Why You Can Trust CNET Garmin StreetPilot i
It's time to stop getting lost and hop on the GPS bandwagon. Garmin's latest StreetPilots offer an affordable option for navigation newbies.
GPS is hitting the road with great speed as more and more manufacturers churn out portable in-car navigation devices. However, they're just starting to become a blip on consumers' radars, partly because of the misconception about complicated technology (nowadays, they're just plug-and-go simple) and partly due to high prices. However, Garmin is aiming to change all that with its new StreetPilot i series. The affordable Garmin StreetPilot i3 ($428) and i2 ($321) are aimed, according to the company, at the "commuters, college students, and corporate travelers who are looking to experience the ease and enjoyment of GPS satellite navigation for the first time." Both units are expected to ship in October.
Upside: No larger than a baseball (3.0 by 2.7 by 2.1 inches; 4.3 ounces), the compact and portable Garmin StreetPilot i3 can move from car to car and even includes a vehicle suction mount. But don't let its small size fool you; the i3 comes with plenty of features. You get a DVD with maps of North America with nearly 6 million points of interest (POI), text and voice-guided directions, and a 3D bird's-eye-view mapping perspective. In addition, the i3 automatically reroutes your course if you happen to miss a turn, and it allows you to add custom POIs, such as safety cameras and school zones, from third parties.
Downside: The displays on GPS devices aren't the best or sharpest to begin with, so the Garmin StreetPilot i3's 32,000-color screen is a bit of a disappointment compared to most models' 64,000 colors. Even worse, the StreetPilot i2 has a monochrome display. Also, it will be interesting to see how easy--or difficult--it is to navigate the menus and maps on the i3 with the scrollwheel instead of a touch screen. Loading maps also requires a little more work since you have to transfer them from your PC to a memory card, but this is common for devices in the i3's price range. Garmin includes a 128MB TransFlash data card for your convenience.
Outlook: With other similarly priced and featured GPS devices out there, such as the Mio 136 and the TomTom GO 300, the Garmin StreetPilot i series will face some tough competition. However, if the units perform as well as the company's other models, such as the StreetPilot c330, then Garmin should have another winner on its hands. Check back soon for a full review.