GPS Sat Nav Systems

The fast-approaching demise of dedicated GPS units has sure been exaggerated to a great extent with the emergence of the modern day mobile devices. While we don’t contemplate the fact that the latest mobile phones sure do integrate talent and at times a navigation app for free, not everyone would be keen on using a huge tablet or for that matter a phone for guidance on the road. A standalone GPS can be left in your vehicle and be forgotten about, unless you are lost in someplace or wandering in circles. With copious goodies on offer like free traffic updates, lifetime renewal of map and particularly local search getting a lot more common, current day’s Sat Nav’s perform way better than they have in the past. And despite all these, they have never been less expensive – thanks to the stiff competition given by the above-mentioned, nav-enabled Tablets/Smartphones. So, here we bring one such GPS unit that might be of interest to you, particularly for those who love motoring, the TomTom GO Live 820 Top Gear Edition Sat Nav.

In The Box

Packed in the conventional Black-Blue box, the TomTom Go Live 820 comes with a Top Gear logo with the front of the box featuring images of both the Stig and the Sat Nav. Flipping over the box you find a list of few features together with an image of the Sat Nav in action and the pack contents, which includes the TomTom GO Live 820 Sat Nav, USB Cable, Car Charger and the instruction booklet. The good news here would be TomTom has been magnanimous enough to provide buyers with the Go Live 820 Top Gear Edition with a whole year of LIVE services for free that includes the Speed Cameras, HD Traffic and Google Local Search (UK and Ireland only). So, having had enough of the boxing let us get on to the unit itself.

Top Gear Content

• Entertainment by the Man himself, Jeremy Clarkson
• Unique Top Gear icons/POI
• Stig Mode
• Top Gear Startup/Shut down screens

Features at a Glance

• UK and ROI map coverage
• Latest maps guarantee that you start with the latest maps available
• 180-degree flip screen integrated mount
• Affluent maps with additional roadside details
• Spoken street names
• Free 1 year subscription includes HD Traffic and LIVE services
• 4.3-inch resistive touchscreen for legible route display
• Bluetooth Hands-free calling
• Voice command and control for better navigation
• IQ routes calculating precise journey times
• Advanced lance guidance
• Quick GPSFix, which promises a fix on the GPS within 30 secs
• Eco Routes allow for calculation and planning of routes with less impact on the environment thereby saving fuel and reducing costs
• Speech recognition technology
• Map Share technology
• Mobile Speed Cameras
• Easy Click magnetic/car charger with USB cable which can be interfaced with a MAC or PC
• Weather Forecast Service

Design

While most of us are of the opinion that what best can be done to a plastic box that stays glued to your windshield, guess TomTom begs to differ here with the 820’s design. The attractive etch finish on the front with the silver band lining the bezel looks to be a proof of the same breaking the monotonous black colour scheme All of the GO Live 800 units take their design clues from TomTom’s award-winning IF design where chic looks meets witty functionality. This extremely solid navigator is relatively compact with a weight decidedly less in comparison to a pedestrian unit. Weighing roughly about 203 g it boasts of a generous dimension of 119.1 x 85.1 x 21.7 mm. The resistive touchscreen has a diagonal of 11 cm displaying maps in an optimal way, thanks to the WQVGA resolution of 480 x 272 pixels. We would have appreciated a capacitive touchscreen here as against the resistive, but guess it perfectly justifies the low price tag. Everything comes with a price huh? With an internal memory of 4GB navigation can further be expanded through the SD expansion slot. A small microphone adorns the bottom left of the unit that comes in handy to be used in conjunction with either the Voice Control or the Bluetooth hands free feature. Despite feeling thin and light (pretty much important for something that sticks on the windscreen), the GO Live 820 looks sturdy and well constructed. The integrated mount helps the unit to be tilted in various directions while the circular lock system takes care of attaching and removing the unit easily from the windscreen. With the fastening system being built around a ball, it helps with any kind of installation head up/down (for users who are used to having the GPS on their dashboard). Now the 4.3 inch touchscreen with an 11 cm diagonal wouldn’t seem to be the largest, but has an easy to follow and intelligently laid out icons, with elegant characters may we add, and it is matter of time before you get used to it. Getting to the rear of the unit you find the Power button, a microUSB port for installing software and charging together with a Car Mount that is attached permanently to the unit. This compact and small GPS comes with a suction wheel for windscreen mounting at the back, which is foldable. Also there is a magnet coupling allowing for easy click and release, that is fairly handy and more importantly very fast. A speaker that keeps you entertained for hours can be found on the rear beneath the car mount.

User Interface

Moving on quickly to the 820’s interface, TomTom units are fairly famous for their easy-to-use interface and the GO Live 820 Top Gear Edition Sat Nav is not exception to this school of thought. Taking its clue from its older siblings GO 1000 and GO 1050, it features an amazing on-screen keyboard that aides with text entry, selection boxes with rounded edges and allows you to design your own custom menus on the map display. Menus and icons are fairly legible. The Bluetooth needs to be activated prior to setting off, to have the phone connected and activate the function hands-free kit. It also activates the Services button for mobile radar alerts. With placing the destination address, you are provided with 3 options, you can either pound on the keyboard or just dictate the desired address. The latter seems to be more effective, provided your address is not too very complicated. The third option would be the integrated Internet connection that uses the Google’s local search database of address to locate your POI. The Text-to-Speech voice guidance looks to be accurate with distinct display of routes to follow. There is a variety of information on display in the lower section of the screen namely, your speed limit, distance to go prior to your next maneuver, option to toggle from 3D to 2D mode and shortcuts for the route summary. While the left side is filled with the above info, there is traffic information towards the right.

Navigation

Having punched your destination, the GO Live 820 Satellite Navigation System suggests the fastest available route, thanks to the IQ Routes, allowing for alteration, if need be. Thus you can avoid roadblocks, travel through a waypoint or work out an alternate route. TomTom’s IQ Routes uses real-life user data as against the conventional maximum speed technique. A route is determined by IQ Routes by taking into consideration all possible routes and opting the one that apparently takes the least of time and aims at avoiding main roads all along. Again, it is fairly rapid when it comes to route recalculation taking roughly about 5 or 6 seconds. There is also a Text-to-Speech technology onboard and can call out the names of approaching streets. As a part of the GO Live 820’s service suite, the red-light camera warnings and fixed speed are also included. Then there is this Advanced Lane Guidance which comes in handy with multi-lane routes, wherein there is an icon towards the left bottom corner of the screen that indicates the lane that you need to be in, based on your destination. The same is enhanced by arrow signs on Busy Highway Junctions that indicates the direction of the lane together with static road sign icons. Note that the signs are of the same colour as what you see displayed on the road.

Navigation on the TomTom GO Live 820 is also possible by way of voice control with more than 140 commands on offer. Besides navigating an address, you are also allowed to avert roadblocks, increase volume, zoom in or out maps and include new locations to your favourites. Tapping the microphone button from the Homescreen activates the voice command function. Just tap the button and utter a command and watch the GO Live 820 obediently oblige. Then again, any voice recognition technology is far from perfect these days and we often witness gadgets having a tough time deciphering our commands despite speaking coherently and close to the gadget. The same is the case here too. So you are better off keying in your destination manually for quicker and efficient experience. The incredibly rapid and easy to use Google Local Search is also here which pops out a whole load of suggestions upon keying in a place that you are on the lookout. For instance, Searching Restaurants brings a whole host of restaurants around your current location.

HD Traffic and Live Services

This Latest GPS System from TomTom’s features something called HD Traffic. Well, this isn’t exactly traffic at 1080p as one would assume, instead live updates of traffic that supposedly refreshes once every 2 minutes. TomTom claims this service of theirs to be both “the most detailed and accurate” as it is a blend of both live data and real time traffic flow via various sources. The coverage is provided via a data connection that is LIVE (the GO Live 820 has a non-removable SIM card on board) and it is through this connection the unit receives info from the traffic authorities along with data being collected by default from other TomTom patrons.

There is provision for onscreen indication of delays along your route owing to jams together with intelligent rerouting based on the information it has and info given by TomTom’s very own IQ Routes that has been on their units for quite sometime now. Slowdowns appear on the screen colour coded (Orange, Red and Dark Red) depending on the severity. While the traffic delay gets displayed on the top right corner of the screen, congestion/individual events get prompted on a bar towards the right side of the screen. With an alternate route being available, the service clarifies if you wish to re-route, though the same can be set to happen by default too – looks to be a fairly effective and comprehensive solution in comparison to the SUNA traffic update used by Navman and Garmin. Upon approaching a destination, there is a menu on display that finds you a parking nearby close to sidewalks and helps avoid parking in the streets.

