GPS Navigation Systems are becoming more popular in India with awareness of its benefits and improvement in purchase power of Indian consumer. I have covered a technology article on How GPS Works?. Also I mentioned about a dedicated personal navigation device by SatGuide, which is also Maruti Authorized GPS. Until last year, when I actually used a dedicated GPS device for navigation, I was not aware of the accuracy and benefits of it.
In this article I will review a feature rich device Garmin Asus M-10, which is not just a GPS device, but also a feature rich touch screen Windows Mobile Phone with a powerful processor and long battery life.
Before I tell you the specifications, lets talk about the utility of such a device from a practical perspective. I have a touch screen smart phone already, but it does not have an accurate GPS. If I get a mobile phone with almost same features including WiFi, 3G, GPRS, 5 Megapixel Camera, Memory card slot for media, social apps like Facebook, twitter, Google etc, coupled with a replaceable high capacity battery and a car mounting kit with which I can mount the same phone and use it as a full GPS without any compromise on the navigation quality, I think it makes all the sense.
The M-10 exactly fits these requirements with a price point of approx Rs. 20,000, which may seem expansive, but for the features it offers, and utility of two devices in one in a compact form factor. Also I have used a Garmin GPS device in USA and the software interface and accuracy of the Garmin navigation devices is really very refined and precise.
Specifications of Garmin Asus M-10
- Networks: HSDPA DL:7.2Mbps UL:384Kpbs, UMTS 2100 / 900 EDGE / GPRS / GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- OS: Windows® Mobile™ 6.5.3 Professional
- CPU: Qualcomm 7227 600MHz
- Memory: 512MB RAM+512MB ROM+4GB eMMC Flash
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WLAN 802.11b+g, USB v2.0, Micro-USB
- GPS: Qualcomm GPS (AGPS supported)
- Camera: 5 Mega Pixel
- Display: 3.5 WVGA TFT with Resistive touch
- Battery: 1500mAh Lithium
- Standby Time: up to 600 hours (3G / 2G)
- Talk Time: up to 8 hours
- Expansion Slot: micro-SD™ (support SDHC)
- Browser: HTTP / IE6 browser
- Email: SMS / MMS / IM / Push e-mail / POP3 / IMAP4 / SMTP
- Video Playback: MPEG4 / H.264 / H.263 / WMV @ 30fps WVGA
- Video Recording: MPEG4 / H.264 / H.263 @ 24fps VGA
- Streaming: Audio / Video
- Audio: MP3 / WMA / 3GP / AAC / AAC+ 3.5mm headset with mic
- JAVA: J2ME (CLDC 1.1 + MIDP2.0)
- Advance Navigation/LBS feature: European maps & POIs, Connected Services*, Indoor location**, Junction view with lane assist**, Where am I?, Where’s My Car Parked?, Track Logs & Route Planning
- Phone Applications: Facebook™, YouTube™, Windows Marketplace for Mobile, Microsoft® Office, Picasa™ photo upload**, PDF viewer, MSN® Money
Price of Garmin Asus M10 Device And Maps In India
It is priced at Rs. 20,000 In India, it comes with 2 free map upgrades in first year. From next year onwards, you can opt to keep running on older maps or purchase new maps which will cost you nearly Rs. 5,000.
Pictures of Asus Garmin M10
I got this device for review for a week. Below are some snapshots of the phone. Click the images below to enlarge -
If you have any doubts or queries, feel free to discuss via comments below.
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can u tell me whether the gps works foe the city or it works for the all over india including villages and for what i have to pay 5000k frm 3rd yr
Hey i did check in small placed as well. All state and national highways seems to be covered in the map.
which phone do you have?
What i like about this phone is – Strong GPS features; large non-reflective touchscreen display; comprehensive car kit with charger; bundled local maps.
Hey, i was planning on buying the phone, next week from now.was wondering if it is really worth spending 20k’s, or is there any other option for me to look out for..!
another contest you would like to win – Garmin asus M10 Contest. Just log on to Facebook, post your entry on our wall and 3 lucky winners stand a chance to win a brand new Garmin-Asus M10 Smartphone.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Discover-the-world-with-M10/138677149501251
I recently used one of the updates for my maps . Now , somehow , the maps are not showing Mumbai , Thane etc . Where have I gone wrong ?? Did follow the instructions on their website .