Update 1: In response to this post, the PR company of Asus in Malaysia clarified that Asus will be responsible in handling the A10 warranty in Malaysia.
“We would like to clarify that although Garmin-Asus have announced their strategic decision to change current co-brand model from January 2011, support will still be provided by ASUSTek Malaysia. We have also extended the warranty for all Garmin-Asus A10 model from one year to two years with immediate effect.”
I hope that in the future, the PR/Corp Comm will check the statements(such the one by DiGi Head of Product Marketing below) before sending out the press release to the media.
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DiGi today announced the Garmin-Asus A10, but sadly there is no future for the phone brand since Garmin has officially confirmed its divorce from ASUS.
In a statement, DiGi’s Head of Product Marketing, Loh Keh Jiat said “We look forward to future collaborations with them to bring relevant products and services to our discerning customers.” – A statement that clearly shows that DiGi is not aware of what’s happening in Garmin-Asus.
A suggestion to DiGi– You need a better device marketing team.
Available in the International market since July, the Garmin-Asus A10 runs on the old Android 2.1 mobile OS and it is exclusive to DiGi in Malaysia.
DiGi said that the Garmin-Asus A10 will be available on 3 November, Wednesday at all authorised DiGi resellers nationwide.
With DG Smart Plan at RM68/month, customers need to pay RM499 if they opt for a 24-month contract or RM749 with a 12-month contract. The package also comes with a free Car Kit (charger included) valued at RM249.
Joint press release from DiGi & Garmin-Asus below.
Petaling Jaya, 3 November 2010 – DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (“DiGi”) today announced Garmin-Asus A10, a touchscreen navigation smartphone running on the Android™ platform, is exclusively available via DG Smart Plan with free car kits.
The A10 is an Android smartphone with full Garmin GPS navigation capabilities and comes with free detailed map updates of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. It also features Junction View, which allows users to know the exact lanes to turn into at intersections. With car-mounting and power accessories included, the A10 is ready for use in an automobile out-of-the-box, complete with a powered audio car mount that magnifies the volume of the handset’s voice commands. The turn by turn pedestrian navigation functionality and comprehensive points of interest database makes the A10 ideal for city exploration on foot too.
DiGi’s Head of Product Marketing, Loh Keh Jiat, said: “With the continuing upward trend in mobile internet usage, it is a timely addition to our smartphone bundling portfolio. Through our partnership with Garmin-Asus, we are able to offer competitive rates for our customers to enjoy greater savings. We look forward to future collaborations with them to bring relevant products and services to our discerning customers.”
“We believe that DiGi customers will be able to experience the impeccable responsiveness and enjoy the seamlessness when combining the communication, navigation, social networking and location-based services available on the A10,” said Andy Chen, Regional Director of Garmin-Asus SEA.
Price and availability
The Garmin-Asus A10 will be available on 3 November, Wednesday at all authorised DiGi resellers nationwide. With DG Smart Plan, customers can enjoy savings of up to RM900. They only need to pay RM499 if they opt for a 24-month contract or RM749 with a 12-month contract. The plan comes with attractive call and data rates, unlimited Internet usage, and much more for only RM68/month.The package also comes with a free Car Kit (charger included) valued at RM249.
A four-day roadshow, jointly organised by DiGi and Garmin-Asus will be held on Lower Ground 2 of Sunway Pyramid shopping complex, from 11-14 November. For more information, please visit www.digi.com.my/smartplan.
