Tag: Garmin

Garmin launches first microLED watch and brings inReach to your wrist

Garmin  is advancing the future of smartwatch technology with the introduction of fēnix® 8 Pro series. These premium GPS smartwatches are the first to feature inReach technology for satellite and cellular connectivity—letting athletes and adventurers leave their phone behind and still stay in touch. Further revolutionising the smartwatch industry, fēnix 8 Pro – MicroLED introduces a first-of-its-kind, high-resolution MicroLED display for superior readability.

“fēnix 8 Pro is changing the game for smartwatches. This new lineup is full of breakthrough innovations, bringing life-changing inReach technology to the wrist to help keep athletes and adventurers in touch with their family and friends and introducing the first-ever ultra-bright MicroLED display to a smartwatch so users can see their maps, stats, health and wellness metrics and more like never before.”

—Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing

Leave the phone behind and still stay connected

Designed for those pursuits that make it impractical to carry a phone, fēnix 8 Pro has built-in inReach technology for satellite and cellular connectivity.

Satellite connectivity

fēnix 8 Pro uses inReach technology to let explorers exchange messages and send location check-ins.

  • Text messages: Send and receive text messages with those using the Garmin Messenger™ app on their smartphone or compatible Garmin smartwatch.
  • Location check-ins: Send location updates to family and friends so they can keep track of trip progress.

Cellular connectivity

In addition to sending text messages or providing location check-ins, fēnix 8 Pro can be used to make phone calls, send voice messages, share LiveTrack links and view weather forecasts when connected to the LTE network.

  • Voice calls: Make and take voice calls from the watch with other fēnix 8 Pro users or those using the Garmin Messenger app on their smartphone.
  • Voice messages: Check in with family and friends by exchanging 30-second voice messages. Recipients can listen to the messages or read the transcriptions on their watch or in the Garmin Messenger app.
  • LiveTrack: Friends and family can follow the adventures with LiveTrack location sharing and location check-ins on their smartphone. Users can also alert their friends and family when a LiveTrack session has started, in case they want to follow along or reach out during an activity.
  • Weather forecasts: Access current weather conditions and multiday forecasts to stay prepared for what’s ahead.

SOS capability supported by Garmin Response

When an SOS is triggered, fēnix 8 Pro will send a message over satellite or cellular connectivity to the Garmin Response℠ center, where a dedicated team of skilled emergency response coordinators are ready at any time. From there, Garmin Response will communicate with the user, their listed emergency contacts, search and rescue organisations and other available local resources. They provide updates to users and emergency contacts on the response effort, including confirmation when help is on the way, and remain available as the incident is being resolved. With nearly two decades of experience, the Garmin Response team has supported more than 17,000 inReach incident responses in more than 150 countries on all seven continents.

First-of-its-kind MicroLED display

Offering remarkable brightness in exquisite detail, fēnix 8 Pro – MicroLED features over 400,000 individual LEDs delivering up to 4,500 nits, making it the brightest smartwatch ever. The result is a revolutionary display that produces rich colors and high pixel densities with wide viewing angles and superior readability—even in direct sunlight.

Rugged design, premium features

Made for any adventure, all fēnix 8 Pro models are dive-rated and feature leakproof metal buttons, a metal sensor guard cover, AMOLED or MicroLED touchscreen displays and titanium bezels, plus an LED flashlight for greater visibility in dark environments.

Built for wherever the adventure leads, fēnix 8 Pro is loaded with Garmin’s full suite of performance, navigation, health and wellness2, and connected features, including endurance score, hill score, daily suggested workouts, preloaded TopoActive Maps, dynamic round-trip routing, the Garmin ECG App3, sleep coach, Garmin Pay™, safety and tracking features and more. To learn more, visit https://www.garmin.com/en-IE/.

Garmin unveils the Blaze equine wellness system

Garmin have announced the Blaze equine wellness system, a tail wrap and sensor specifically designed to help riders, horse owners and trainers monitor their horse’s health and fitness so they can make more informed decisions about their well-being and training.

