Garmin Launching an Android-Based Device in 2009

The GPS maker Garmin is expected to release a smartphone running Google's new Android OS in the second half of 2009.

This revelation, which comes from Taiwan-based DigiTimes, is not surprising; Google recently announced that Garmin had joined the Open Handset Alliance, the group responsible for Android.

Details on this device are unavailable at this time, but  considering what Garmin does as a company, this smartphone will certainly have a strong focus on navigation. The Android OS is bundled with a version of Google Maps, but this is weak in navigational services.

Not the Garmin nuvifone

Earlier this year, Garmin took the wraps off the nüvifone, a GPS-enabled quasi-smartphone. This device isn't based on Android, but is still scheduled for release in the first half of 2009.

The nüvifone won't have all the capabilities of models based on Android, but it will have a large touchscreen, a web browser, messaging application, multimedia options, and a camera.

More about Android

Android is a new mobile operating system developed by Google and a collection of partner companies. It is consumer oriented, and is strongly tied to Google's online services, like Gmail and Google maps.

The first device based on it, the T-Mobile G1, debuted this fall in the U.S. and U.K. More Android-based models are expected to hit the market in 2009.