Again, there are a whole load of settings within the GO Live 820 Sat Nav Unit to fiddle around and change that ranges from voice used for navigation all the way down to correcting the map. However, the unit supposedly requires some double tapping and hard pressing of the touchscreen before you realize that it has registered your command. Well, guess this shouldn’t pose much of an issue as you would set the unit prior to commencing your journey and wouldn’t really require much of fiddling along your course. But for that, everything seems to work just fine with brilliant audio and video quality. Also with the volume being set at 60% you shouldn’t be having any issues hearing Jeremy Clarkson’s instructions while motoring. Of course, there is always the option to switch to the Stig mode for those of you who are not great fans of Jeremy as there is nothing much happening in the Stig mode with just silence for the most part (particularly for those who would like to drive in peace).

Well, you might want to know that it is a subscription service after the 1st year, something that you might want to take into consideration while assessing the unit’s cost.

Safety Features

Alerts on Speeding: The GO Live 820 is smart enough to warn you to keep you speeding under control, despite you not being in the navigation mode.

4.3-inch Touchscreen: Helps you with a wider view and drive easily along with the touchscreen technology making operations simple making it a real pleasure to use your GPS.

Hands-free Calling: The GPS doubles up as a car kit for your mobile phones ensuring you have a safe drive even as you attend calls, keeping you in both control and in touch.

Voice Control: Simply Talk! Using the Voice address input and Voice command would be the easiest and quickest way to handle your unit. That way you get to navigate better without taking the eyes off the road and hands off the wheel.

Help Me! Emergency Menu: Getting help is a shout away with info on the Local Emergency Service at your fingertips. Right from roadside assistances to hospitals, the info comes in fairly handy in just about any area.

Smart Extras

Frequent Destinations: You are allowed to choose icons for the places that you frequent along with adding your own text making your navigation experience rapid and easy and truly your own.

Integrated Mounting: Check out this handy foldaway mount that can be easily glued to your windscreen, so it is all set and ready whenever you need it. There is also an optional mounting disk on offer, which is helpful in turning the unit upside down and have it positioned in your dashboard too while the screen flips the right way up, by default.

Google Local Search: Google’s local listing is just a tap away in the GO Live and locates anything from florists to entertainment options wherever you are. Just key in your requirement and your Sat Nav gets you close to that.

Weather: With your TomTom receiving five-day local weather forecasts, planning your day is now all the more easy.

Top Gear Extras: This is available only in the limited edition version of the GO Live 820 with Top Gear POIs that is prompted by an icon on the display with the area of interest fast approaching (for Top Gear and Car fans, ideally), Top Gear’s test track, for instance.

Battery Life
With battery life rated up to 3 hours, it is disappointing to note that TomTom has not included a AC charger, which would mean that you will have to charge the unit either via the USB cable that comes in the box or the cigarette lighter adaptor.

Pros

• Clear and easy-to-use interface
• Neat finish
• Compact mount, that is in-built
• LIVE services fairly handy to those who are a lot into driving, like speed cameras and traffic info
• General responsiveness, decent

Cons

• Erratic voice recognition
• Couple of map errors (not something new in Sat Nav’s with TeleAtlas)
• Just one stage allowed for journey planning
• Touchscreen turns unresponsive at times

Verdict

Connected navigation gets even better with enhanced access as TomTom unveils their GO Live 820 Sat Nav System, proving to be a complete refresh of their product lineup. The 820 has been designed with the intent to help users break free of jams and benefit from connected navigation to the maximum possible extent via its smart design and value for money package like the HD Traffic. It offers intelligent routing options and re-routes promptly with users making a wrong turn. Again, traffic updates flows smooth and gets users out of slowdowns and blocks with its wise re-routing ability, thanks to IQ Routes. While all gadgets have their own flip side, the GO Live 820 too has by way of the touchscreen turning unresponsive at times and the Voice Commands prove to be a hit and miss periodically. Again, the Top Gear Edition costs an extra £30 from the standard version, but guess it is worth the money, particularly if you are a Top Gear Fan with a Flair for Cars and Driving, ain’t it?

TomTom GO Live 820 Top Gear GPS System – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	TomTom
Model Name	TomTom Go Live 820 Top Gear Edition
Navigator Type	Portable
Dimensions	85.1 (H) x 119.1 (W) x 21.7 (D)
Weight	203 g
Display Type	16:9 LCD Widescreen
Display screen size	4.3 inches (11cm)
Display resolution	480 x 272 pixels
Colour display	Yes
Orientation	Landscape
Memory type	Internal Memory:4G Internal Flash Memory  SD Slot: Yes
Bluetooth Handsfree	Yes
Car Mount	Yes
Carry Case Included	No
Fuel Efficient Routing	Yes
Home Charger	No
In-Car Charger	Yes
USB Port	Yes
Vertical Display Resolution Pixel	272
Suction Mount Included	Yes
Included Accessories	microUSB cable, USB car charger, documentation
Services	TomTom HD traffic Weather updates Mobile Speed Cameras Google Local Search
Benefit	Latest Map guarantee MapShare Technology 1 year free Live services Eco Routes IQ Routes Technology Hands-free Calling
Battery Type	Rechargeable Lithium Ion
Battery Life	Up to 2h autonomous operation
Warranty	One year

An exceptional navigation experience that comes wrapped in an enticing price making it a real hit, but don’t expect much in terms of looks though – well, this is how we would like to describe the Mio Spirit 687 Sat Nav. Mio’s latest lineup of Sat Nav’s, the Spirit range seems to pack a whole host of features that is model specific like premium traffic info, subscription free, Pedestrian Mode, Parking assistance, Learn Me, IQ Routes, Lane Assistance and 3D junction, all of which makes driving hassle-free reducing road rage to a large extent ensuring that you don’t fall a victim to the fury of other drivers, while you hurry towards an unexpected exit. While the Mio Spirit 480 and 485 boast of a 4.3 inch screen and are more pocket-friendly, the Spirit 685 and 687 boast of a 5-inch display, with the Spirit 687 (our topic of discussion today) being the big brother of the line-up. It packs voice entry, Bluetooth, Google Local Search, MioMore Software and an AV port wherein a camera can be plugged for rear viewing. Its predecessor Mio Spirit V575 TV looked to be a decent Sat Nav, but proved to be an awful TV as Mio had tried to cram it too much in their attempt to fend off advances in the mobile phone apps.

It was only sometime back Mio amazed us with the Spirit 685 with its incredible price. It was kind of hard to believe £100 for a 5-inch screen equipped with RDS-TMC traffic and European maps. But the Spirit 687 Satellite Navigation System, in contrast looks to be more believable at a £150 loaded with a whole host of juicy features and even looks to be more stable than its cheaper mate. Looking fairly identical to its younger brother, there is just one physical difference that sets the Spirit 687 apart, its AV input jack at the bottom, which is intended primarily to connect a rear-facing camera, thus making your reversing task easier. Also, the supplied cable proves to be a double purpose accessory as it sports a regular stereo RCA audio and composite video inputs making it easy for hooking this up with any video source like a DVD player (portable) if you are looking at entertaining people once have reached your destination. Akin to the 685, the 5-inch screen comes with a resolution of 480 x 272, which though adequate, cannot be matched with the high-end models, fairly limiting it for video purpose. Also the 687’s memory is twice the capacity– 4GB as against the 2GB of the 685’s. While both pack around 44 European countries maps, the 685 has just 23 maps preinstalled and if you are looking at installing extra from the DVD then you might have to delete the existing ones to make way for the new ones. On the contrary, the 687 has all 44 countries maps stored right out of the box. So having had enough insight on the Spirit lineup, let us move on to see what the Spirit 687 has in store for us.

