This is my update of Garmin-Asus G60 Smartphone review. If you have missed part 1 of my review on Garmin-Asus G60 Smartphone, click here to read it. It really amazes me when I tell someone that I am reviewing the Garmin-Asus G60 Smartphone. First thing that they ask is “isn’t Garmin a GPS maker, it has a phone?”.
Two things can be derived from this question. Garmin has established itself so much that the moment its name is mentioned, everyone relates it to GPS. The next thing is that the phone part is a good surprise as many that I talked to asked me about the phone function too!
Although Garmin-Asus G60 seems to be a GPS with phone function, do not be mislead that the phone functions are just basic functions. I will try to show you some interesting things that you can do on this phone.
Screenshot taking
I love this function. Simple!
Just activate this screenshot function by going to
Settings ==> Display ==> Screen Shot
to turn it on.
You can snap screenshot by pressing the camera button. So, you can actually surf the net, see what you want and snap a picture of it so that you can use it later.
Ciao!
This is an application where you can check out where your friends are. Registration is easy. Here is a screenshot of my location.
If there are friends in your list, you can see their location and the distance from you. Click on them and press GO!, you are on your way to meet them 
.
Internet Browsing
Browsing the Internet using the built in browser is surprisingly smooth.
And by changing to landscape mode, the keyboard becomes a QWERTY keyboard.
Specifications
After talking for so long, I realized that I did not let you know the specs. For a start, it has a 4GB internal memory and an external MicroSD slot (up to 16GB) to store all the pictures and etc into it.
G60 Specs
- 2G Connectivity: Quad-band GSM / GPRS / Edge 850/900/1800/1900
- Other Connectivity: 802.11 b/g WLAN, Bluetooth, HFP, HSP, AVRCP, A2DP mini-USB 2.0
- OS: Linux
- Talk Time: Up to 4 hours
- Standby Talk Time: Up to 250 hours
- Dimensions: 112 x 58.1 x 14.6 mm
- Weight: 137g (battery included)
- Display: 3.55″ 65K colors, anti-glare resistive touchscreen
- Camera/Photos: 3MP camera with auto-focus and geo-tagging
- Flash Memory: 4GB on-board 128 MB RAM
- Expandable Memory: Micro SD, HC Capable, expandable up to 16GB
- Music Player: MP3 capable
- Headphone Jack: 2.5 mm
- Battery: 1100 mAh removable/rechargeable lithium cell
- Messaging: SMS
- Email: POP3 / IMAP4 / SMTP
- Internet: HTML browser based on Webkit platform
- Calendar/PIM: Outlook contacts and calendar
- Productivity: Document viewing: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, JPG
Card scanning
It has a built-in software for scanning name cards. You can choose to use the camera to scan the card or you can use a picture file. Both ways will also allow the software to recognize the words and input them into a contact. However, when using the camera mode, ensure that you have sufficient light for it to recognize the wordings properly.
Summary
Actually, there are more functions like Calculator, Flight Status, Converter, USB Tethering and etc. You will need to hands on to understand the usefulness of them.
One way to find out is to try out the G60 Emulator.
Click Here to Check Out Garmin-Asus Smartphones
Another way is to head to the shops and try it. But wait! You can actually win the phones weekly. More details at Garmin-Asus Facebook Page
Click Here to Check Out Garmin-Asus Facebook Page
Finally, just a gentle reminder. There will be a Live-Navigation Challenge this weekend (19th December 2009). To participate, you will need to register before Saturday, 19th December, 12:00pm to enter the contest. The prizes are shocking fabulous! Check it out yourself. I will be there too.