I'm going to Garmin @ CES '26
Mon, 12/22/2025 - 10:34am
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    15 years
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So I go to CES every year for the past 20 years and I always stop off at the Garmin booth. I must say the last 5 years have not been impressive in regards to auto navigators. Obviously smartphone navigation has taken the lead over PND's but I'm always hopeful there will be a new upgrade to the DS6x series. I had a 3497LMT for many years and then upgraded to the DS55. It's been several years since the release of the DS6x series and I'm always disappointed there isn't anything new. They've really pivoted their focus to watches and such. Hoping this year is finally different but I'm not holding my breath!
Market demand doesn't make financial sense
Only people who would really use a navigator that can be used fully offline would be truckers and campers, who have the dezl and RV series navigators, all the other average joes would scoff at the price and buy a $15 amazon phone mount instead, assuming their car doesn't have android auto/apple carplay, which more and more cars are getting nowadays.
Even non-automotive GPS units...
Have been a disappointment. As always, the hardware is fine. The unit software on the other hand is a mess. Take for example the new GPSMAP H1 & H1i Plus and eTrex Touch (Gen 2). The software these units ship with (they are basically the same unit software) a is a bug-ridden, crashing mess. It has improved however with the last two updates (you should see the changelogs for these updates). An advertised feature (Ascent Planning) is nowhere to be seen as of yet. I still have another month left to return my eTrex Touch (Gen 2) as the return window closes on Jan 31. Hoping that the units get one more update before then for me to judge if I should keep this $450 unit.
I know from experience (as most here do) that this is Garmin's "norm" but it simply should not be. People's safety can depend on a reliable unit that doesn't crash and is flaky in basic operation.
In fact, one of the changelog items in a recently released firmware update states:
"Updated tracking and activity recording to auto-resume if the device crashed"
This doesn't instill a lot confidence
One would think they would take the same care and testing that they take with all of their aviation units...I doubt that they would be in business if aviation units were as bug-ridden and crash-prone.
nuvi 760, nuvi 765T, nuvi 855, nuvi 3790LMT, nuvi 3490LMT - SoCal area
Icons & Routes
Only people who would really use a navigator that can be used fully offline would be truckers and campers, who have the dezl and RV series navigators, all the other average joes would scoff at the price and buy a $15 amazon phone mount instead, assuming their car doesn't have android auto/apple carplay, which more and more cars are getting nowadays.
My 2024 Silverado will not load custom POI icons or 'Routes'. Therefore, I will continue to use my DS76, rather than the built-in Google Maps.
The GPS that is "Included" in new vehicles is very, very basic and does not have all the features that Garmins have. But most people are unaware of that. Garmin should focus on advertising how much more their units offer.
Metricman DriveSmart 76 Williamsburg, VA