In The Box

• Mio Spirit 687
• AV Lead
• Windscreen mount
• Power lead
• Quick start guide
• MioMore software
• DVD for Maps installation (Windows only)

Mio Spirit 687 Sat Nav Features

• 5-inch resistive widescreen
• IQ Routes
• Choice of Routes
• LearnMe Pro
• Voice Entry
• MioMore Services
• Stay Ahead of Traffic
• Hands-free calling with Incorporated Bluetooth
• A Novel approach to junctions and lanes
• Parking Assistance
• Go that Extra Mile even on Foot
• Ease of use
• Trip Planner
• Go With A Guide
• AV-in Port
• Find Stuff More Easily
• Know Your Limits
• QuickSpell Keyboard
• Latest Map Guarantee
• Rental Maps

Getting Started/First Impressions

Upon turning the device on first, you will have to activate the relevant maps, which is plain and straightforward – simply key in the code at the side of the box for it to reboot along with activating relevant maps. First things first, upon turning On the Mio Spirit 687 GPS Sat Nav System, the first thing that catches your eye is its huge 5-inch resistive touchscreen. Evidently a large screen would mean it requires a lot of real estate.  While the device sure does seem fairly solid, it also unfortunately gives out a plastic-y feel, though not cheap. Being 14 cm wide, the Spirit 687 isn’t the kind of device that is going to easily slide out, irrespective of its weight of 185 g and 17-mm thin.  The exterior looks great, but for the glossy finish of the dubious plastic, as already mentioned. Well, if it makes you feel any better, the matte finish of the 5-inch screen comes to your rescue in diverting your attention. It looks bright and boasts of a decent contrast together with good viewing angles. The quality of the display is brilliant too with a neat touch-sensitive performance.  Then again, owing to its resistive touchscreen, it can register taps one at a time and at a single area only; yes you guessed it right – Adios multitouch.

Moving on to the suction mount, it is a conventional mount that clings well to the windscreen, but there seems to be a problem when it comes to the connection between the stand and the device, particularly when you attempt gliding the unit out. Adjusting the angle gets painful with jerky movements and removing the unit from its mount is nothing far from impossible and you might have to fully remove the unit and the mount from the windscreen if you wish to do so. Setting up the unit also can really get tiresome owing to the poor quality of the mount. Though there is a neat little hook attached to the mount that keeps the cables nice and tidy, attaching the unit to the mount is kind of tricky. Nevertheless, once you have it fixed, it is a real joy to be used as a Sat Nav with bright chunky menus and the settings easy to both understand and navigate. Again, getting your mobile connected via the Bluetooth is a literal cakewalk. Having done that you can download your phonebook to aide in quick calling too. Of note, the Spirit 687 lacks a microSD card slot and Mio seems to have confirmed this, so all of the European maps come stored in the 4GB internal memory.

There seems to be issues with the power lead too, which though gives an angled look gives an impression that it might plug out any minute. The connector that is attached with a heavy cable is quite huge and looks to exert quite a strain on the connector. The cable hook does alleviate a bit. The power adaptor is massive too and might pose a problem to the power supplies adjacent to it in case you plan on using a multi-socket adaptor.  The connection to the cigarette lighter is fairly big too.

Coming to the touchscreen, there is a physical power button on the crest together with two hardware buttons in the front. While the button at the top gets you to the main menu, the one at the bottom helps with adding POIs and favourites. On the front, there are two buttons detached from the touchscreen which pops up the main menu or identifies your current location. Quite a nice touch actually, making the unit more user-friendly than the ones that rely solely on the touchscreen for navigating the menu.  Interestingly, the power switch has 3 positions – On, Off and Reset.

Getting to the speakers, well it is just matter of time before the speaker starts sounding saturated and unfortunately there seems to be no sign of an FM transmitter that could have alleviated the problem by channeling the audio via the vehicle’s radio.

User Interface: Simple and Smart

It is the same old QuickStart Software that is ticking below this Mio Spirit 687 Sat Nav Device that has helped Mio’s Sat Nav’s for quite sometime now. The Menus are legible and incredibly kept simple. Towards the left of the screen are two shortcut keys, one taking users to the main menu and the other adds the current location to the list of POIs, as mentioned above. The main menu takes the form of blocks with the two main menus being Find and Map and then there is My Places, Settings, Phone as well as an icon that directs you to the subsequent menu options.

Then you have the second screen featuring Traffic, Explore, Route Simulation, Trip Planner, Travel Book, Roadside Assistant and Voice Command. The last and the final screen featuring MioMore, Google Local Search, Home, AV and Near Me. While typing out an address, the characters eventually turn grey if there is no potential match found. You are also allowed to lookup for POIs or identify locations in a map. Regardless of the fact that the Mio Spirit 687 is devoid of any online services, googling is still an option, provided you have a mobile with an internet connection that can be connected via Bluetooth to get it to work.

Selecting a Destination (Standard)

Well, when it comes to choosing a destination, it is pretty much straightforward, press Find from the main menu wherein you are offered the following choice: By Address, Keyword, Area/City, Intersection, Coordinates, POIs, Postcode and Recent Locations. Mio utilizes a smart system when it comes to entering postcodes and addresses, for instance, you cannot press a letter on the keyboard if it is not available. In other words, if you are looking at typing Chester or Carlisle then you will not be allowed to press characters such as X or Y since both are not there in the above cities. Now entering postcodes seem to be kind of annoying owing to the following issue. Generally we find the address by either googling for the postcode of the house’s number or get it from a friend and not really be bothered with the entire address. Because generally postcodes should be more than enough as they always refer to a particular road. Well, Mio begs to differ here. Upon entering a postcode, the unit displays 3 other street names, which makes you think it might be the adjacent streets, just in case you decide to change your destination. But guess that is not the case, the street names get displayed in an alphabetical order. This is rather bizarre as it makes the feature useless. Why would someone have to choose from 3 or 5 street listings when they have clearly stated the street that they are looking for by keying in the 7-digit postcode. Highly ridiculous Mio! So moving further, guess you might have to find the house number from the inmates of the house so that it can be entered confirming the final destination. Again, the destination screen comes up with the options of Explore/Save/Go. Explore pops up a map, just in case you want to try another location, all you need to do is simply tap on it. Save includes the address to the My Locations folder and upon pressing the same it moves on to the Edit screen allowing you to Save/Rename or Delete the same.

If you wish to have routing options simply press ‘Go’. A strong positive of the Spirit 687 is the incorporation of IQ Routes, that aids with Fastest route. The rest of the route options would include Easiest, Economical and Shortest. Tap on one of the above options and watch the screen show an overlay of the selected route and just press Go from there. Again, if you had chosen Easiest for a particular trip, then that becomes you pre-selected option for your next trip on the routing screen.

Entering Coordinates are a real fab in this Spirit 687. While other Sat Nav’s require you to choose the format that you are going to be utilising either in the Settings Menu or prior to keying in the coordinates, the Spirit 687 just requires you to start typing while it uses its smart keyboard. For instance, if you start keying in ‘42.’ then just the number option is available. Whereas if you commence with a ‘42o’ and type another number, then together with numbers being available you see both the minutes {‘} and the seconds {“} being available. If you are wondering about the negative sign, well negatives have to be keyed in by hitting the E/W or the N/S button. It sure is a fairly user-friendly input for coordinate seen till date.

Here comes the most tricky feature ‘Points of Interes’t, as the data’s accuracy is always a chief bone of contention. It has generally been bad with majority of the Sat Nav’s. But then, looks like the Mio has handled this well too. After you have decided on the POI, you can select from In City/Area, Nearby, Near Destination or Along Route (with the last two being inactive unless you have a route set). After which you get to choose By Type, By Name or any one of the 6 shortcuts that is preset – Parking, Food, Hotels & Motels, Petrol, SOS and Cash. Sadly, the database filter happens at a painful slow pace and oh yeah, don’t bother pressing the back arrow key often, as nothing really happens until the unit is done with its current search. Again, “By Type” gives you a listing of all Places of Interest including the ones added by you (More on this later). Upon choosing a POI, you get prompted to the same screen of Explore, Save and Go, but now with an extra option called the POI, which indeed requires that you connect your phone through the Bluetooth. The option shows up regardless of you being connected to a phone, but then pressing it prompts you that you are not connected to a phone and takes you through a setup, if need be. A neat touch, isn’t it, saves you the trouble of canceling whatever you are up to, to get to the main setting. Finally, with the Near Me option on the third menu page you are allowed to use the same set of preset POI list as mentioned above (Parking, Food etc).

