An alliance between Garmin and ASUSTeK has finally resulted in a smart phone product. The Garmin-Asus M10, a full-touch, all-in-one smartphone powered by the latest version of Windows Mobile was released today.

The M10 is expected to be available through carrier and retail channels in Asia and Europe in the first half of 2010. Benson Lin, Vice President and General Manager of ASUS' Personal Mobile Devices Business Unit, Handheld Business Group claimed that the Garmin-Asus M10 was the answer to people's need for work-life balance.

Cliff Pemble, Garmin's president and COO said that the smart phone was designed for anyone who is tired of carrying numerous devices and instead wants to carry one device that gives them many of the same features found on a stand-alone phone, laptop, PND and digital camera. The M10 has a 3.5-inch WVGA display and a finger-friendly user interface. The Billboard feature displays the most important information so users can see everything  at one glance. There is a 3D Task Manager also allows users to switch easily between running applications. There is 512 RAM and 512 ROM, while 4GB of Flash memory provides ample storage for multimedia and data.

There is a QWERTY soft keyboard for text input. HSDPA wireless connectivity and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) ensure that messages are sent and received quickly. In addition, the M10 can be synched to Microsoft Exchange. Since Garmin are involved you would expect GPS and navigation functions. The M10 uses a high-end Garmin nuvi system which can manage things like  lane assist with junction view that guides drivers to the correct lane for an approaching turn or exit and realistically displays road signs. It also has highway mode that tells drivers the next three upcoming street exits so they can plan ahead*. The M10 is ready for automotive navigation out-of-the-box, and it includes everything a customer needs to use the device in a car, including a powered cradle and windshield mount.

No word on price yet.