June 16 - 11:10am EDT   Garmin-ASUS at CommunicAsia on Tuesday said that its decision to launch Android phones next year will mark the end of the partnership's custom Linux variant. The nuvifone G60 will now be both the first and last phone to run the in-house OS and all future nuvifones will either use Android or else, like the M20, Windows Mobile. Reasons for the switch haven't been explained to CNET but likely center on both the true smartphone-level feature set as well as the reduced work of using an existing OS rather than developing from scratch. [full story]

June 12 - 10:35am EDT   Dutch shares of native GPS device maker TomTom spiked on Friday morning after speculation rose that Apple is mulling getting a stake in the company. Following Apple's WWDC presentation Monday that saw TomTom introduce an iPhone GPS app and a matching car kit, some investors claim to have heard that TomTom being singled out and its tight integration of software with the iPhone are advance evidence of Apple wanting to invest a minority amount in the European firm. The rumor is not universal, however, and some openly doubt the likelihood of such a deal. [full story]

June 5 - 2:45pm EDT   In spite of warnings of delays, Garmin president Cliff Pemble today at a shareholders' meeting said the company was "getting very close" to launching its nüvifone line on sale in the US through a carrier. The touchscreen GPS phones are now through the second stage of carrier testing and thus not far away from being used. Surprise demand from providers meant the company had little reason to follow original plans and release the phone at full price but unlocked. [full story]

May 11 - 1:05pm EDT   Garmin told its investors on Wednesday that it has once again moved back the planned release date of its G60 and other nuvifone smartphones to the second half of the year, and won't, as previously reported, be coming out in June. According to a recent TWICE update, the company is currently taking the phones through the testing phase of the certification process and carriers are very interested in the smartphones. No detailed release date has been given, however. [full story]

May 8 - 11:15am EDT   TomTom may be stepping up its efforts to produce turn-by-turn iPhone GPS through a low-key recruitment effort. A job listing for an iPhone app developer doesn't mention the company but asks for someone to develop navigation software in Amsterdam, the location of TomTom's headquarters. The term would start in May or June and last for at least six months. [full story]

April 17 - 12:30pm EDT   Garmin-ASUS' long-delayed nüvifone G60 is now expected to show in June, a direct source claims. Talking to Reuters, the insider says the first LiMo-based (Linux Mobile) phones will ship in June and, by extension, that the G60 will be one of the early models. The GPS-centric handset has been repeatedly delayed since its January 2008 unveiling and has been given a first-half 2009 release timeframe that would support the latest claim. [full story]

April 3 - 8:50pm EDT   Electronista at CTIA had a chance to take a closer look at the Garmin-Asus nüvifone M20. The handset offers a smaller form factor than the G60 and looks more like a phone than a GPS navigator. Every dimension has been shrunk, with 17 mm cut from the height and a width reduction of 6 mm. The M20 is described as a phone with GPS functionality, while the G60 is more of a GPS with phone functionality. The company also dropped the Linux operating system for Windows Mobile 6.1. [full story]

February 12 - 7:25am EST   Mobile partnership Garmin-ASUS on Thursday staked its claim at Mobile World Congress with the nuvifone M20, the second phone in the fledgling GPS navigator phone line. Unlike the G60, the M20 is based on Windows Mobile 6.1 and uses a heavily customized interface to provide turn-by-turn voiced navigation like stand-alone nuvi GPS units. It also uses the positioning for social networking through Ciao! and geotagging photos from the 3-megapixel camera. [full story]

December 31 - 2:35pm EST   Garmin has posted screen captures for its upcoming GPS-based cellphone, the nuvifone, providing hints as to the handset's features and capabilities. The screenshots come ahead of an expected official look at the device at next week's CES expo in Las Vegas. The nuvifone features a 3.5-inch touchscreen, the same size as that the screen on Apple's iPhone; the interface also appears to be familiar, with a layout that mimics the iPhone in terms of buttons, icons and window dimensions. [full story]

December 22 - 3:05pm EST   Garmin announced on Monday that it is disputing the sales figures and product rollout schedules published in a DigiTimes report from the same day. In the report, it was said Garmin will ship 18 million GPS units in 2008, citing the company's Asia Pacific marketing director, Tony An, as the source for the information. The story also had Garmin's Android-powered and GPS-enabled nuvifone be released into the Taiwanese market in the second quarter of 2009, with Android-based handsets coming as early as the second half of 2009. Garmin did not dispute that Android-based handsets are indeed in the pipeline. [full story]

December 22 - 8:50am EST   Garmin Asia Pacific marketing director Tony An today revealed that the company's nuvifone will just be the first device in a series of phones. Where the original touchscreen, GPS-focused phone is now said to be due in the spring, An adds that the firm will develop multiple phones based on Google's Android platform to ship sometime in the second half of 2009. Details of the phones themselves are unavailable but should likely focus heavily on GPS navigation and will be helped by the built-in presence of Google Maps. [full story]

December 15 - 12:35pm EST   Garmin's long-delayed nuvifone, originally expected to ship in summer of this year, may finally be nearing release, documents show. The nuvifone G60 has passed through the FCC, under the moniker of the ASUS Calf; this could indicate that ASUS is responsible for actually building the phone, while Garmin handles aspects of software, direction and branding. Phones approved by the FCC typically ship within a few months, though this is not guaranteed. [full story]

November 26 - 4:40pm EST   The Nuvifone from Garmin is still due for an early 2009 release despite being delayed earlier this year. It will be a carrier-exclusive offering, though the company is not revealing its choice of partner network to the public. As Garmin is traditionally a portable navigation device manufacturer, the Nuvifone will bring many of the company's technologies to its GPS mapping functionality, as well as access to high-speed 3G data networks. [full story]

July 30 - 8:25am EDT   Garmin's long-promised nuvifone won't arrive until 2009, the company said today. Announced in January, the GPS-based smartphone was originally planned for a summer launch but is now targeted for a launch sometime during the first half of 2009. The release is being held up by "carrier specific requirements" that will require changes to the handset, according to the company. Which carriers are involved is unknown, though its particular 3G support makes it a likely candidate for AT&T as well as a number of European providers. [full story]

May 1 - 9:50am EDT   Garmin's highly touted nuvifone may cost $100 more than its Apple rival at AT&T, according to a survey passed along to Engadget. The navigation device maker is gauging customer responses to its price strategy and is currently suggesting that its GPS-enabled cellphone should sell for $500 with a two-year contract, or $100 above the price of a standard iPhone. [full story]