Selecting a Destination (Advanced)

There are two additional Advanced options that the Spirit 687 Sat Nav System offers in terms of selecting a destination. You might not find it in the standard Find menu though and in fact are located on the second menu screen. Trip Planner comes in handy with multipoint routing and works fairly well. It uses your current location as the default start point, note this cannot be changed, you will have simply choose “Add” to add all points that you require. Edit allows optimization of the route, while retaining the same final destination, delete or renaming the route. Yet another handy option would be the “Return to start” that generally seems to miss from majority of multipoint routing setup.

The second ‘advanced’ option would be the Voice Command, which works alright, but nothing in comparison to Garmin. You get to the hands-free input method with three key presses Menu-Down-Voice Command. But beware it has to be done in a really quiet backdrop as any slight noise can throw it off. Again, there real are no confirmations when you attempt voicing out addresses until the very end, meaning you have absolutely no idea if the unit registered your command correctly or not.

Navigation/Map Screen

The default colour scheme of the map is primarily white and grey with your route being highlighted in green. Though it might seem kind of weird initially, eventually you get used to this colour scheme, particularly when you need to take a quick glance at where you are being taken. On the flip side, it is kind of hard to take a quick glance at side roads that you are supposed to turn or drive past. Also the selection of map themes from Mio looks to be a real fab, more typically British-like that you get to see on paper maps.

The bar at the top prompts your next manoeuvre as well as the distance to it and the road that you might have to turn into. The user selectable area is on the top right and tapping it exhibits the Time to Go (TTG), Distance To Go (DTG), ETA, Speed & Direction with the current time. Selecting one of the above shuts down the list, displaying just the selected option in a corner and the full list can obviously be left on the display.

Towards the bottom left of the screen is where you get to see your current speed, which is fairly large and cannot really be missed. It remains semi-transparent so far as you respect it and gets opaque and fairly visible if you cross the limit – a nice constant reminder to keep a tab on your speed limit. It doesn’t really prove disturbing while you still get to view the map through it. Routing is fairly sensible with rational ETA’s.

You are allowed to access the zoom controls on the screen in two possible ways. One would be to run your fingers on the map with the +/- symbols appearing towards the right side. Well, this would practically stop tracking your location and doesn’t really do any good with navigation isn’t it? Again tapping the map instead of moving around it directs you to a screen called Map Options with a button to turn the zoom level On. Tapping twice just to access the zoom controls doesn’t sound to be feasible idea, particularly when you are looking at doing stuff in a jiffy, especially while driving. Well, on the flip side having a permanent button for zoom in/out is no less dangerous than having an AM/FM in the car stereo for the radio to be switched.

So moving on to the rest of options in the Map’s screen, which would include Detour, Volume, Add/Skip Waypoint, Route, Cancel Route and Routing Options. As the above options are pretty much self-explanatory, lets make this short and sweet. Route further branches out into three sub-views: the information screen with distance traveled and ETA etc, the route’s map overview along with a turn-by-turn info. Detour lets you to hop 1, 2, 5, 10 or even 20 miles of your route, with the exception of specific roads. While you use the Up/Down arrow keys in the information screen for scrolling up and down the screen, you will have to Push/Pull the screen when it comes to turn-by-turn option for scrolling up and down, akin to the latest Smartphones or even use the arrows. Something not many users might approve of owing to the inconsistency. Route Options comes in handy with choosing the road types together with toggling couple of other settings like Landmark Guidance, Mileage Recorder and Custom POI alerts. There is also this V-Traffic TMC system that comes in handy with detecting mess traffic jams on busy roads and motorways.  Well, though not really as accurate as TomTom’s HD Traffic, it sure does prove to be of big help on busy weekends, despite you being dubious about finding other roads that give you the pleasure of smoother rides. Last but not least would be the Truck Mode, which is a boon is disguise for with people with caravans or HGV drivers. Though the manufacturer doesn’t really promise a 100% guarantee, they sure do try and stay away from routes banned to HGVs or that has low bridges. While the service is offered free up to a month, you might have to paying an annual subscription for continuing with the same.

Extras

The Spirit 687 Sat Nav System allows using your mobile’s data connection via Bluetooth thus giving access to MioMore and Google’s Local Search. Needless to say Bluetooth comes in handy with hands-free calling too. Audio quality also seems fairly adequate with no evident dropouts. During a call there is a green status bar flashing beside the screen top, which upon being tapped directs you back to the full information screen. Also on board is a 3.5-mm AV input jack, if in case you are looking at adding video feeds to the unit. You can choose to either watch videos or get realistic and have a reversing camera fed into the Spirit 687. Well, this isn’t really user-friendly anyways as you will have to navigate the menu for this to be displayed, by which time you would have parked and long gone. On the flip side, a better and useful option would be to swap to the AV input upon receiving a signal, for example turning on the reverse camera’s feed with the reverse gear being engaged.

MioMore

So, that is it about the device and now let us get on with some miscellaneous stuff like the MioMore Software etc. To begin with, it is a Windows only software. Secondly, it has to be connected through an USB, that doesn’t come as a part of the package. It would have much helpful if Mio had included an USB lead in place of the AV lead, which we feel is of not much use to many of us out there!

It becomes easier managing your subscriptions within MioMore, like for instance Mio’s very own database for speed camera, manage the existing maps, procure additional maps, search/upload geotagged photos, manage trips, upload custom POIs, manage trips or rearrange menus.

Trip management comes in handy with business drivers or for someone who is simply keen on knowing routes they have driven. Trips can both be exported and viewed for chosen dates along with calculating rough fuel usage too.

Yet another interesting feature of MioMore is the Application Gallery. Though not very self-explanatory, each menu options have been grouped as an App. The gallery allows for removing, rearranging and adding menu items.

Verdict

By and large, the Mio Spirit 687 doesn’t really prove to be an impressive device. While it boasts of some plus points like ease of use, multipoint routing, big screen with customisable menu etc., we cannot deny the fact that it has too many downsides to be ignored. For instance, the map freezing every now and then making it unfeasible, not so impressive text-to-speech and the voice input that needs more refinement. On the flip side, it might be appropriate for users who are not keen on comparing it with the looks and feel of Navigon and are more keen on treating it as a simple value for money unit. It would suit a novice who doesn’t really care about sophisticated looks or features and treats it just as a pocket-friendly Sat Nav, which is good at doing what it is designed to do – Navigate!

We Liked

• Ease of use
• Clear-Cut Interface
• Attractive 5-inch Widescreen display
• Truck Mode
• Choice of 4 different routes for each itinerary

We Disliked

• The ordinary design
• Map freezing sporadically

Mio Spirit 687 Sat Nav – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Mio
Model Name	Mio Spirit 687 Sat Nav
Navigator Type	Portable
Dimensions	88.5 (H) x 142 (W) x 17.5 (D)
Weight	185g
Antenna	Built-in
Display	Touch screen
Display screen size	12.7 cm (5-inch)
Display resolution	480 x 272 pixels
Colour display	Yes
Orientation	Landscape
Memory type	Internal Ram Memory:128MB SDRAM Internal ROM Memory: 4GB Memory Card: No
Processor Type	Samsung 6443
Clock Speed	400 Mhz
Navigation Hardware	SiRF star III with InstantFixII GPS Channels:20 TMC: Yes External Antenna: No
Processor	Samsung 2450/400 MHz
GPS Module	SiRFstarIII with InstantFixII
Additional features	Choice of Routes IQ Routes Voice Entry Hands-free calling with in-built Bluetooth LearnMe Pro MioMore Services Parking Assistance Go even further on Foot Go with a guide Trip Planner QuickSpell keyboard Rental Maps
Included Accessories	Windscreen Mounting Bracket Car charger with integrated TMC antenna Software DVD to restore your apps and software Optional Accessories Leather Carry case AC Charger
Audio (Input & Output)	Speaker: Built-in, Mono Microphone: No Earphone Jack: No
Battery type	Rechargeable integrated Li-ION battery
Battery Capacity	720mAh Replaceable: No, Built-in
Warranty	One year

Given the fact that travelling has lately become one of the most sought after forms of entertainment and relaxation, the need for a navigation system that drives us to the right places at all times has become inevitable. And today we see more and more people getting attracted to the cute designs and great functionalities of these GPS devices seen in the market. Though there are GPS applications and features seen on lots of high end mobile phones and stuff, people are still going for these GPS navigating devices. We are now here to talk about one such navigating device from the far famed company TomTom. Putting the theory of the great Albert Einstein into practice, this company has introduced a new stylish GPS device, which is known as the TomTom Via Live 120. And this device is widely known for the gobs of features that it sports. We have decided that this device could make a difference when it comes to the world of GPS technology and hence we are here to review this very product. Let us now dive into the very details of this beauty fro TomTom.

