Garmin's First Smartphone on AT&T

The Kansas City Business Journal reports: Garmin International Inc.’s first venture into the smartphone market will include AT&T Inc., The Boy Genius Report claims.

Olathe-based Garmin’s nuvifone was among several that showed up on a supposed AT&T (NYSE: T) pre-launch list the tech blog said it obtained. The list includes devices AT&T plans to launch in the next few months.

The long-delayed nuvifone has launched in Taiwan and is set to hit other markets in August; a U.S. launch is expected in the fourth quarter, Garmin (Nasdaq: GRMN) said this month. Information about carriers and prices will come closer to the launch.

Garmin has been finalizing tests with U.S. wireless carriers, but it’s unclear whether it will launch with one or multiple carriers. A company spokesman said Garmin did not have a comment about carriers. An AT&T spokesman said the company doesn’t comment on rumor and speculation.

The nuvifone, originally announced in January 2008, has been a long time coming as Garmin built a customized operating system and shifted strategies from selling the phone on the open market to selling it through a wireless carrier.

In February, Garmin said it would partner with ASUSTeK Computer Inc. to leverage that company’s navigation and mobile phone expertise to design, manufacture and distribute co-branded mobile phones that offer location-based services. An Android-based phone created through the alliance is slated for release early next year.