Garmin-Asus M10: The navigation mobile phone all-in-one

As mobile phone hype goes, there has been little talk over the Garmin-Asus M10 across the blog-o-sphere lately. Which is hard to understand, because if you are a high user of GPS and satellite navigation – and are, for example, somebody who travels a lot, then the Garmin-Asus M10 is a phone which will really appeal to you.

Design wise, the Garmin-Asus M10 will have a 3.5 inch capacitive multi-touch screen all built in to a silver or black metallic frame. The OS to be slapped on to the M10 is Windows Mobile 6.5.3 , making the M10 the second officially released smartphone to run 6.4.3 after the Sony Ericsson Aspen.

The M10 relies on preloaded mobile navigation from Garmin to help you get around unfamiliar territory whenever you are out of town. Google Maps, however, as always, should be easily downloadable as a secondary option. Hardware wise the M10 is very powerful – and could, if as fast as the HD2 which also runs WM (although not this version), become a direct alternative to Android powered phones if you need navigation.

Recognizing that location is relevant to every aspect of every day, the Garmin-Asus M10 is designed with location information at its core and it delivers the most advanced location experience on a Windows phone to date. Navigation functions are linked to frequently used applications such as your calendar, contacts, email, internet browser, and messaging; this together makes an exceptionally intuitive and smooth navigation experience.

The M10 is to include 512MB RAM and 512MB ROM. On top of that it will have 4GB of internal flash memory too, as well as bluetooth, Wifi, 3G, GPRS and an internal compass. Whether or not the M10 will have an accelerometer, proximity sensors and haptic feedback though is yet to be confirmed – but that will not be long as this phone is going to be showcased at the MWC in a few days. Official pricing and launch dates are also to be confirmed at the MWC.

I will keep you updated.