Garmin is a world leader in the health and fitness industry, and we are excited to bring our advanced sensor data and technology to the equine market with the introduction of Blaze. Whether you’re eventing, racing, jumping or anything in between, this new system will help you monitor your horse’s health to keep them performing at their best.” — Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing

Designed for horses

The Blaze equine wellness system features a durable and washable neoprene wrap with easily adjustable straps, while the removable, rechargeable and lightweight sensor monitors the horse’s health and motion using advanced algorithms. The wrap easily attaches and holds the sensor to the underside of the horse’s tail—no special skin preparation needed.

See what they can’t tell you

 Riders can better track their horse’s health and fitness when using both the Blaze equine wellness system and the Blaze app.

 

  • Real-time insights: View heart rate, strides, gait, distance and more. In addition to seeing these insights in the Blaze app on a smartphone, they can be viewed using the Blaze Connect IQ™ app on a compatible Garmin smartwatch.
  • Skin temperature: View average skin temperature changes, which can be related to activity, environment or potential illness.
  • Post-activity data: Review post-activity details, including recovery rate, time in heart rate zones, skin temperature and activity highlights.
  • Track multiple horses: Create individual horse profiles so the wrap and sensor can be used on multiple horses.
  • Heat Score: Receive guidance on how safe it is to ride at any time with a heat score that takes into account the current air temperature and humidity.
  • Data on the wrist: Track training, recovery and transport activities at a glance when using the Blaze Connect IQ app on a compatible Garmin smartwatch.

Featuring up to 25 hours of battery life, the sensor can be easily removed from the wrap for cleaning and charging. The Blaze equine wellness system is available now for €599.99.

See our Garmin Reviews

#IFA2023 – Garmin launches Venu 3 and Venu 3S GPS smartwatches with new features for wheelchair users

Garmin today announced the Venu 3 and Venu 3S GPS smartwatches designed to support every health and fitness goal. Featuring extensive fitness insights, beautiful AMOLED touchscreen displays and an impressive battery life, Venu 3 series is purpose-built to help users get a more complete picture of their health. It also includes new features for wheelchair users—letting them track pushes, follow wheelchair-specific workouts and more. Stay even more connected with Venu 3 series at home or on the go; a built-in speaker and microphone allow users to make and take phone calls or respond to text messages right from the wrist (when paired with a compatible Apple or Android smartphone). Available in two sizes and comfortable enough to wear all day and night, Venu 3 series gets up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. And because users don’t have to charge their watch every night, they can monitor health metrics 24/7 and receive a more holistic view of their stress, Body Battery™ and sleep with new personalized sleep coaching and nap detection.

See how Venu 3 series can help support every health and fitness goal here.

“No matter what your health and fitness journey looks like, Venu 3 is ready to support you every step of the way. Whether your focus is on meaningful rest and relaxation, getting a good workout in, chasing your next PR at an upcoming race, or anything in between, the exciting new features on the Venu 3 series provide even more personalized data, making it easier to understand your body like never before.” – Dan Bartel, Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer Sales

New features to love

  • Sleep coach: Receive a sleep score and personalized coaching for how much sleep is recommended and keep track of different sleep stages, naps and other key metrics such as Pulse Ox1 and heart rate variability (HRV) status.
  • Morning report: Receive an overview of sleep, recovery, HRV status and more upon waking up. Even customize the report to view more personalized details.
  • Nap detection: Automatically track or log naps to see how they may benefit the body and the suggested time and duration they should be.
  • Body Battery improvements: Monitor energy levels throughout the day to find the best times for activity and rest. And get even more details and personal insights on how sleep, naps, daily activities and high stress specifically impact energy levels2.
  • Wheelchair mode: Track daily pushes and receive weight shift alerts plus wheelchair-specific sports apps and workouts. In creating these new features, the algorithms of some existing features were modified to enhance the meaningfulness of key insights for wheelchair users.
  • Workout benefit and recovery time: Better understand how each workout affects the body and how much time is needed to recover to take on any fitness challenge.
  • Rate of perceived exertion: Record how difficult a workout was and how it felt.
  • Interval creation: Build interval workouts for running and cycling activities right on the watch.
  • Meditation activity: Follow guided meditation practices to help reduce stress, anxiety and more.
  • Built-in speaker and microphone: Make and take calls right from the watch (when paired with a compatible smartphone) and use the smartphone’s voice assistant to respond to text messages and more. Those with an Android phone can also view photo messages and respond to texts using the on-watch keyboard.
  • Two font sizes: Choose between a small or larger font size to view smart notifications, workout data and more with greater ease.

