Garmin-ASUS to launch new handsets in India

ASUS, which makes Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs), notebooks and motherboards (for PCs), expects to sell 40,000 mobile handsets in India this year as against 30,000 units in 2008. "We will introduce 6-8 new models this quarter and we should see sales of around 40,000 units this year, up from 30,000 handsets last year," ASUS Business Head (Mobile Communication Business) Edward Wang said.

Wang added that within two years of launching their PDA phones in India, ASUS now has 15 per cent market share for Windows Mobile-based PDA phones. Garmin and ASUS had announced their global partnership earlier this year for developing and distributing co-branded GPS-enabled smartphones to be known as the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone series.

Users would have access to Garmin's maps, which would be embedded in the handsets.
"The phones would be priced above Rs 20,000. But, we would look at sub-Rs 10,000 handsets a year or so later, as that it a very exciting space," Wang said.

The company also plans to invest Rs 10 crore over the next 3-4 years for its service centres.
"We plan to have 10 service centres by the end of 2009 from 3 now. This number would be gradually increased to cater for our customers and we would invest about Rs 10 crore over the next 3-4 years for setting up these centres," Wang said.