Design

Standing apart from the routine designs we have been seeing all these days, the Via Live 120 looks a bit different. But having said that, it still retains the style and sleekness that a latest electronic gadget possesses. This is what we have liked about the design part of the device. It is certainly one elegant gadget you would want to have in your car. Of course one must get used to the cuteness of the device since otherwise they would keep staring at it while on the road, which is not advisable. Don’t be under the impression that we are exaggerating on the design here. Now let us remind you of the fact that the device measures about 119 mm wide, 80 mm high and, and most importantly just about 25 mm deep. These measurements are pretty tight and the device fits your hand without any problems at all. And with the weight of the device being just about 183 grams, you wouldn’t mind carrying it either. Yes, it certainly looks like one of those latest mobile phones. It also has got that glossy black look which does make it even more attractive. Seriously there is no choice for you if you have decided to buy a GPS device from TomTom. There is no better one than this one.

Display

Large 11cm (4.3″) high quality touch screen

Perhaps the display is the most important aspect of a GPS device since people try to purchase things by their very look. And if they find that the pictures seem pretty good on the device, they will surely be going for it. And there is no second thought if you are staring at the high quality Touch screen of the Via Live 120 GPS device. With the gigantic size of it, which happens to be 4.3 inches, measured diagonally, one would love to view the pictures on it. Since the device deals with maps and directions, one would love to have a nice clear view of it. And there is nothing better and at the same time bigger than a 11 cm screen displayed by the Via Live 120. While many GPS devices still are not sporting a touch responsive device and still come with buttons to deal with the screen options and features, providing a touch screen is always welcome since user interface will then be very much easier. You can select the maps, choose your options, zoom in and zoom out, pan the maps and do a whole lot of other stuff with ease when you have a touch responsive screen, since all you will have to give is a mere touch. This sort of newly implemented technology is a welcome approach taken by TomTom and we are already starting to like this.

Features

Now there are plenty of features on the Via Live 120 GPS Sat Nav System. It had left us wondering how one could fit in so many features in such a small device. While we were left unanswered, we thought we could decipher it by ourselves and explain them to you so that things will be as easy as ABC for you. Now hold on to your hats as we have got to start our campaign. We repeat; this is going to be such a long list of features and hence you are requested to go through each and every aspect as everything see on the device is certainly of great importance. Here we go!

T omTom HD Traffic

First up, we have got some good news for you. You can now watch live traffic in real high definition quality. Maybe you are left wondering why would one love to watch traffic, which is already disgusting, in high definition quality. Well, as we can say is that HD has now become a household name and whichever electronic device people intend to purchase, the one thing they are looking out for is whether or not the device has a HD tag to it. Though some of you may thing it doesn’t matter if it is HD or SD since it is all about graphical representation of traffic, the rest of us have got our own arguments. Being able to display traffic in High Definition is really cool, and everybody would love it once they come across it. And then you have such HD traffic updates in real quick time for every two minutes. This means every two minutes you will receive the latest updates regarding all the traffic in all the lanes in your vicinity. Is that not cool enough? Now this is almost seven times faster than any other GPS device on earth today. With such features in your arsenal, you can steer with merry since you will not be having any delays and you also know your destination and the best route to it, far before than anyone else. This device can show you maps from every nook and corner of Europe, with complete clarity.

Latest Map Guarantee

Now before you actually drive towards your destination, it is well advised that you have the latest map with you. Well, sometimes things do really turn bad and there might be some problems with the route which you are going to take. You will therefore need some updated view of the maps. The developers at TomTom regularly post newer maps and directions and these maps will be posted on their website. These are guaranteed latest maps from the website and you can definitely count on them.  You can keep checking the website from time to time and if there is a new map ready for your device and more importantly, if it is available within 90 days of your first use, you can then download that map once for free from the official website please. Make no mistake, you are allowed to download only once for free and the rest, you will need to pay for them. And sometimes, due to never ending developments which take place in the maps and map quality, some of the latest maps may not fit on the TomTom Via Live 120 GPS device. In such cases, one can view and download the detailed versions of the Map Zones which are on the website, offered for download. Then again, one will be able to use only one Map Zone on the device at a time.

Map Share™ technology

Map Share is a new kind of technology introduced by TomTom and it allows you to make changes to your own maps. There may be some changes in the directions of the road or maybe there is some new construction which you noticed isn’t there in the map. You can hence edit your own maps and also add all such developments so that you yourself will make the map more accurate and up to date. Though the maps will be verified by TomTom and newer maps are put up on to the website every day, if you think you could make some changes to the maps and directions, you certainly can, since TomTom gives you such an option.

Advanced Lane Guidance

The Via Live 120 Satellite Navigation System has gone one step further when it comes to showing you the way to your destinations. It not only shows you the overall map and the direction in which you are going, but it also very vividly displays all the lanes which are near your route. The lane in which you are going will be shown clearly marked with all the directions you need. The device also shows, on its pretty large display, all the junctions at the lanes, and clearly marks the junction at which you will have to take a turn. This makes sure that you will not miss the route you should drive in order to reach your destination. You can also view the realistic three dimensional pictures off that brilliant display and this helps you while you are amidst difficult highway intersections, or stuck in traffic. Sometimes, it also shows you some shortcut paths, if available, to your destination, and this also helps you in reaching your place faster than you planned to reach, at the start.

Plug & Go

The Via Live 120 has got one of the quickest start-up times ever. All you have to in order to start the device is give a mere touch on the screen after you plug it in. Once you plug it in your car and then caress the screen lightly, the user interface opens up for you instantaneously, making the Via Live 120 a pretty quick device. It will be helpful to you all kinds of traffic and the moment you need it, it will be ready for you showing all the details of the traffic, lanes, and stuff. This is way better than many other similar GPS devices and we too are happy about this since a lot of high end GPS devices today take quite a time to load themselves and the user interface also appears after considerable amount of time.

Spoken street names

In order to keep your focus on the road and not to take your eyes off it, TomTom has come up with a new idea. From now on, you can hear spoken instructions off your GPS device and while you drive, you can listen to what the Via Live 120 is saying to you and hence follow the instructions in order to reach your destination. Though this feature is already known to many and is also seen in many devices previously, for the first time ever, a GPS device could utter even the names of streets and junctions. This makes you turn, and steer properly and hence it also, in a way, avoids road accidents. The device does not always speak, but it can, whenever you need. There is an option to choose to switch on or off the speaker and when it is the speaker mode, one would certainly enjoy the ride with the instructions being given continuously.

IQ Routes™ technology

Along with knowing how to reach your destination, it is equally important to know when you will actually be reaching there. The TomTom Via Live 120 GPS System is very useful regarding this aspect. TomTom takes the data from many GPS devices used by many travelers in order to calculate the approximate time taken by millions of its users to travel from one place to another. TomTom uses actual speed data in order to give you all the information needed regarding the time of travel and the speed required to reach in different times. It also takes into account all conditions like traffic lights, rush hour, shopping crowds, and even weather conditions in order to try and give almost accurate numbers. Hence, given the solidity of information, you can rely on these numbers provided by TomTom and thereby make your trip pleasurable and planned too.

Mobile Speed cameras

The unit gets updates like camera locations for real-time mobile Speed with the inclusion of reports from various other users. There are also alerts provided for average speed check for the route ahead along with fixed safety cameras helping you drive in a relaxed manner and more safely thus helping you save on your speeding tickets.

QuickGPSfix

QuickGPSfix is that feature which enables the device to refresh itself whenever the signal from satellites is poor or cut off. This feature bridges the connection faster and hence the time to fix the position of your GPS is reduced drastically. This also results in faster loading of maps and directions, which is again a very welcome aspect, regarding the TomTom Via Live 120 GPS device.

Hands-free calling

The Tom Tom Via Live 120 GPS device works now as a car-kit too for your hand phone. The facility is provided such that people would enjoy a hands free talk while driving. Now answering and making phone calls as you drive can be done with complete safety making you drive with complete control over the road and the situation. Since you will be able to handle phone calls through the Via Live 120 GPS device, one would expect there is support for Bluetooth. And yes, the device supports Bluetooth and hence also allows you to perform hands free calling while you are busy on the road driving. But one needs to purchase the hands free kit separately as it is not included in the bag that contains the Via Live 120. Now, you can drive and speak on the phone simultaneously, although this is not an advisable act. Users are advised to attempt only emergency calls since speaking on the phone while driving is considered unsafe. Happy Driving!