For health gurus

Loaded with extensive health and wellness stats, Venu 3 series is ready to help keep users going strong. And with days of battery life, users don’t have to worry about charging their watch every night, meaning they can have access to certain health features 24/7. Day or night, Venu 3 series can track heart rate2, respiration, Pulse Ox, stress andBody Battery energy levels. While sleeping, Venu 3 series will monitor heart rate variability to provide users with a deeper understanding of their overall health and will also track those “zzz’s” while traveling and offer personalized tips to help reduce jet lag.

For fitness fanatics

With more than 30 built-in sports apps, users can track the ways they move—from walking and running to cycling, pool swimming, activities for wheelchair users and more. Venu 3 series even lets users follow preloaded animated workouts for strength, HIIT, Pilates and yoga right from the watch. Plus, users can create their own step-by-step workouts from more than 1,600 exercises in the Garmin Connect™ app and send them directly to the watch. For those looking to train for a 5K or something a bit longer, free Garmin Coach adaptive training plans can help users prepare. In addition to keeping tabs on daily steps, calories burned and floors climbed, Venu 3 series can track moderate and vigorous intensity minutes, VO2 max during a run or bike ride and cycling power in watts (when paired with a compatible power meter or indoor bike).

For life on the go

Stay connected – even while on the go – with Venu 3 series. In addition to making and taking calls directly from the watch, Venu 3 series lets users receive emails, texts and alerts when paired with their compatible smartphone. Safety and tracking features help provide peace of mind by sending a message with the user’s live location to chosen emergency contacts if they feel unsafe or if an incident is detected3. While out and about, Garmin Pay™ contactless payments let users breeze through certain checkout lines or transit systems4.Users can also download songs and playlists from Spotify®, Amazon Music and Deezer (subscription required) for phone-free listening. What’s more, users can download apps, watch faces and more from the Connect IQ™ Store right on the watch, or find more options in the smartphone app.

Featuring a lightweight, stainless steel bezel and silicone band, Venu 3 is available in whitestone/silver and black/slate while Venu 3S comes in pebble gray/slate, sage gray/silver, French gray/soft gold, dust rose/soft gold and ivory/soft gold. Available now, Venu 3 series has a suggested retail price of $449.99.

Garmin launches the D2 Mach 1 aviator smartwatch

Garmin International, has announced the D2  Mach 1 GPS aviator smartwatch with classic pilot watch styling and a bright AMOLED touchscreen display that offers advanced tools for flying – plus health and fitness features – to help pilots and aviation enthusiasts accelerate their adventures. With a battery life of up to 11 days, pilots can rely on the D2 Mach 1 around the clock to keep tabs on the weather, receive automatic alerts for changing conditions, help navigate with the moving map and horizontal situation indicator (HSI) and so much more. Coupled with a full suite of health monitoring and activity tracking features, the D2 Mach 1 offers unmatched utility both in and out of the cockpit.

“Whether you’re climbing into the cockpit for a fun weekend flight, practicing or shooting instrument approaches to minimums or flying professionally, the new D2 Mach 1 delivers the latest and most advanced aviation functionality and smartwatch capabilities right to your fingertips,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “With its new, sophisticated design, the D2 Mach 1 proves that professional gear can also be a great statement piece no matter your destination.”

Enhanced style and utility

Designed for everyday wear, the D2 Mach 1 combines a durable design and premium materials like sapphire and titanium with a vibrant, sunlight-readable 1.3’’ AMOLED display. Trusted button controls are matched with a responsive new touchscreen interface for dual utility, improving daily smartwatch interaction and access to selections and map features. The watch face includes a UTC pointer, which can also display and help pilots manage multiple time zones, including Zulu time, and a 24-hour clock around the bezel, along with seven customizable data fields. Leaving your hangar or FBO to head to the gym? Quickly change out the D2 Mach 1 watch straps – available with oxford leather or vented titanium options – with the included QuickFit™ black silicone band.

