Garmin Sat Navs

When it comes to satellite navigation equipment Garmin is one of the leading manufacturers, with the Garmin Nuvi Sat Nav range being extremely popular amongst all different types of road users.

Garmin Nuvi

One of the most popular brands that Garmin produce is the Garmin Nuvi 30 Sat Nav. The unit itself is compact and comes complete with a 3.5 inch touch screen. The unit can be used straight from the box as maps are preloaded, which makes it the ideal unit for delivery drivers and couriers as well as for families who wish to use a Sat Nav.

The Garmin Nuvi 30 Sat Nav has a battery life of up to four hours, but if you are travelling for longer the unit comes with its very own in car charger, meaning you will have uninterrupted directions from the start of your journey until you reach your destination. The unit has full postcode search and also comes with fuel efficient routing. All in all the Garmin Nuvi 30 Sat Nav is a great little unit for the first time buyer of a satellite navigation system.

The Garmin Nuvi 40 Sat Nav offers all of the same benefits of the smaller unit, but comes with a significantly bigger screen which is 4.3 inches in size. The unit will clearly speak turn by turn directions, and will even predict your arrival time, which is great if you are travelling to family or friends as you can keep them informed of your arrival time.

If you are looking for a more advanced satellite navigation system the Garmin Nuvi Sat Nav 1440T could be the system for you. This system not only comes with mapping for the UK and Ireland, but also all of Western Europe as well. The unit has a superb easy to use 5 inch touch screen, a screen that offers clear and precise instructions on the road ahead. It even comes complete with real photos of junctions on motorways, which is ideal if you travelling on these types of roads.

With the Garmin Nuvi Sat Nav 1440T you can also take advantage of the speed camera alerts and speed limits, both of which will make your journey a much safer one.

Garmin have thought of all different types of drivers with their Nuvi Sat Nav range, from the frequent traveller to Europe to the less frequent traveller who travels at times like Easter and Christmas when they visit friends and family. The smaller Nuvi 30 and 40 ranges is the ideal unit for the less frequent traveller, but for those of you who like their big boy’s toys then the Garmin Nuvi Sat Nav 2585TV has been designed for you.

The Nuvi 2585TV Sat Nav really does have it all. Watch TV, listen to music, take in your favourite film or sporting event are just a few of the extras that this great device can do. You can even avoid the traffic jams with the latest 3D traffic alerts!

Whatever you are looking for in a satellite navigation system Garmin has the product for you. Simply type Garmin Nuvi Sat Nav into your preferred search engine now and see for yourself the great range of products that they have on offer, products that will help you travel from A to B in a quick and efficient manner no matter where you are.

TomTom vs Garmin Battle

Undoubtedly TomTom and Garmin are the leaders in the world of portable Sat Navs – but which is out and out better?

Since sales of portable sat navs started flagging in 2007 the two companies have been fighting it out to be leader, but with the onset of bigger and better smart phones, they will both need to keep innovating to retain their market share.

Globally, Garmin have been the leader for many years in terms of sales, people are keen on the easy to use interface – however TomTom sales in the UK are 15% higher in 2012. TomTom spend a lot more on advertising in the UK and Europe whereas Garmin focus more on the US markets.

Premium Sat Navs

Both manufacturers now sell premium units with capacitive touchscreens, bluetooth, 3D mapping, points of interest – however TomTom do not show adverts on their devices which is a bonus for us advert hating Brits. Garmin however are still winners in terms of ease of use with some TomTom’s letting the side down with small fiddly buttons.

TomTom certainly have wooed a lot of customers with their Go 1000 range, which is light, slick and has an excellent magnetic charging connector. The screen is lovely and bright and especially responsive. Unfortunately as with most TomTom’s the battery can be a problem, lasting only 40-50 minutes on a full charge which is not ideal if you have left your charger indoors.

Commercial Drivers

TomTom are now trying to corner the commercial market with their newer range of specialist Sat Navs including the Pro 7150. These are targeted at commercial drivers who need to be aware of things such as width, height and weight restrictions.

These mainly launched in 2012 and I’ve just to meet someone who’s bought one – but on the face of it, this is an interesting avenue for TomTom to pursue - as it could greatly increase their market share if they are able to win some large fleet deals.

New innovation

I personally feel that if either company want to retain their share of the market they will need to innovate in 2013. Who wants to carry around a portable Sat Nav if their iPhone, or Samsung Galaxy S can do the same (or better) job. Some features I would like to see in my Sat Nav in 2013:

• Front & back camera – constantly recording, to film traffic incidents or any other incidents that happen inside or outside
• Dual use – MP3 / video player / games console that the kids could watch in the back when the Sat Nav is not needed
• Digital TV or radio receiver
• Full voice recognition – similar to Siri on the iPhone
• Radio broadcast to play MP3 collections on car radio

Expensive Repairs

Broken Garmin Mini USB Connector

One issue with larger screens is that they become more costly to fix. Older TomTom’s and Garmin’s had separate glass (known as digitizer) and LCD’s (the part that shows the image) but with constant requirement to make slimmer, lighter sat navs, the 2 are now usually manufactured together – and this means more costly repairs for the consumer. Other complaints are the mini-USB charging connectors which can be a real headache if they become unmounted from the PCB and need to be re-soldered. TomTom have resolved this on their premium range with the new maglock connector.

If you are in need of a place to repair your Garmin we can recommend this company who specialise in both TomTom and Garmin repairs.