Help Me! Emergency menu

There is always a need for an emergency while you are driving. You don’t know what may happen while travelling. Hence, as a precautionary measure, an emergency menu is provided on the Via Live 120 Sat Nav Unit. You can thus find considerable help in the form of local emergency service information. It is like an SOS service. You call either the police, or the hospitals or the fire brigade using the information available in the emergency menu. This information will be at your fingertips always and hence it will look after the safety measures to be taken in case something unwanted happens. Since the device also support phone calling services, you can call any one of the above services and seek help immediately. This certainly is a commendable effort put in by the people at TomTom.

Voice control

And finally there came the feature we are longing for since quite some time now. From now onwards, you can talk to your device and it automatically understand what you are speaking. More than twenty different languages from all parts of the globe are included in the memory of the Via Live 120 and it can record and detect voices too. When you speak, it understands it and if the speech refers to any function, then the device follows it suit. This is perhaps the quickest, and the easiest possible way to use the device. All you got to do is simply talk to the device as if it was a person. Direct it, and tell it what you want, it provides you with it. You can hence open, browse through, change and close maps and directions using your voice commands. Hence, without the use of hands, and simply with the help of voice commands and control, you can steer both the car and the device in an efficient manner.

Speeding alert

Speeding Alert on a GPS device? Yes, you have read it right. The Via Live 120 GPS device comes with a very special feature which alerts with speeding, or if the recommended speed limit in that particular area is exceeded. This feature works regardless of the On/off status of the navigation mode. There is a small alarm sounds that is produced when the speed is exceeded and there is also a voice command that warns you regarding it. It is a cool feature at the end of the day, making the device very amusing to have in the car.

Integrated mounting

Now when you use the GPS while you are in your car, you will need to mount the device somewhere. For this you need a mounting. No, you don’t need to purchase it separately since TomTom is providing you with one already. The Via Live 120 has come with a convenient foldaway mount which is already integrated into your device. Thus this means that it is always there stuck on to your device and it can help make the device stand, when you need it. It is so well designed that it can also be easily attached to your windscreen. And there is an option for you to purchase an optional mounting disk, which is so flexible that you can mount your device even on the dashboard of your car. It hence makes the device flexible to place and hence comfortable to view.

Weather

Knowing about the weather is very essential; in fact it is the most important factor one needs to check properly before planning for a trip, especially a long one. The TomTom Via Live 120 GPS device hence receives the local weather forecast for you and shows you on the screen, the conditions which may affect your driving. It also shows you a five-day weather forecast beforehand so that you can make solid plans of going out on long journeys, if the weather is suitable. Hence, you will not need to switch on the TV and wait for the weather reports in order to go forward with your plans of going on a trip to the countryside.

Frequent destinations

More often than not, people go the same old places, like from office to home, or to your native place, or some favourite restaurant or to the family doctor. One can hence sort out these frequent destinations and put them separately. You can also choose some icons that mark these locations on the maps and also add some text or notes to it. This definitely makes navigation a lot easier and quicker than ever before. You can choose from the select places or destinations and hence enable the GPS device to take you there. The instructions from the device will then follow.

Local Search with Google

There is also a small search engine provided by TomTom in case you will need to search for something. And this small search engine is commonly known as the Google search engine and is capable of searching anything in the world for you. If you want to have a look at the information regarding the local places, monuments, restaurants, malls, etcetera, all you need to do is just tap some words on the search engine and all the latest local Google listings will appear on the screen within no time. You can also type some keywords and the places that match to those keywords are sorted properly and listed so that you can visit them.

That is it. We are now finished with the features part of the device. Now that was a pretty long journey, wasn’t it? Let us now move on to see if the performance levels are as expected or not.

Performance

As we have seen all the features on the Via Live 120 GPS device, all we can say is that the performance of the device can be regarded as top notch, and better than most other similar devices. Though it looks quite simple to the eye, it has got numerous features which can be of pretty good use at any time of the day. And regarding the video performance, the flow is pretty smooth, the speed, and the accuracy are admirable. This makes the Via Live 120 one of the better performing GPS devices available in the market today. The overall performance is better than what we expected in the beginning and hence we are completely satisfied with its performance during our tests.

Battery

With the new battery mechanism adopted by TomTom in the Via Live 120 GPS device, one can expect the device to work without any problems for at least 2 hours after full charge. The battery is rechargeable and hence one is advised to take the charging kit along with them so that it would be useful during long journeys.

Warranty

The TomTom Via Live GPS Device comes with parts and labour warranty for a period of one year from the original date of purchase. Buyers can also alter this warranty period and choose their warranty scheme while purchasing online.

Verdict

Well, we have already expressed everything regarding the Via Live 120 GPS device in the review itself. Now, if you want to put it in one line, we would say we would never ever hesitate to recommend this gem of a piece from TomTom. We have not seen such a nice device with as many positives and as fewer negatives. Hence, we give you a green signal and you can go forward with your decision off purchasing the device. And if you are looking for more devices, you can continue reading the reviews of some of the other competent GPS devices here.

TomTom Via Live 120 Sat Nav – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	TomTom
Model Name	TomTom Via Live 120
GPS Application	In car and pedestrian
Dimensions (W x H x D)	119 X 80 X 25 mm
Weight	183 g
Display	TFT LCD
Display screen size	4.3 inch
Display resolution	480 x 272
Memory type	internal solid state
Memory card	No
Map provider	TomTom
Maps included	Base map, preloaded street maps
Ability to add additional maps	Yes
Waypoints/favourites/locations	Provided by default
Voice	Voice commands
Connector type	Plug In
Compatibility	Windows XP and above, and Mac OS X 10.4 and above
Water Proof	No
Includes lifetime map updates	Yes
Features	HD Traffic Advanced Lane Guidance Voice prompts Speaks street names Voice-activated navigation Lane assist 3-D traffic view Auto sort multiple destinations Bluetooth® wireless technology Speed limit indicator MapShare Help ME! Bluetooth Hands Free Weather Forecast IQ Routes QuickGPSFix
Included accessories	Mount, Power cable, Quick start manual.
Battery type	Rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery life	Up to 2 hours
Warranty	One year

Thanks to the advancements in technology and modernization, travelling has now become one of people’s most sought after thing that relaxes them. Visiting new places is always a thing of excitement and relaxation. But we do need someone to guide us through our travel since the places are quite foreign. And the same technology has given us the answer for that. It has given the wondrous instruments which can act as a guide to our destinations. Given this scenario, lots of manufacturers of GPS Sat Nav Systems has cropped up within no time and there are too many options for you to choose from that you will be spoilt for choice. And we are here to prevent such a situation and also to guide you to the best of GPS devices in the market today. Today, we are going to discuss about a great GPS device, from Medion, who suddenly raised to fame with the introduction of the GoPal series GPS devices. The P5435 is one such device off the GoPal series, waiting to awe you with its all new exciting features. Let us now look into the details of it and learn why it is one of the best.

Design:

Nothing contemporary:

First up, we would like to examine the design part of the satellite navigation device from Medion. Medion GoPal P5435 Sat Nav looks pretty rectangular in shape with the edges slightly cut off in an angular fashion. This supposedly gives some extra grip to the device while holding in hand. Since the device is touch responsive, there are no buttons provided on the front panel and the screen occupies most of the real estate. A couple of lights take position on the left hand top corner of the panel and there are no buttons at all anywhere. This is a pretty welcome sign actually, because it would be touch to use the device if there are buttons and switches. Since there are scores of features, which we will be discussing in a while, one would like to access them as quickly as possible. And the quickest possible way is provide a touch responsive screen. The device also comes in standard clothing, glossy black colour. There is only one colour provided by Medion and it is only here that you will not be spoilt for choice.

Display:

The Medion GoPal P5435 GPS System sports a pretty huge display. A screen that is as big as 5 inches, measured diagonally, takes the centre position of the front panel of the device. And since you have such a big and comfortable display, you can view a lot more detail in your maps and directions. A bigger view of the maps is always welcome and this means you can set the device in your car in almost any place you want and still get a comfortable view of the directions and stuff. You will also love watching pictures on the giant display. It might become just a little bit hard to hold the device in one hand, especially for the people from the Far East, but otherwise, everything regarding the design is perfect. Full marks from our side to the guys at Medion, for bringing out such a nice display mechanism!