A dedicated flight system on your wrist

The D2 Mach 1 includes preflight, in-flight and postflight features and tools to assist pilots in navigation and enhance situational awareness, along with multi-band frequency and multi-GNSS support for better and more accurate GPS positioning. Direct-to navigation lets pilots navigate straight to an airport or waypoint in the preloaded worldwide aeronautical database directly from the watch, or choose the Nearest function to activate a direct course to a nearby airport. Pan across the moving map with a touch, and tap on waypoints for more information. Plus, see NEXRAD radar overlaid on the route. The instrument-like horizontal situation indicator (HSI) course needle makes it easy for pilots to see if the aircraft is left or right of the desired flight path, and the barometric altimeter can alert when a desired altitude is reached. Aviation alerts like time, distance, altitude and a fuel timer are also available on the D2 Mach 1 during flight.

Know what’s ahead with airport information like runway orientation and wind components runway lengths and airport frequencies—all preloaded and easily accessible from the watch. The D2 Mach 1 offers aviation weather reports, including METARs and TAFs that allow pilots to see winds, visibility and barometric pressure and more before takeoff. New graphical indications of MOS forecasts for specific airports, including projections for temperature trends, wind, dewpoint, sky cover, precipitation probability and more, are also available. Customizable notifications can be set for new METAR and TAF reports, so pilots will stay in-the-know when things like destination airport conditions change or when crosswind components exceed a threshold. And in case of emergency, the D2 Mach 1 can show the best glide speed, estimated glide distance and glide time during an engine-related issue, along with a bearing pointer to the nearest airport and a list of alternate airports.

Flight logging is a breeze with the D2 Mach 1, which automatically starts tracking flights on takeoff, then automatically transfers the date, duration, total flight time and route to the user’s flyGarmin.com logbook Pilots can also seamlessly transfer flight plans from the Garmin Pilot™ app to the D2 Mach 1 and view the list of waypoints included in their route.

Advanced health, wellness and fitness features

With the broadest range of 24/7 health monitoring features available from Garmin, the D2 Mach1 offers: wrist-based heart rate (with user-configurable alerts for high or low readings, advanced sleep monitoring with sleep score, breathwork activities, fitness age, respiration, Pulse Ox4, all-day stress tracking, hydration, and women’s health tracking. Body Battery™ energy monitoring shows users how “charged” their body is as well as the draining effects of stress and exercise. During a flying activity, pilots can quickly access the health stats menu to track their heart rate, Pulse Ox, respiration, Body Battery and more. Plus, a new Health Snapshot™ feature logs a two-minute window of key health stats and generates a report users can share with a health care provider—a great tool for capturing physiological data anytime you’re feeling off your baseline.

The D2 Mach 1 features 30+ built-in indoor and GPS sports apps with favorites that include walking, running, cycling, pool swimming, hiking, advanced strength training and more. It’s even preloaded with SkiView™ maps and more than 42,000 golf courses from around the world. Keep fitness feeling fresh with preloaded workouts on the watch, preset workouts available for download from the Garmin Connect™ app, or create customizable workouts by choosing from over 1,400 exercises.

All-day connection and convenience

Pilots can keep essentials on the wrist with built-in music (download up to 650 songs including playlists from Spotify®, Amazon Music, and Deezer), Garmin Pay™ contactless payments, and smart notifications for calls, texts, calendar reminders, social media updates, breaking news stories and more.1 No service? No problem. Stay connected by pairing the D2 Mach 1 with a Garmin inReach® device to send preset messages to loved ones, toggle tracking or to initiate an SOS to the Garmin IERCC, a 24/7 staffed professional emergency response coordination center.

Like all Garmin smartwatches, the D2 Mach 1 can be used with either Android or Apple® smartphones. With a battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 24 hours with the Fly activity (GPS + Pulse Ox), pilots can prepare for takeoff without worrying about their next charge.

Available now, the D2 Mach 1 is offered with a vented titanium bracelet or an oxford brown leather band for suggested retail prices of $1299.99 and $1199.99, respectively. Both styles include a trial subscription of the Garmin Pilot app. Learn more at garmin.com/aviation.

