got a European launch date. But with Android already capable of free navigation via Google Maps, is it too little too late?
The Garmin-Asus nuvifone A50 is a fairly bog standard Google smartphone on paper: a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen, 4GB of internal storage and a microSD slot are all squeezed inside. But Garmin’s satnav heritage means it promises to be a serious PND as well as a phone: the Garmin-Asus nuvifone A50 has GPS, as well as Garmin’s software preloaded so you don’t have to download maps over the air.
Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 hits the US
It sounds intriguing enough, and the company even says the Garmin-Asus nuvifone A50 is coming to Europe within the first half of this year, but given the saga of the widely panned nuvifone G60, we’ll believe it when we see it. That should be next week, where the company says it’ll be on show at Mobile World Congress, so we’ll be sure to stop by the booth and report back for you.
What do you reckon though? Do you need a dedicate satnav Android phone? Are you happy with CoPilot Live or are you holding out for Maps Navigation to come to the UK? Shout up with your thoughts on the Garmin-Asus nuvifone A50 in the comments below.
Out 2010 | £TBC | Garmin-Asus