Connectivity:

Regarding connectivity, we have three options here, on the GoPal P5435. They are respectively Bluetooth, Mini USB, and Micro SD card slot. Let us examine each aspect separately.

Bluetooth:

When it comes to connectivity options, the GoPal P5435 is always one step ahead of its peers. The device, unlike many others, supports Bluetooth technology and also comes with a latest version of Bluetooth. With this option, one can easily go for hands free calling and hence talk over the phone even while driving on the road. This brings multitasking into the equation. Since most people now prefer devices that allow them to multitask, the GoPal P5435 would be a sane choice if you are looking to call your pals even while on the go.

Mini USB:

If you want to connect the device to your computer of phone or whatever, you can do it with the help of the mini USB port supplied to you along with the device. All you need to do is connect the devices and sync them using the mini USB cable. This mini USB cable is also useful when it comes to charging the device. You can either use the charger given to you, or on the other hand you can simply connect it to a running computer and get it fully charged within no time.

Micro SD slot:

Now even though the memory on the device is as big as 1GB, sometimes even that would not be enough to suffice your needs. You might want to save some files, maps, music, or office stuff like documents on your device. Though this is quite rare, Medion always provides you with an option to enhance the memory on the device. There is a micro SD card slot available on the device and it allows you to purchase and use micro SD cards with capacities ranging from 1 GB to 32 GB. Now that is a cool idea and we have found that it could be useful in some circumstances when you are travelling. Yu always will have some extra memory in hand when you are away from home.

Features:

We have now arrived to the most significant part of the Medion GoPal P5435 GPS Sat Nav Unit. But to our surprise, we have found that Medion has come up with gobs of features on this device. No one would expect that. No one would have thought a GPS device could become a collection of so many new exciting features and extra options. Hence, let us have a deep look at each and every main feature seen on the Medion GoPal P5435, and thereby decide if everything regarding the device is right for you or not.

Processor:

The Medion GoPal P5435 is expected to run faster than many other similar GPS devices since it sports a 600 MHz processor. It is, of course, one of the fastest processors seen on a GPS device. Manufactured by SiRF, and named as Titan, the processor is pretty fast and solid and is also capable of running tasks with a brisk pace. There will not be too many issues with the processor and even if you start multitasking, it can withstand the pressure. Some might argue that 600 MHz is somewhat less but, since it is just a GPS device and it will not have any sort of complex tasks to be run, the processing power that is provided will be more than just sufficient.

Platform:

The Medion GoPal P5435 GPS device runs on a WIN CE 5.0 platform. While this might sound a little disturbing since it is quite an old operating system from Windows, older than even Windows XP, it is a fact that there is not much you will have to do with the operating system. One cannot expect the sat nav systems to come with Android operating systems. A lot of other similar high end GPA devices also come with the Windows CE OS. We have tested the operating system of the GoPal P5435 for various tasks and the results came out positive. So, there is obviously nothing to get worried about. We got to say that it is a good enough operating system for such a device.

Memory:

Even though it is just a satellite navigation system or simply, a GPS device, it needs to have some sort of memory in order to store anything. Since there is a possibility of addition of newer maps and directions, or contact numbers, or addresses, the Medion GoPal P5435 Sat Nav System comes with a solid internal memory of about 1GB. With this, one can store a lot of other stuff than just contacts and maps. One can store mp3 songs, files, documents, videos, and podcasts, and a whole lot of other digital stuff so that they can be played while on the go. No if there is somebody who feels this memory is not sufficient at all by any means, there is a provision for you to purchase and insert a micro SD memory card in the slot provided. SD cards with memory of up to 32 GB are supported by the GoPal P5435.

SiRFInstantFixII™ GPS receiver:

The receiver that is used on the Medion GoPal P5435 is known to be the SiRFInstantFixII™ GPS receiver, again manufactured by SiRF. This particular receiver is adept in reducing the start up times for GPS devices and hence the GoPal P5435 starts up pretty quickly and also works with great efficiency. This satellite prediction technology actually improves start up times for most devices which are location centric and it works either with or without internet accessibility. The GPS devices that have the SiRFInstantFixII™ GPS receiver will be fixed within a matter of 5 seconds. Hence, the GoPal P5435 has got to be one of the quickest starting GPS devices in the market today. And this is quite a great start by Medion. Already, there is a lot of liking for the device and now, there is a lot more to come.

Customizable Menu:

Since there are too many features on the device, it would certainly be difficult for one to go to a particular feature, or option or setting. But, unlike many other menu styles seen on other GPS devices, this menu is customisable and is easy to access too. The Medion GoPal P5435 in-car Sat Nav sports the quick selection menu, and things will now seem far easier than under normal circumstances. You can also set short cuts to different programs and applications on the device and hence make your processes faster. One simple click will take you to the application you want and the process will be completed quickly. You can also customise the menu and change the way it looks or performs. Customisation in any form is always welcome and most users will probably be happy of it.

Languages Galore:

There are as many as 17 languages on the device. Since the device is being sold all across the world and since there are many users buying the GoPal P5435 from all corners of the world, these 17 languages come to a very good use. It will also be useful when you travel different countries. Intercontinental travellers will also find it comfortable to use the GoPal P5435 since it has got so many languages in store for them. Most of these languages are of European countries and the rest are some important languages from several other countries.

Maps:

There is a lot of map data loaded on the GoPal P5435 GPS Navigator. It has all kinds of cross border maps and directions for more than 43 countries across the world, with main attention being given to western and eastern European countries. Few other GPS devices in the market today, come with more maps, which is a pretty good sign indeed for Medion. These maps include border maps, country maps, county maps, city maps, and local maps, and hence as you can see, a lot of importance is being given to the detail of these maps. And if one thinks they need new maps for different countries, they can as well download them from the web.

Traffic Master:

The traffic master feature seen on this GPS device shows you what the traffic is like, around different parts of the city and also the traffic densities in the different regions that take you to your destination. This helps you become aware of the traffic and thereby switch to some other direction or route towards your destination. This hence saves a lot of time for you and you can avoid very annoying traffic. In addition to this, the traffic master also shows you the number of alternative lanes or routes available for you, which take you to the same destination, and also notifies you the time that will be taking to reach there. It is hence truly a master of the traffic conditions prevailing en route to your destination.

Lane Guide:

Lane Guide is one of the newer applications seen on the GoPal P5435 GPS device. As the name suggests, it guides you through different lanes and roads across many cities and towns around both Western and Eastern Europe. There are a myriad of lanes across the world, and you will be guided through all of them. The names of lanes, their routes, and the network they create will be notified to you for your easy travel. Almost all the lanes and streets of Europe are pre loaded in the device and if you think you need guidance to more lanes across the world, you will have to visit the web and download some maps. But, on the whole, the lane guide feature will be of great use to you while you travel in between cities and towns.

Text to Speech:

While most of today’s GPS systems are coming with the speech recognition mechanisms, the Medion GoPal P5435 has taken a different route. It has gone the other way round, as it comes with the special feature of text to speech conversion. The very special software used in the device will convert the text you type into speech and this speech is produced off the device, in the form of audio. This means that whenever there is some text seen on the screen of the GoPal P5435, it will automatically be converted to speech by the device. This will be pretty useful at all times since one prefers to listen to their GPS device while driving on the road, instead of looking into it. It makes your driving safer than ever, and hence you can drive better and more efficiently.

Speed Guide:

The Speed Guide is of late one of the most commonly seen applications when it comes to the latest GPS devices. The speedometers in your car and in other vehicles only show you the speed with which you are travelling, but a legend says that most people never look into their speedometers and hence are not warned of their speed on the road. This might turn out to be dangerous at times, since too much of speeding is not advisable. Hence, Medion, like many other manufactures of high end GPS devices today, has come up with an idea to introduce a new application. This immediately warn the driver if there is over speeding and if the speed exceeds the limits recommended for that particular region or city. Hence, it will guide you through your destination safely and within control.

Intelligent Address Input:

For faster entry of your destinations, the GoPal P5435 in-car Sat Nav comes with a nice alternative – The Intelligent Address Input. This is a special feature that allows you to easily enter the addresses where you will be going regularly. They will be stored in the memory of the device and the next time you plan to revisit the same place, the address will be loaded automatically, hence avoiding wastage of time. You will not need to type the same address again and again. It will be stored once and for all and can be loaded again and again. Since there is a lot of internal memory for you, you can store scores of addresses. Addresses can be of places too. Once you visit an interesting place or a tourist spot, you can save it for future correspondence. Contact numbers also can be saved along with the addresses. Hence, the intelligent address input will be of great use to you under any circumstances.