Tech Review – Garmin Drivesmart 76 Sat Nav.

Not so long ago we reviewed one of the other Garmin sat nav greats which was the Campervan where we showed you how the device works with a live drive of the unit and we also went through the features and we do the same here as stock image reviews with maps of another country on it just doesn’t cut it and is just lazy. From our feedback our viewers like to see a hands on experience as it gives them better context and this is what we do here.

The Drivesmart 76 is another slab one could say and comes in several variants the 66,76 and 86 which means 6 ,7 and 8 inch in size basically.These versatile sat-navs can guide the way for family weekend adventures thanks to detailed maps of Europe, while making the weekday commute a breeze with noteworthy features like environmental zone routing, hands-free calling, and built-in Garmin voice assist to ask the device for directions. You also have Alexa integration too which is fun and gives you on the fly information on the go which is excellent.

If you are a Garmin fan and own an older model you will be familiar with the UI which is simple to navigate and use, we of course go through this in our video review below as we did on the Campervan model and it is simple overall and a nice UI and not that difficult at all to set up.

Once set up you can input the data that you wish to have pop up on screen and like the campervan model you also have the speed zones warnings which is really handy and this will keep your driving in check too. You can connect this to your smartphone via the Garmin drive app and also allow social notifications come through on the screen not only this you can set this up in a way you can play via your car’s stereo system which is really cool.

Features

  • Access to real-time traffic, photoLive traffic cameras, weather and fuel prices when the sat-nav is paired with a driver’s compatible smartphone using the Garmin Drive app
  • Alexa Built-in3 enables asking for music, listening to audiobooks, hearing the latest news and more (on Alexa-version only, available in English and German languages)
  • Built-in Wi-FiÒ allows for easy map and software updates without the need for a computer
  • A USB-C vehicle power cable equipped with two USB ports (on Alexa versions only) to charge the compatible Garmin sat-nav and a second device

You can now buy the Drivesmart 76 from most leading retailers in Ireland and further afield

Video Link

 

Tech Review – Garmin Instinct Solar review

I have a thing for watches and have lots of them and over the years this has extended to smart watches and now I have a collection of those too and people again ask WHY but just like my phone collection which both happened by accident really because of what i do it is nice to pick and choose from and weigh up what is on offer and it is good to change over every now and then, currently I am using the Apple Watch Series 7 45mm which I have left aside to check out this offering from Garmin as it has quite alot on offer despite its clean plain looks vs a stand out looking bright screen face and full of colour do not let the black and white screen on the solar instinct fool you.

Build is solid on the Instinct Solar and one of the best you may find out there this is as tough as it gets, having used this for a few weeks it has had all kinds of bangs and knocks and not a mark to be seen which is remarkable which less can be said for other watches I have which have had to have a cover added or screen replacement so for me this is win.

On the looks department well it is pretty bog standard and plain akin to a casio however people like this and some do not for me it is new and by that I mean it is a first of a kind when it comes to a display I do own older similar styled non smart watches just because your watch might be plain and simple looking does not mean it is not capable and that is what most folk I showed this watch could not believe when I showed them however there is some caveats here but overall not much else to complain about being honest.

The watch has 3 pushers on the left and 2 on the right and all labelled these pushers are also solid with a texture and easy to identify blindly and function well all the time,sometimes pushers can get blocked or simply fail to work which is not the case here certainly after what I put it through.

The screen is Black and White but it does not take away the features available or what you can avail of built in on the app, there is something for everyone here no matter what sport you are into, you can see more of what I mean in the video below. The screen is power glass which can keep your watch topped up on the go never mind the insane battery life which is really impressive and for someone who hates charging a smartwatch daily this is one key feature for me that I like, I have not had to charge the watch yet since it landed which is great.

To get going you will need the garmin connect app which is quite good actually in terms of functionality and easy enough to set up and navigate and once applied you can custom to your needs like any other offering out there and control what you want delivered to your watch, this is something you spend time on with any smartwatch as having the dam thing going off all day can be annoying and for me I tailor what I want to receive.

