Garmin and Asus drop co-branded handsets

Garmin and AsusTek announced on Tuesday that they will not be introducing any more co-branded Nuvifones, but will continue to support and sell handsets that are already available.

The two companies signed a deal in February 2009 to develop co-branded phones. Six Nuvifone models have been distributed worldwide since the beginning of the agreement. It would now appear that Asus will stop producing them, according to a statement. The Nuvifone line is being rethought and will perhaps be turned into a software service.

Asus said it will continue to include Garmin preloaded GPS services in its phones. Garmin, meanwhile, will expand its "mobile handset application development and plans to offer navigation and other applications through certain consumer application stores".

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Garmin, Asus nix handset deal, Nuvifone in flux on ZDNet.com.