Fingerprint Sensor:

With the advancement of technology there are also many drawbacks along with the gobs of positives that come along. One major drawback we can see today is security. Security is always at stake today since technology has gone beyond its limits in some cases. Hence one needs some protection that avoids the loss of sensitive and confidential data. Since there is an option for you to store addresses of people you know, there is also a possibility of losing them to strangers. Hence, Medion comes with another great idea for the GoPal P5435 GPS device. The device comes with a finger print sensor and thanks to this technology, no one else can start the device, other than the owner. Only one finger print can be saved at a time and this could prove to be a very good idea, and in fact better than the password entering mechanism. Hence, your data is completely safe.

Automatic day and night mode:

The feature is introduced in order to save a lot of battery life for your device. The brightness settings and the contrast, along with the display mechanism will be changed as the day goes on and in accordance with the available light outside. Now when there is need for lots of light, the sensors detect the darkness and thereby brightness is increased automatically. Similarly, lots of light will also reflect on the brightness and the display. Hence, this automatic change of day and night modes will avoid the interference of the user when it comes to altering the brightness and display settings of the device.

Quick Routes:

‘Quick Routes’ is another option which makes your travel very economical. If you are going to visit a new place, then you can decide if you want to take the conventional route to it, or to take the quickest or shortest of the most economical route that takes you to the same destination. One can manually decide if they want to go in such a route, depending upon their journey. You will be notified of all the shortest routes available, if the routes are more than one in number. Then, the choice will be yours. This feature will hence save lots of time and fuel for you.

Various Modes:

There are a few modes of travel that you can select from while you are travelling. The four modes are respectively, by car, by motor bike, by bicycle, and by foot. The device needs to be fed with the details regarding the mode of travel. It can then estimate the distances, times of travel, and such stuff immediately and inform you regarding the details. Along with these four modes, there is another special mode, by the name Cruising mode, which makes the GoPal P5435 stay with you and provide you with constant details and data even when you are not travelling in any route in particular. Hence, these modes may come in handy when you need them most.

Special Destinations:

Along with normal destinations, the Medion GoPal P5435 Satellite Navigation System will also detect special destinations and then will notify you regarding their addresses and positions in the route map. Places which fall into the category of special destinations are; Gas stations, restaurants, automobile service stations, shopping centers, and lodges. And the GoPal P5435 GPS device will save their addresses in the memory for future correspondence such that you can have a look at them when you need them most. Many more of such special destinations and centres can be accessed by searching on the internet and you will then gain access to more and more of them.

Manual Blocking:

If the road in which you are currently travelling is either blocked suddenly due to some reasons, or if you wish to move in another road suddenly, then you can change the route map at the last minute by changing the lane on the device itself. This will send a message to the device that the route of travel is changed and hence GPS will reposition itself again in order to show you a different path to your destination. This, again, is such a cool feature which we liked a lot during our tests.

MP3 player:

Finally, we see a GPS device that comes with an MP3 player. Since you will be having lots of memory on the device, and even more if you use an external SD card, you can hence store lots of music files in MP3 format, and hence play them in your car or while you are walking. This avoids carrying both the mp3 player or an iPod and a GPS device. The GoPal P5435 GPS device is a combination of the two and hence you will reap double the benefits than when compared to a normal GPS device. The player’s interface is also simple to get used to and one can play songs with ease. We especially liked this feature, since it is not that commonly seen on a GPS device.

Picture Viewer:

Looks like you will never get bored during your travel if you have the Medion GoPal P5435 GPS device in your car. Especially when you are on some long trips, you would want more entertainment from your GPS device. Rather than just showing you the same old boring maps and directions, you would rather expect something cool and pleasing to the eye. This is what the GoPal P5435 exactly tries to provide you. You can hence load and later on view some pictures or photos on it. It has got a nice player which automatically plays all the pictures and photos on the device. The picture viewer is hence a nice extra feature seen on the GoPal P5435, as it is not normally seen on similar devices.

Travel Guide:

Whenever you visit a new town or a place, you would want to know more about it. Though most GPS devices give you the details regarding the best places to visit, restaurants, hotels, monuments, banks, and so on, the Travel Guide feature seen on the Medion GoPal P5435 GPS device goes a step further in this aspect too. You are provided with some contact numbers to which you can call and find out more information regarding the local places to visit. Though most information is online on the internet, it is better to quench your thirst by yourselves. GoPal P5435 provides you with such an option.

Miscellaneous:

There are two features under this section. First up, there is an alarm for you on the device, which is of pretty good quality. It resembles the alarm clock seen on an average mobile phone. You can hence set time on the device and also set alarms and some notes regarding the events and their timings. And when you go on a long trip and you feel like taking some rest or getting some sleep, the alarm will be helpful in waking you up when it is time to start again.

Then there is Sudoku, an interesting and a brain teasing game for you to keep yourself entertained while you are not driving. It provides some food for the brain and also some relaxation. The game can be quite interesting to kids and it will keep them busy, so that you can drive peacefully since you are not worried by them.

Performance:

Now that we are done with the features list of the GoPal P5435, and that we’ve liked it way much, we would like to go through the performance details of this wondrous piece from Medion. Basically, when it comes to the performance aspect of performance, we have three sections, namely, Audio, Video and Connectivity. Let us see if all the three are good enough for us.

Audio and Video:

Since there is an MP3 player embedded in the device, the audio must certainly be good. The speakers installed are of excellent quality. Since there is also speech recognition and text to speech services, the speakers, and the built in mike are very good and also deliver some decent quality. And regarding the video performance part, as discussed under display, we really have some cool display mechanism and the processing is also solid, thanks to the processor. Hence the videos on the GoPal P5435 are of fine quality and we are happy about the performance of the device too.

Hence, as you can see, the performance of the device is quite top notch and better, in many aspects, than most similar devices in the market today.

Warranty:

The Medion GoPal P5435 GPS device comes with parts and labour warranty for a period of twelve months starting from the original date of purchase.

Verdict:

Finally, we are going to reach the end of our journey. Let us have a final opinion on the Medion GoPal P5435 GPS device so that it would be easy for the readers. We have gone through extensively on each and every aspect of the device in order to provide you all the details available with us. And we think we came out good. Just to give you a bit of recap, we have seen that the design and the display mechanism of the device are pretty good. There are lots of qualitative features and the performance aspects meet our standards easily. This means if one has to go for a GPS device for their car, then it has to be the Medion GoPal P5435. There is no doubt about that. Given the fact that the pricing g is also not too high and that there are more features and extra options on this one than on any one, we would say, Go for it!

Medion GoPal P5435 Sat Nav – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Medion
Model Name	GoPal P5435
GPS Application	In-car
Maps of Countries	Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Display	High quality TFT LCD
Display screen size	5 inches (12.7 cm)
Display type	Touch Screen
Navigation views	2D, 3D Views
Country coverage	West & East Europe
Map material	Cross-border navigation for 43 countries in Western and Eastern Europe
Memory	1GB Flash Internal Memory
Memory slots	Micro SD expansion slot
MP3 Player	Provided
Voice	Navigation instructions Voice command recognition
OS	WIN CE 5.0
Software version	MEDION® GoPal® Navigator AE 4.8
Software features	Traffic Master Text-to-speech Fingerprint sensor Speed guide Intelligent address input Automatic day and night mode Choice of quickest, shortest and most economical route Car, motorbike, bicycle and pedestrian mode Cruising mode Special destination categories (POIs) Navigation display with arrow, 2D, 3D or split screen view Customisable quick selection menu Manual blocking of route sections MP3 player Travel guide Picture viewer Alarm function Sudoku
Processor	600 Mhz
Audio	Headphone, Stereo 3.5 mm audio output jack
USB	2.0
Receiver	SiRFInstantFixII
Features to save energy	Nil
Box contents	MEDION GoPal P5435 navigation system MEDION GoPal Navigator AE 4.8 navigation software Maps for Western and Eastern Europe Operating instructions USB synchronisation cable Car mount with suction cup and stylus 12V/24V car charger 2GB Memory Card
Warranty	1 year