This watch is ideal for the outdoors for the most and also has a built in compass which is handy but it also offers health features galore so it is a pretty solid overall purchase if you can get past the black and white affair on the screen yet robust and solid with graphs galore and more which can deliver much useful information to you, the price though might out some off due to the influx of cheaper watches out there but again these do not offer as much as this one does, perhaps if this was a color screen it might be more attractive but then so would the price.

BUY 

Video Link 

Driven to Distraction: Garmin Reveals What’s Really Taking Our Attention Off the Road. #RoadSafety

With attention turning to road safety this week, Garmin, which has a rich heritage in automotive products created with safety in mind, is taking the opportunity to highlight the profound impact of distraction on driving.

The Department for Transport reported that 117,536 accidents took place in 2019 (that’s 1 in every 326 cars on Britain’s roads). The main reasons for these include drivers failing to look properly (39.9%) and driving carelessly, recklessly or in a hurry (15.5%). With traffic increasing to pre-pandemic levels on the road, this Road Safety Week, Garmin and Emma Kenny want to draw attention to some of the biggest distractions to be aware of when driving and some tips to combat these.

Listening to loud music and changing radio stations
While it may be tempting to think music helps you concentrate; loud music is distracting. A research study discovered that loud music delayed people’s reaction times by 20%, Your favourite songs provoke a sense of nostalgia, which can result in daydreaming.

  • “Opt for soothing piano sounds and classical soundtracks. These have been proven to help produce a state of mental flow which will mean you are relaxed and focused,” said Kenny. “Travelling quietly will give you an important solitude that we rarely achieve in modern life. Use this space for mindful practice where you attend fully to the task at hand and allow yourself the gift of the present, a technique that reduces stress and anxiety and promotes a sense of wellbeing.”

Children in the car
We are hard-wired to both protect our children and attend to their needs. Even playing games on their smart technology introduces noise distraction.

  • “Encourage your children to use earphones with their digital devices and suggest they listen to audiobooks. This will relax them whilst engaging their brains in divergent thinking, which is excellent for their brains and for promoting a peaceful journey,” said Kenny. “Plan rewards for long journeys as this will help children focus on their behaviour positively. Agree on the reward before you set off, so you have a common goal in mind.”

Eating and drinking
A study by the University of Leeds found that when people consumed food while driving, their reaction time was 44% slower than normal. Concentrating on opening sandwiches or trying not to spill the coffee means you’re not fully concentrating on the road ahead.

  • “Factor in time during your journey to stop and enjoy your meal – perhaps even choosing a nice view or park to sit and unwind in while you eat.”

Rubber necking
This is a human trait associated with morbid curiosity. There are several distracting elements at play here – you and the drivers around you slowing down to look (which is dangerous on a busy road) and less people paying attention to the road ahead.

  • “When approaching a crash site, drive defensively. Be aware of your surroundings and assume other drivers will break the rules. If you must reduce speed, do so with awareness, use turn signals and be prepared to manoeuvre away from distracted drivers. The key is to concentrate on what you can control as opposed to what you cannot,” said Kenny.

Feeling disorganised

Feeling disorganised can impact our levels of distraction. Struggling to remember an address, locate a wallet, or having a sudden realisation that an important meeting has been forgotten is highly distracting.

  • “Plan, and prepare before you leave, as this will mean you feel in charge of your journey and at ease with how you are going to arrive at your destination. Execute the extra 15 rule where you leave 15 minutes earlier than you need so that you are not worried about being late and if you need a break you have factored these into your route. Also try writing a travel checklist list before you start your journey and tick these off before you start your engine” advised Kenny.

 

Mobile Phone Usage
Perhaps obvious, but still important to address. Phone use by drivers has been legally regulated for some time. But more surprising is the extent of their impact – to the point where a drunk driver is more aware of their surroundings than an individual taking a phone call.

  • “Complex phone conversations affect visual scanning and reduce a driver’s ability to detect, discriminate among and respond to visual targets by as much as 30 percent.” 

Many of us use mobile phones in our cars for navigation, but having your phone set up on a mount puts potential distractions in plain view. By using a dedicated Sat Nav, like the Garmin Drive series, you will still be able to have your journey planned for you, but without the notifications. Features such as live traffic and weather, and alerts for sharp curves, speed changes and school zones also help to increase your awareness of what’s going on around you. And, with voice control, you don’t even need to look at your sat nav.

