Nuvi 1690 with a mobile internet connection. Gee whiz. Any comments?

I have a 1690. I got it about 3 months after it came out. I have had no problems with it at all. I don't use Google Search much, since most of the POI's from here take me to where I need to go. I have used it a few times and it has worked just fine. I love the larger screen, lane assist and all the other features it has.

Can you try out the data connection, use it several times and report back how well it works?

One of the comments I heard was when you use the mobile data connection the screen gets weird.

I'd like to hear if you see that.

Isn't this model obsolete? And as far as google searches, could it possibly be better than a 3G or upcoming 4G/LTE smartphone?

I'm just pointing out that it seems that although engineers get ideas on how their device is going to take over the way people do things, it just doesn't usually happen that way. The typical person out there seems to be replacing a regular GPS altogether with a smartphone. And with my recent experience with the 2350LMT that locked-up in only 5 wks., they're probably spending their financial resources more wisely as well. Kinda like that why would you spend money on something when you've already got it in your pocket for free notion....

I ordered the Nuvi 1690. It's supposed to be here Tuesday. $94 with free shipping on Amazon, refurbed. That thing was $299.

The guy at Best Buy said they are $74.99 in their system if your store happens to have one. Heck of a deal.

I got the 1690.
It works, mostly, but is a refurb unit. I got it from Amazon for $95 with free shipping. 1 year warranty.

A few issues. The data connection sometimes is not available. Rebooting the unit solves this problem.

The power button doesn't seem responsive, or not all the time.

When the data connection works to google local I can use it and it works great, I recommend this unit for that purpose, but it's a little "glitchy". I may send it back to Amazon for replacement with the same unit.

And got another one, and I have to say this is much more complicated for Garmin than the others.

They took a couple weeks to get the darned data connection to work on the replacement unit, I finally had to send them an xml file from the unit. They fixed it based on that information but it only stayed fixed for a couple of days.

They then fixed it again based on the same information. Something like the IMEI being wrong on the cellular radio, I think.

So my impressions.

This is the best GPS unit I have had. It works much better than the Nuvi 1300T and the traffic is very strong, I have to say much better than FM traffic it seems.

The google local lookup works well, and won't get old like the databases in the other units.

It's quite a bit more quick and responsive, it has more CPU and it doesn't have to struggle as much.

I have to say I can recommend this unit highly.

Do you happen to already have a smartphone? Is the lookup there faster or slower than this unit? In talking about the processor speed do you believe that for the current price, it's a good deal with a fast processor?

(In full research shop mode.)

Just what are you asking? Compared to what?

A couple of questions for you ...

1. You'd mentioned an IMEI conflict/issues. Does this work over the EDGE network or does it have faster speeds?

2. For the price that you mentioned, does that include 2 years of the data feature or do you have to pay extra for that?

3. Okay more than a couple. Can you use it without having to renew/pay for the data if you choose not to?

Thanks.

I'll comment on this since I had a 1690 for a very short time...Yes, you can use the unit without the nuLink subscription if you choose not to renew. Of course you won't get the connected services & features any longer. But also realize that you will also have a traffic-less unit as well (if the traffic is an important feature to you). The traffic data feed is bundled together with the nuLink service; no nuLink, no traffic. You also CANNOT use an existing FM traffic receiver like the GTM-25/GTM-30/etc as Garmin has made the nuLink series units 100% incompatible traffic-wise (the GTMs will however power/run the units just fine) with any of the GTM FM traffic units. This was one of the first things I checked on when I had the unit & was one of the reasons I returned it. If for some reason the nuLink service went away or you chose not to renew, you have a traffic-crippled unit for life.

Yes, I have a smartphone, I find the lookup on the garmin to be more convenient than on my admittedly older, slower android phone. If I had a faster better one I might feed differently.

But let me just say I consider a standalone GPS to be helpful compared to my smartphone, at least. I can see the handwriting on the wall but as of today at $94 this Garmin was a great deal and has some great functionality.

There's no way for me to know.

2 years of traffic are included, $60 for 2 years after that.

Yes, but with no traffic.
Thanks.

Well, I have been using the Nuvi 1690.

One shortcoming I noticed with this model.

With my 1300, and my friend's 600 series, you could look for chinese restaurants, for example, and you would get arrows pointing to them as you drive, and that would update in real time. That was very slick.

The 1690 doesn't do that. Those are all static, like they were on my old Magellan unit. In order to update them you have to push back and done again.

I still think the 1690 is the strongest unit I have had but there is that one annoyance. Something lesser models do that this one just doesn't.

Too bad.

Well, after using this unit for a while, I have to declare it *buggy*.

It has the cellular data connection, and that's the main thing that doesn't work, quite often.

I get a message "cannot download from server". Mostly I just power cycle the unit to reboot it and this all works again after that. But it's not the greatest.

The google local connection is fair, but it's not nearly reliable enough to be worthwhile.

I have to say the cellphone maps are the future. All these standalone GPS units just have no where to go.

This unit, while nice, is kind of disappointing.

I have to admit I was wrong, the chinese restaurants do indeed update in real time as you drive just like my 1300 did.

I had thought it didn't. That could have been because of the data connection problem I was having and still have intermittently. Or it might just be sluggish.

But I have to correct my post above.