Garmin 2595LMT GPS Review
Intro and Unboxing:
Available at Amazon here:
Impressions after using it in Los Angeles County over a two month period.
Usability:
Truth is I'm a TomTom person, and I have never really liked Garmin's interface and lack of features. Garmin tends to setup their interface and features to be more simple - too simple with limited options. As a computer geek who is used to custimizing the UI, this drove me nuts.
Now that I got that out of the way, the major features I talked about in my intro work pretty well. Here's what I liked the most:
- Voice command and recognition
- Fast GPS lock
- Slight customization of a few easy access buttons on the screen
- More on-screen UI options than before
OK, that might not seem like a lot but I didn't really run into any issues and the voice command worked 95% of the time. I even had my brother speak an address from the passenger side of a big car to the far corner of the windshield and it got the address correctly.
Navigation:
I had no problems with navigation. The routes it recommended throughout all of LA County did not seem dramatically better or worse than what I was used to on TomTom or Navigon on iPhone. There were times when the reported destination was a bit off, but it wasn't as bad as people are reporting for Apple Maps on the new iPhone 5.
Rerouting was still slower than I like. Slow enough that at times I prefer to just pull over and wait for a recalculation before proceeding.
Traffic reports:
Waze has the best traffic reports since it is user reported. Live traffic services are also better and more accurate. However, this new HD traffic seems to provide better traffic reports than the original basic FM receivers of other GPS devices - TomTom included. I think it does a decent job for something you don't pay additional fees for, and also don't have to watch ads to use. (I hated that about some Garmin units and their popup ads if you wanted traffic).
Screen:
The screen resolution is OK and competitive with other GPS units in its class. I'm used to the retina displays of my Apple devices so almost everything pales in comparison. The screen gets the job done and is plenty bright for daytime use.
Battery Life:
It will last a day trip to work and back. If you are planning a road trip across California you better plug in the traffic enabled receiver. You will want to use the car power adapter most of the time anyway. However it supports a mobile walking function and for that you get a few hours of untethered power use. I have not used it outside of the car so I cannot comment further.
Bluetooth:
It has a built-in bluetooth speakerphone and the microphone pickup is decent enough for short phone calls. Surprisingly good. However the results are not as good as a dedicated speakerphone you can buy for the car. Furthermore, there was no easy way for me to use any voice commands or access phone commands on my iPhone through the Garmin 2595LMT.
GPS reception:
GPS lock and reception was impressive enough. I never felt at any time that it was lacking throughout LA county. The only times I'd lose reception are in parking garages, but that is expected.
My wish list:
- Traffic camera alerts
- Better route planning for multiple destinations in one trip
- Connectivity options with smartphones and data plans
- iOS connectivity to read text messages (right now only Android supported)
- FM transmission for bluetooth to car radio
- Better POIs with more customization using Garmin software
- Better customizable UI
- Faster routing
Overall:
I give it an 7/10. It's the best Garmin portable navigator I've ever used under $300.
Get yours today on Amazon: Garmin nüvi 2595LMT 5-Inch Portable Bluetooth GPS Navigator with Lifetime Maps and Traffic