Discover the Garmin automotive range at https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/c/automotive and see how Sat Nav and Dash Cam products can remove a layer of distraction and help you concentrate on the most important job – getting to your destination safely.

You can discover the Garmin automotive range at https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/c/automotive.

Tech Review – Garmin campervan Sat-Nav review

I have been testing this piece of kit out for a few weeks now and one thing people say is this not redundant and I do get their point with our mobile phones doing everything from weather to music calls and traffic but this is on a smaller scale and phones are not specifically designed for the aforementioned.

Garmin are well known in the industry and also have dash cams and smartwatches too some of which we have reviewed in the past but today we take a closer look at the Campervan Sat-Nav, we also have a real hands on look at the unit in our video review below so you get some context over stock image reviews. We show you the features, the unit in operation and more so you get to get a better idea of what exactly you get from the product.

Build and set up

Basically it is a big tablet and it is a well built one at that however it can be placed nicely in your window or where suits you best and it is a simply suction cup and cable to get things going and you are good to go, you might be better off walking through the menu first to change any settings that suit your need though. You should also download the Garmin Drivesmart app to get extra features, I did once snub the app but it has much improved and now includes really cool weather features too, live traffic and much more

The display is bright and clear and one thing I love is the voice navigation it is pleasing which some might find odd but I love it it is clear loud and not really robotic like some systems are. You can also make calls on this and again clear and concise.

Who is this for

It is aimed at those who like camping which has seen a huge rise in recent times but anyone can use it including van drivers that want that bit more and you can see yourself what is on offer via the menu and if like me you like hotels, food and the likes there is a tripdavisor suggestion tool along with many others which you can select from to suit your own personal requirements. Having said all that this can be used by anyone in fairness and it is a nice piece of kit to have.

Features

The Campervan Sat-Nav has many features on board which basically covers you all round, you have Bluetooth, WiFi big clear screen loud clear navigation prompts, warnings for your speed which is vital for how things work today with the fish in a barrel approach by the speed detection vans and pop up windows for turns where applicable to give you a better view of the lanes you might be approaching, again all this is seen in the video review..

Price

This might put some off for a standalone kit, even for me I was kind of leaning the same direction but the pros outweigh the cons as you keep your phone to yourself and you have everything else at your fingertips here on a big screen and the feature I love most asides the navigation is the weather feature which is really cool.. The price of this unit will set you back 299 euros

BUY HERE

Video link 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Look – Garmin Drivesmart 76 with Amazon Alexa

Recently Garmin announced a few new devices to their portfolio and one of them has dropped in to check out and we have a review of another member of the Garmin family dropping this week so stay tuned for that, the Drivesmart 76 is the middle of the trio announced last week and is a 7 inch slab that offers you more more than just navigation.

The new Garmin DriveSmart series comes loaded with road trip-ready functionality to help bring driving freedom to every trip. Drivers can depend on TripadvisorÒ traveller ratings to recommend restaurants, hotels and attractions along the way. In addition, all Garmin DriveSmart sat-navs arrive preloaded with millions of popular points of interest from Foursquare.

Garmin DriveSmart 66, 76, and 86 series

 

The Garmin DriveSmart 66, 76, and 86 sat-navs boast a legacy of industry-leading features, including:

 

  • Access to real-time traffic, photoLive traffic cameras, weather and fuel prices when the sat-nav is paired with a driver’s compatible smartphone using the Garmin Drive app
  • Alexa Built-in3 enables asking for music, listening to audiobooks, hearing the latest news and more (on Alexa-version only, available in English and German languages)
  • Built-in Wi-FiÒ allows for easy map and software updates without the need for a computer
  • A USB-C vehicle power cable equipped with two USB ports (on Alexa versions only) to charge the compatible Garmin sat-nav and a second device

 

Available now, the new Garmin DriveSmart 66, 76 and 86 series has suggested retail prices ranging from £189.99 to £319.99.

Any questions of course feel free to ask below or on our You Tube channel and we will gladly answer all comments as we always do so check out the unboxing and first look below and stay tuned for the full real hands on review soon..

Video link