Update: Garmin has issued a press release refuting the financial and Android release details of the DigiTimes article, but did confirm the development of future Android devices with no details on a timeframe. The company will update sales figures during its 4th quarter earnings conference call on February 25th, 2009.
The Taiwan DigiTimes online newspaper is reporting that navigation systems manufacturer and solutions provider Garmin is planning to release devices using the Android platform in the second half of 2009 after announcing better than expected sales numbers for its GPS products since the Black Friday sales weekend in the US.
No specific devices were named, but the paper also reports that Garmin will outsource the manufacturing of Android devices instead of using internal manufacturing. This follows up the recent announcement made by the OHA earlier this month counting Garmin as one of its newest members in the alliance.
In related news, Garmin has announced a release window of the second quarter of 2009 to announce and launch the long-delayed Garmin Nuvifone navigation/mobile phone combination device in Taiwan, with no details of a launch in other markets. AT&T was rumored to be testing the device for certification and release on the carrier before Garmin announced a launch delay to the first half of 2009 due to carrier demands.
Most believe the device to be in limbo due to the chronic instability of the device when demonstrated at trade shows and the ability of the iPhone 3G to perform GPS navigation, which Garmin was counting on as being the ace-in the hole for the Nuvifone since it garnered comparisons to the aforementioned device, and it raised the stakes for the Nuvifone to perform as well as, if not better than the iPhone 3G.
This phone really makes people hopefully wait for ~
If Garmin wants to continue to keep my business this better be available on the Sprint network. Else, will not touch this device with a 10 foot pole