M10
The M10 combines a 3.5-inch display with a full QWERTY keyboard, and runs Windows Mobile 6.5 (another anachronism, given that Microsoft is expected to announce WinMo 7 at Mobile World Congress next week). The phone runs on 512MB RAM and 512MB ROM, and has 4GB built-in flash memory. In addition to GPS, it has a wireless-G radio and HSDPA broadband.
With the M10, turn-by-turn navigation only constitutes one use for GPS, Garmin’s specialty. Here, location is tied to everything from e-mail to calendars to browsing to messaging to contacts. Even the 5-MP camera is designed for geotagging.
[A50]
The A50 also has 4GB of flash memory and a 3.5-inch display; this one, though, is capacitive. Other features include a microSD card slot and a 3-megapixel camera, which can geotag photos.
When it comes to GPS, the A50 combines satellite-, terrestrial-, and network-based technologies to determine the user’s location. Unlike Google Maps, whose free turn-by-turn directions is one of the hallmark features of Android 2.0 and higher, the A50 comes with maps built-in, which is designed to avoid depending on a potentially clogged network to download maps. The cityXplorer feature helps users navigate urban areas using public transportation.
No word yet on which carriers will sell these phones, nor how much they will cost. Both the M10 and A50 will be sold in Europe. The M10 will be available in Asia as well. Expect them to ship in the first half of this year– and for me to get hands on with both at MWC next week.