Garmin-Asus nüvifone M20 Now with Windows Mobile 6.5; Existing Owners Eligible for Update
Garmin-Asus,
a co-branded alliance between Garmin® Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) and ASUSTeK
Computer Inc. (TAIEX: 2357), today announced that the nüvifone
M20—an all-in-one phone, mobile web-browser and premium navigation
system—is now available with Windows Mobile® 6.5. Users will be able to
enjoy the host of improvements that Windows Mobile 6.5 provides, such as
large touch-optimized icons, mobile applications via Windows Marketplace
for Mobile, and the convenient Microsoft® My Phone service.
With Windows Mobile 6.5, the new nüvifone M20 boasts interface
improvements, such as large touch-optimized icons and a streamlined Home
screen, and comes preloaded with Facebook. In addition, users will be
able to take advantage of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Marketplace for
Mobile to easily download and install additional applications to their
M20. The Windows Marketplace offers high quality mobile applications for
free or purchase, from important business tools to popular social
networking applications such as MySpace to games. Last but not least,
the new My Phone service offers a wealth of features such as data
migration, data auto-syncing, backup and restoration, remote data
wiping, as well as viewing, syncing and sharing of photos across PC,
phone and web platforms.
Garmin-Asus has blended its signature navigation centric user interface
with Windows Mobile 6.5. “Through its innovative integration of a phone,
navigator, and browser, the nüvifone M20 is designed to enhance the
lives of consumers today,” said Benson Lin, Vice President and General
Manager of the ASUS Handheld Business Group. “With Windows Mobile 6.5,
users can enjoy the same great LBS (location-based service) features of
the original nüvifone M20, but with a richer and more rewarding user
experience.”
“Windows phones bring together the best of the Web, the PC and the phone
so you can connect instantly to the people and information you care
about, no matter where you are,” said Stephanie Ferguson, general
manager, product management, Microsoft Corp. “The Garmin-Asus nüvifone
M20 helps people do more while on the go by combining the familiar, easy
to use software on a Windows phone with a premium navigation experience.”
The Garmin-Asus nüvifone M20 running Windows Mobile 6.5 will be
available in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India,
Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech, Turkey and other markets by the end of
2009.
Existing users of nüvifone M20 phones running Windows Mobile 6.1 are
also eligible for the free update to Windows Mobile 6.5. Details on how
to perform the update can be found on www.garminasus.com
from November 11.
About Garmin-Asus
Garmin-Asus is a co-branded strategic alliance that enables Garmin Ltd.
and ASUSTeK Computer Inc. to combine their complementary resources to
develop world class LBS-centric mobile phones.
About Garmin Ltd.
The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its
subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation,
communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – most
of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve
automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and
OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and
its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and
the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual
pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom
or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200.
About ASUS
ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era. With a global staff of
more than ten thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company’s
revenue for 2008 was 8.1 billion U.S. dollars. ASUS ranks among
BusinessWeek’s “InfoTech 100”, and has been on the listing for 12
consecutive years.
ASUS is a registered trademark of ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Garmin and nüvi
are registered trademarks, and nüvifone and Ciao! are trademarks, of
Garmin Ltd.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service
marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Notice on forward-looking statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd.
and its business. All statements regarding the company’s future product
introductions are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based
on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and
circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results
could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors
and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, “the
risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 27, 2008, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of Garmin’s Form
10-K can be downloaded at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html.
No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise.