Stand Alone GPS Sales Slump

 

It looks like Smartphones are taking a toll on stand-alone GPS units. "USA Today" offered this update: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-12-21-gps21_ST_N.htm

"Unit sales of the gadgets, whose purpose is to keep motorists from getting lost, are down 9% through the first 11 months of the year, compared with the same period last year, according to the NPD Group's retail tracking service. In dollars, NPD says sales have skidded off course by 22%."

"Competition from smartphones may be the biggest factor. As of the third quarter, 86% of mobile phones sold in the U.S. had built-in GPS capabilities, according to NPD. Google added to the market disruption when it offered turn-by-turn directions on Android devices for free."

--
Nuvi 760 & 660, Streetpilot, GPS III, GPS 10X
Page 1>>

Size

If people want to have a Garmin-sized smart phone stuck against their faces to make a call, sure. But I have noticed that people don't mind huge cell phones anymore.

I personally prefer a smaller phone. I didn't switch to a smart phone until BlackBerry came out with a Pearl (now upgraded to a Pearl Flip). Not everyone likes it, but it's just the right size for me, and it fits my needs better than an Android.

The most likely reason I'd drop a stand alone unit would be when the next car comes with a GPS unit built in. Well, the reason I can think of right now, that is.

--
nüvi 750 & 760

Adding to that...

The employment stats are down in the US, and all over the world. The recession is rearing a new head lately. So, people are looking for the most bang for the buck.

I was reading a G&M article that said many people these days only have a cell, no LL at all. So, this is a part of the puzzle.

We'll see how this all shakes down soon enough.

--
nüvi 3790T | Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable ~ JFK

to compete

IMO to compete with the smart phones and the built in units, the stand alone has to move to a bigger screen, same size as built in GPS or around 5x7 in. screen size, a bit smaller than a iPad.

The extra real state should be use to provide additional information other than just routing, incorporating the Garmin ecoRoute HD Vehicle Diagnostics Communicator and display all in one screen MPH, MPG, DTE, Trip ODO and many other numbers that can be gotten from the vehicle computer without the need for touching any buttons.

--
Garmin 38 - Magellan Gold - Garmin Yellow eTrex - Nuvi 260 - Nuvi 2460LMT - Google Nexus 7 - Toyota Entune NAV

For a quick look.....

smartphone is OK. but I prefer my nuvi

--
John_nuvi_

Still prefer the stand alone

Still prefer the stand alone GPS.Hoping the next purchase will be more in line with features offered with the the built in units.

--
Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

Phones to takeover.

flaco wrote:

IMO to compete with the smart phones and the built in units, the stand alone has to move to a bigger screen, same size as built in GPS or around 5x7 in. screen size, a bit smaller than a iPad.

The extra real state should be use to provide additional information other than just routing, incorporating the Garmin ecoRoute HD Vehicle Diagnostics Communicator and display all in one screen MPH, MPG, DTE, Trip ODO and many other numbers that can be gotten from the vehicle computer without the need for touching any buttons.

My Droid X is just about the same size of my 265wt. Smart phones WILL take over. Like I have said before in another topic Garmin and other GPS manufactures should be spending much more time on apps not there stand alone units. I would be willing to bet the stand alone market is down another 15-25% next year at this time. JMO

Stand Alone Still Better

I have a Blackberry and still prefer my Garmin units. Will use BB if needed and I don't have Garmin in car with me.
Safe and healthy holiday to everyone.

--
Alan-Garmin c340

market saturated

it seems the standalone market might be saturated, how may people here have more than one standalone gps? for me, my android phone still isn't mature enough to take the place of standalone gps.

Well...

I own 4 GPS. A couple older handhelds (which I can't seem to make myself get rid of) and two others. For my purposes I cannot see where a phone will ever replace a GPS.

--
If you ain't got pictures, I wasn't there.

stand alone gone

Look how far GPS devices have come along in just the last 3 or 4 years. I really think a GPS smart-phone will be the future. Sure there will be stand alone units but the market is sure in flux.

--
Flip Garmin Street P.330 Garmin 255WT Garmin LM50

Confusion more than Flux

FLIP wrote:

Look how far GPS devices have come along in just the last 3 or 4 years. I really think a GPS smart-phone will be the future. Sure there will be stand alone units but the market is sure in flux.

The way technology is changing, I doubt if anyone can predict what the GPS market will be in 3 - 5 years. I no longer get overly excited about the newest gadget and simply stumble along a few steps behind the masses laugh out loud

Agree...

flaco wrote:

IMO to compete with the smart phones and the built in units, the stand alone has to move to a bigger screen, same size as built in GPS or around 5x7 in. screen size, a bit smaller than a iPad.

The extra real state should be use to provide additional information other than just routing, incorporating the Garmin ecoRoute HD Vehicle Diagnostics Communicator and display all in one screen MPH, MPG, DTE, Trip ODO and many other numbers that can be gotten from the vehicle computer without the need for touching any buttons.

They need to focus on more functionality, no less (like the latest models), more speed and the price point has to be competitive with the smart phone. Maybe also adopt a modular design? (add in traffic cards, etc)

Phones are OK, but I prefer stand alone units. Smart phones are more computer than phone anyways, and there is always a market for properly designed devices that will do one function well.

There is no solution for market saturation except to get your user base to move on to another device. It happened to cell phones until they moved to smart phones, and those are bound to hit saturation sometime too.

--
Garmin nuvi 1300LM with 4GB SD card Garmin nuvi 200W with 4GB SD card Garmin nuvi 260W with 4GB SD card r.i.p.

Stand Alone Units

I use my Garmin Zumo for navigation when I ride. However at a price point of $700 to $1000 I can't buy one very often.

A big advantage to smart phone use is the ability to also have many other helper applications: track mileage, maintenance, calculators, phone, etc. I've suggested to Garmin many times to allow a development kit for developers to add functionality to their units, however this has been declined. Unfortunately it won't be long before stand alone GPS units are a thing of the past with smart phones, and GPS enabled cars.

Doug

.

I think of it like this - smartphone technology/improvements are zooming along in the far left lane at 70mph while Garmin and the other gps manufacturers are broke down on the side of the road.

If Garmin does not start to develop innovative products which contain every imaginable gps feature then they are doomed. Simple as that.

They Once Did

flaco wrote:

The extra real state should be use to provide additional information.

Curiously, the Garmin GPSs of a decade ago did offer more screen information even though it was a much smaller screen. My old 2610 had customizable pull out tabs on both sides of the navigation screen. In addition to viewing the map, a user could have the semi-transparent tabs showing speed, altitude, direction, time and many other things. Tracking could be turned off/on easily rather than running all the time which made uploading tracks to a map simpler.

Since that time, Garmin seems to have dumbed down the units to offer more basic information. Obviously the different models offer different features so users can purchase the functions they tend to use most.

--
Nuvi 760 & 660, Streetpilot, GPS III, GPS 10X

What?

jdbrownwv wrote:

I've suggested to Garmin many times to allow a development kit for developers to add functionality to their units, however this has been declined.

OK... so they are digging their own grave. Sad when a company can't see what is coming to them.

--
Garmin nuvi 1300LM with 4GB SD card Garmin nuvi 200W with 4GB SD card Garmin nuvi 260W with 4GB SD card r.i.p.

I have 4 stand-alone GPS

I have 4 stand-alone GPS units - 2 Garmin, 2 TomTom.

I rarely use them. My Android devices are far more handy and useful with its always up to date maps.

Standalone has its place, but that place is getting smaller and smaller all the time.

--
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/21626 - red light cameras do not work

Still prefer stand alone units

I have to wonder about battery life being shortened for the phone by using it as a GPS. Last thing I want is GPS service interrupted by a call or needing to call and the battery being low due to GPS use.

DroidX

I use my DroidX when in town and I suddenly need to find an address I am not familiar with, but use my Nuvi when on road trips or any non spur of the moment outing. The Nuvi just works better for this and it leaves my phone idle for other things I really got it for.

--
(formerly known as condump) RV 770 LMT-S, Nuvi2797LMT, Nuvi765T

Standalone GPS can't do this

Quote:

iPhone app can help find parking spots in Hollywood

The often tedious hunt for a parking place soon might become less irritating in at least one part of Los Angeles.

At City Hall on Wednesday, officials unveiled an iPhone application — the first of its type — to help motorists find vacant parking spots in Hollywood, one of the most-visited places in the world.

For an introductory price of $1.99, drivers will be able see which streets have open spots, as well as blocks that are closest to them with the most vacant spaces.

The "Parker" application delivers information about parking-space time limits, pricing and whether meters take credit cards or coins. It also directs motorists to the nearest public or private parking lots and garages as an alternative to street parking.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-parking-app-20101223...

The print story had an accompanying graphic showing the app display, which is a real-time street map showing the open parking spaces. Presumably there will be similar Android apps in the near future and this type of real-time driving information will become the norm over the next few years.

The only way standalone GPSs are going to survive in the long run is if they integrate dynamic, interactive, real-time data relevant to drivers at little or no additional charge. A closed subscription-based nulink-type system is not going to be a profit center, it's going to be a company killer.

Standalone units need to improve ASAP.

I agree that the influx of GPS-enabled smartphones cuts into standalone market because some people are happy with everything in one device. However, another reason for choosing a smartphone over a standalone these days is that standalones SUCK. They are painfully slow, the UI is inconvenient and counter-intuitive, integration and updates are a pain as well, they freeze and hang. User experience is in the toilet.

I would absolutely use a standalone - I prefer to have a device stay with the car and not have to plug in my phone every time I get to drive. Right now, my standalone (nuvi 855) is becoming obsolete; I am on the market and willing to drop up to $500 for a good device. But what do I buy?.. All the newest top models are terrible - they lag behind smartphones in every possible way.

Come on, Garmin. Come on, TomTom and whoever else. Speed up your freaking R&D cycle and start producing something relevant.

My EVO 4G is my new GPR

mtunender wrote:
flaco wrote:

IMO to compete with the smart phones and the built in units, the stand alone has to move to a bigger screen, same size as built in GPS or around 5x7 in. screen size, a bit smaller than a iPad.

The extra real state should be use to provide additional information other than just routing, incorporating the Garmin ecoRoute HD Vehicle Diagnostics Communicator and display all in one screen MPH, MPG, DTE, Trip ODO and many other numbers that can be gotten from the vehicle computer without the need for touching any buttons.

My Droid X is just about the same size of my 265wt. Smart phones WILL take over. Like I have said before in another topic Garmin and other GPS manufactures should be spending much more time on apps not there stand alone units. I would be willing to bet the stand alone market is down another 15-25% next year at this time. JMO

With Google Maps it is the best navigation device I have used.

--
"Ceterum autem censeo, Carthaginem esse delendam" “When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”

Must be the way I use them

braindancer wrote:

...However, another reason for choosing a smartphone over a standalone these days is that standalones SUCK. They are painfully slow, the UI is inconvenient and counter-intuitive, integration and updates are a pain as well, they freeze and hang. User experience is in the toilet...

My 1490T that is. It really did suck to have mysterious freeze ups and restarts when that happened, but just as mysteriously that stopped a long time ago. The UI doesn't seem counter-intuitive to me, and if the user experience is bad, then I've simply accepted the low performance and think it's okay.

But then again, my TouchPro2 Windows phone does continue to mysteriously hang up, freeze, require a cold re-start, with an internet access speed that is more painful to use than not, and when its syncing with my Outlook, won't even allow me to make a simple phone call with it.

I have really set the bar low for my electronics...

--
NEOhioGuy - Garmin 2639, MIO Knight Rider, TomTom (in Subaru Legacy), Nuvi 55, DriveSmart 51, Apple CarPlay maps

Yeah, and I've really been

Yeah, and I've really been spoiled by iPhone in terms of stability. I mean, it is not at all perfect (and navigation apps are horrendous), but for the love of God this thing just never hangs up.

Several things not talked about yet....

When on a trip and navigating, can you attach your smart phone to your windshield or dashboard? If so, would you? Can you keep the screen from sleeping?

With a smart phone, can you have it create a track log that you can use to track where it was that you went on your trip?
Example: I like to go off-roading, and some of the trails are not on a map, not even a topo map, or the trails on the topo map are just wrong....

With a smart phone, even if it does do a track log, (maybe it does, I am asking...?) can you see segment mph's and times?
Examples: I ride dirt bikes, and like to see how fast I was going and what sand wash I was going down when I did it.
Also, I have friends that race cars, and a GPS that logs tracks will offer track speeds and how fast one was able to go through a corner. Pull them up in Mapsource and view the track details sometime to see what I mean....

In all, I feel that each has there place. Do you want an all-in-one that does everything but none of them well, or do you want a specialized product that does what it is designed to do really well?

Your choice, as it depends on personal requirements.

~Vanman

Spoiled cell phone users

braindancer wrote:

Yeah, and I've really been spoiled by iPhone in terms of stability. I mean, it is not at all perfect (and navigation apps are horrendous), but for the love of God this thing just never hangs up.

My Droid 2 also has great stability, fantastic navigation and also never drops calls. So I know what your saying about spoiled, but understand with the crappy horrendous navigation on the iphones you can't quite be as spoiled as a owner with a phone using the Google Android OS.

--
Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

Stand alone GPS sales slump

I have both smartphone and quite few Garmin GPSs. But now I prefer the smart phone, it's like ALL IN ONE, very handful.

If company making stand alone GPS want to attracted more people, they have to invent units that bigger like the in-dash version with more features: wifi built-in, free map update, free traffic with no bulky cord, google map and web browser. And also a more convinience mounting support.

Sad for some

Thought normally a gadget hound, I hate cell phones; I do my best to get away with the bare minimum. I'll be one of the holdouts for standalone devices. The way I've experienced it, smartphones do many of the same things the standalones do, but not especially well.

yes

TheVanman wrote:

When on a trip and navigating, can you attach your smart phone to your windshield or dashboard? If so, would you? Can you keep the screen from sleeping?

With a smart phone, can you have it create a track log that you can use to track where it was that you went on your trip?
Example: I like to go off-roading, and some of the trails are not on a map, not even a topo map, or the trails on the topo map are just wrong....

With a smart phone, even if it does do a track log, (maybe it does, I am asking...?) can you see segment mph's and times?
Examples: I ride dirt bikes, and like to see how fast I was going and what sand wash I was going down when I did it.
Also, I have friends that race cars, and a GPS that logs tracks will offer track speeds and how fast one was able to go through a corner. Pull them up in Mapsource and view the track details sometime to see what I mean....

In all, I feel that each has there place. Do you want an all-in-one that does everything but none of them well, or do you want a specialized product that does what it is designed to do really well?

Your choice, as it depends on personal requirements.

~Vanman

A smartphone can do all of those and more...

--
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/21626 - red light cameras do not work

don't see the piont

gus2259 wrote:

I have to wonder about battery life being shortened for the phone by using it as a GPS. Last thing I want is GPS service interrupted by a call or needing to call and the battery being low due to GPS use.

I carry a tiny spare battery, easier than carrying a stand alone GPS, just for worrying about battery life LOL. Plus if I'm using the phone as a GPS, I can always use the car charger, just like I do with the standalone GPS, if need be.

--
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/21626 - red light cameras do not work

lol

NEOhioGuy wrote:
braindancer wrote:

...However, another reason for choosing a smartphone over a standalone these days is that standalones SUCK. They are painfully slow, the UI is inconvenient and counter-intuitive, integration and updates are a pain as well, they freeze and hang. User experience is in the toilet...

My 1490T that is. It really did suck to have mysterious freeze ups and restarts when that happened, but just as mysteriously that stopped a long time ago. The UI doesn't seem counter-intuitive to me, and if the user experience is bad, then I've simply accepted the low performance and think it's okay.

But then again, my TouchPro2 Windows phone does continue to mysteriously hang up, freeze, require a cold re-start, with an internet access speed that is more painful to use than not, and when its syncing with my Outlook, won't even allow me to make a simple phone call with it.

I have really set the bar low for my electronics...

Your Touch Pro2 is a Win Mobile device that is infamous for lock ups and freezes. I know because I have one.

Move to Android and enjoy the good life.

--
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/21626 - red light cameras do not work

only smart when it has a signal

BobDee wrote:
braindancer wrote:

Yeah, and I've really been spoiled by iPhone in terms of stability. I mean, it is not at all perfect (and navigation apps are horrendous), but for the love of God this thing just never hangs up.

My Droid 2 also has great stability, fantastic navigation and also never drops calls. So I know what your saying about spoiled, but understand with the crappy horrendous navigation on the iphones you can't quite be as spoiled as a owner with a phone using the Google Android OS.

In 2008 I took a trip from Florida to Alaska for a total of 12600 miles; it is on that trip trough rural America and Canada the GPSr vs. SmartPhone advantages can be seen.

I like to see how Smart are the Droid and IPhone in this area of Virginia 36.998594, -82.100707 from the minute we started going down this valley my buddy lost Nextell Cell signal and then my Verizon signal, we were without service for the whole week, according to the hillbillies in that area if you don’t have land line you are incommunicado.

We recovered signal as soon as we left the valley, we both had good signal until we passed Chicago land then the Nextel lost signal until we made it back to Arizona on the return trip.

My buddy was so pissed to see me constantly chatting while driving with people back home he decided in North Dakota to rent an AT&T phone (he had a bad experience with the previous owners of Verizon and didn’t want to rent from them) at the AT&T store he was told based on our route they could not guarantee service the whole way so he did not rent and had to borrow my phone.

The Verizon Motorola Razr had service most of the lower 48 and Canada, it then lost signal while on the ALCAN Hwy and only had signal near mayor cities and towns in Alaska.

Before I forget, my Nuvi 260 never lost signal and since the map was fairly new in 2008 only had one mayor problem in Edmonton Canada.

--
Garmin 38 - Magellan Gold - Garmin Yellow eTrex - Nuvi 260 - Nuvi 2460LMT - Google Nexus 7 - Toyota Entune NAV

Huh? to BobDee

Obviously you are mis informed.

Crappy navigation on an iPhone? Not for me on my iPhone using TomTom nor on my son's using Navigon. I will admit though that these are add on''s and it seems the Droid is good to go out of the box.

And to Flaco. There is no need for a cell connection to navigate with smart phones that have GPS chips and maps loaded in them like the iPhone.

--
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra

Garmin Phone

The last Garmin Phone was not a great success. Hopefully the next version is comparable to other available smart phones. I still prefer a standalone GPS to the smart phone apps considering the POIs and other customizations that are on the GPS units.

My 660 is still the best

In the last few months since I got my Droid X I have tried to use it as a navigation device and can find no reason to neglect my 660. The map is to small, the POI's not taylored to my needs and way to hear to see abd hear. I'll kep my stand alone.

--
NUVI 660, Late 2012 iMac, Macbook 2.1 Fall 2008, iPhone6 , Nuvi 3790, iPad2

huh?

Vanderdecker wrote:

Thought normally a gadget hound, I hate cell phones; I do my best to get away with the bare minimum. I'll be one of the holdouts for standalone devices. The way I've experienced it, smartphones do many of the same things the standalones do, but not especially well.

smile Sad for some is right, and I put you in that category since you stay away from the technology,and yet talk about your experience. However your over your head on this one, because they do thing just as well, and sometimes better!

--
Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

.

flaco - smartphone technology has improved dramatically since you've last seen one used in real life. Quite a few gps apps (Navigon, CoPilot) actually store all of the maps on the phone itself, and the recently updated Google Maps 5 now caches maps. So if you lose your cell signal you can still navigate.

Huh?

geochapman wrote:

In the last few months since I got my Droid X I have tried to use it as a navigation device and can find no reason to neglect my 660. The map is to small...

I'm confused. The Droid X has a 4.3" screen. The 660 has a 4.3" screen. So how exactly is the map on the Droid X too small?

True

flaco wrote:

IMO to compete with the smart phones and the built in units, the stand alone has to move to a bigger screen, same size as built in GPS or around 5x7 in. screen size, a bit smaller than a iPad.

The extra real state should be use to provide additional information other than just routing, incorporating the Garmin ecoRoute HD Vehicle Diagnostics Communicator and display all in one screen MPH, MPG, DTE, Trip ODO and many other numbers that can be gotten from the vehicle computer without the need for touching any buttons.

I agree what you said flaco. I think the bigger screens would be great, but perhaps garmin and other gps manufacturers need to also consider moving to a different type of display all together, start using the OLED screens or something that is so thin that it can be placed behind the visor etc... innovation will sell more units. GPS in the last few years has not had many new innovations, the ecoRoute is great and it does make a person conscious of their driving, heck today I saw how much i really spent driving 20 minutes...

I own a garminfone.

It is just like a nuvi plus lifetime map update. Returned my nuvi 1450lmt.

But the Garmin phone was a

But the Garmin phone was a flop and was discontinued a few months ago. My Nuvi just seems more flexible-if there's an easy way to load custom POI categories on my phone I haven't found it. Built in nav systems aren't an option for me-why on earth should I pay 2 thousand dollars for built in GPS when a Nuvi is maybe a couple hundred?

Ignorance

Amazing how think you somehow know what I know. You don't.

If true...

nuvic320 wrote:
TheVanman wrote:

When on a trip and navigating, can you attach your smart phone to your windshield or dashboard? If so, would you? Can you keep the screen from sleeping?

With a smart phone, can you have it create a track log that you can use to track where it was that you went on your trip?
Example: I like to go off-roading, and some of the trails are not on a map, not even a topo map, or the trails on the topo map are just wrong....

With a smart phone, even if it does do a track log, (maybe it does, I am asking...?) can you see segment mph's and times?
Examples: I ride dirt bikes, and like to see how fast I was going and what sand wash I was going down when I did it.
Also, I have friends that race cars, and a GPS that logs tracks will offer track speeds and how fast one was able to go through a corner. Pull them up in Mapsource and view the track details sometime to see what I mean....

In all, I feel that each has there place. Do you want an all-in-one that does everything but none of them well, or do you want a specialized product that does what it is designed to do really well?

Your choice, as it depends on personal requirements.

~Vanman

A smartphone can do all of those and more...

If they do all the things that I mentioned, then it seems to be a great choice.

The other things that I didn't mention is that phones like the iphone have real glass screens, and I have seen them broken on almost all my friends units at one time or another. I would hate to see what would happen to one if I took it on a dirt bike ride! LOL!! At least the made of plastic units have a chance of survival.

Also, my 60CSx and my 250w have the ability to output the GPS signal to a computer. (I believe NMEA?) Whether it's a laptop, or a dedicated car computer so that software on a larger screen can track you. IE: NRoute, Streets and Trips, Natl Geographic TOPO series....etc. Unfortunately, with my 750, I cannot even force it to send that signal out.

As I said before, it all comes down to personal choice....and why it is (at least it still is for now) a free market society.

~Vanman

Who cares?

I personally don't give a hoot. Stand-alone GPS may be dying out, but then, they may not be. Prices are going down, people still buying them, not everyone has money for smartphones which require hefty monthly payments for data, so I think GPSs are here to stay, until cell providers manage to offer super-cheap smartphones with super-cheap plans. Even then, smartphones are not designed to work as a GPS in a car - screen may be way too small or too reflective, sound too weak, they may overheat in the sun, and so on. Primary purpose of the smartphone is to provide communications and not too many people actually like to carry around phones with huge screens, so I have serious doubts that the they will be able to replace stand-alone GPSs. True, the market is changing and GPS makers will have to adapt and compete with smartphones, but they are not going away anytime soon.

wrong

anzial wrote:

... Even then, smartphones are not designed to work as a GPS in a car - screen may be way too small or too reflective, sound too weak, they may overheat in the sun, and so on. ...

Wrong on all accounts, but hey if it makes you feel better continue to believe in that.

--
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/21626 - red light cameras do not work

Use of screen size is different

GadgetGuy2008 wrote:
geochapman wrote:

In the last few months since I got my Droid X I have tried to use it as a navigation device and can find no reason to neglect my 660. The map is to small...

I'm confused. The Droid X has a 4.3" screen. The 660 has a 4.3" screen. So how exactly is the map on the Droid X too small?

I'll try this again, I lost my first reply somehow. The screen layout on the Droid X does not make for easy viewing. They may be the same size but the layout is different. For another thing, I like the direction of travel to be at the top, the DX puts N at the top. The road view is larger in the 660 and lanes appear more easily. I've used several forms of Verizon Navigation from before I got my 660 and I simply don't think it's as good or as user friendly as my 660. I like to put Points on my route and I don't see how you can lay out a route on the Droid either. I like the DX I simply don't see it as a GPS.

--
NUVI 660, Late 2012 iMac, Macbook 2.1 Fall 2008, iPhone6 , Nuvi 3790, iPad2

.

geochapman wrote:

For another thing, I like the direction of travel to be at the top, the DX puts N at the top. The road view is larger in the 660 and lanes appear more easily. I've used several forms of Verizon Navigation from before I got my 660 and I simply don't think it's as good or as user friendly as my 660. I like to put Points on my route and I don't see how you can lay out a route on the Droid either. I like the DX I simply don't see it as a GPS.

Good god man, please tell me you aren't using Verizon's VZ Navigator on your android smartphone!! The defacto navigation app is google maps. Don't even waste your time with Verizon's bloatware.

Download the google maps 5.0 update and test it out. I'd also suggest downloading google streetview. It's amazing being able to pull up actual pictures of your destination while you're on the road.

And if you don't like google maps, you might want to try CoPilot. It's only $5 and the maps are stored on your phone so you don't even need a data connection to navigate. It's a lot more customizable than google maps but it also has some shortcomings.

Not an argument

nuvic320 wrote:
anzial wrote:

... Even then, smartphones are not designed to work as a GPS in a car - screen may be way too small or too reflective, sound too weak, they may overheat in the sun, and so on. ...

Wrong on all accounts, but hey if it makes you feel better continue to believe in that.

I've never said that I'm right on all accounts, did you notice qualifier 'may' by any chance? But anyways, since you insist: provide proof that EVERY SINGLE smartphone in existence is DESIGNED to work the same way as car GPS since that what you imply by saying I'm wrong on ALL accounts.

Garmin sales slump

I just bought a new vehicle, and wanted to buy the newest, most expensive gps garmin makes (to replace my old nuvi 650). Only to find out that Garmin units no longer include MP3 players!! I listen to books, music, college courses, etc. over my car stereo, and have Karen stop the MP3 playback, give me directions, then resume audio play without loosing my place. Perfect!
I now have to just hope my old 650 lasts forever.

One person's opinion

I'm not certain of the motivating factors in Garmin's designs and feature sets, but the 3700 series uses a glass screen (which isn't as likely to break as the screen on your iPhone, because it isn't carried about).

However;

Software can be made to do anything. So those who complain about such things as GUIs and map displays are easily placated. Smartphone app providers (and Garmin is likely to become a major player there in the near future) can be made to do whatever it is that the public wants.

Google maps is only useful when in range of the cellular network; A great argument in favor of stand-alones, except that there are other apps and most smartphones can carry the database with them, so are not tethered to the cell infrastructure - though you won't have Google when you are out of range.

Then again the vast majority of users simply never travel to unserviced locations.

My car's navigator is attached to my windshield. I personally prefer to have the nav and my phone separate - I can hand the phone to a passenger to do something while the nav stays put. It also operates as my handsfree device. I personally prefer separates.

Having said that, about the only real advantage separates *can* have is that they are purpose-built and aren't intended to sit in my pocket; But they CAN build snap-in mounts for phones and such and eventually there will be even less reason to buy a dedicated navigator.

Some people will continue to purchase stand-alones, no different than that there is still a huge market for basic phones; However the big players will need to adapt or downsize.

How do you compete against 'free'?

It would also be nice if Garmin would get it's act together and build more reliable devices; In a world of 'free' phones and with a poor economy, people are hard-pressed to justify spending good money to get a service/feature that is available, essentially for free on their phones.

There is a lot of building resentment because of GPS receiver manufacturers' serious quality issues and issues related to support - perhaps the market wouldn't be eroding as quickly for them if they made the user experience more pleasant.

Just one user's opinion.

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Currently have: SP3, GPSMAP 276c, Nuvi 760T, Nuvi 3790LMT, Zumo 660T
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