GPS Garmin Nuvi 350

1. Specification

Physical & Performance:
Unit dimensions, WxHxD:	3.87"W x 2.91"H x .87"D (9.83 x 7.39 x 2.21 cm)
Display size, WxH:	2.8"W x 2.1"H (7.2 x 5.4 cm); 3.5" diag (8.9 cm)
Display resolution, WxH:	320 x 240 pixels
Display type:	QVGA color antiglare TFT with white backlight
Weight:	5.1 ounces (144.6 g)
Battery:	rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery life:	up to 8 hours
Waterproof:	no
High-sensitivity receiver:	yes
RoHS version available:	yes

Maps & Memory:
Basemap:	yes
Preloaded maps:	yes
Ability to add maps:	yes
Built-in memory:	internal solid state
Accepts data cards:	SD™ card (not included)
Waypoints/favorites/locations:	500
Routes:	0

2. Review

Hardware

In terms of the physical design, Garmin just about nailed this one perfectly. Along the top of the device is the power button providing easy access when mounted on your dash. Along the right side is the SD card slot, USB/power connector, and an audio jack for headphones. Thankfully, no buttons were placed along the bottom since that area is out of reach when mounted in a vehicle.

The Nuvi 350 comes with a “flip-up” antenna. I’ve never really understood Garmin’s reasoning for doing this and I’m glad that the new 200 series dropped this antenna style. The GPS chipset inside the “flip-up” antenna is the legendary SiRFstarIII chipset. So you should have no trouble getting a quick signal, and one that will stay locked on even in areas where older GPS devices might have found challenging.

You will also find that the Nuvi 350 is very light and compact. It weighs just over five ounces making it one of the lightest GPS devices in its class and is less than one inch thick. Within this frame Garmin put in the fairly industry standard 3.5 inch display which can show 320×240 pixels. The screen is of very high quality and works well in bright sunlight and from a wide viewing angle. If you are extremely tough on devices, the frame on this Nuvi does flex a little bit more than other similar devices, however I’ve never heard of that actually becoming an issue for anyone.

The mount is hands down the best mount in the industry. It is not ridiculously large like some other mounts, it is easily adjustable, and there is a quick release button along the bottom of the mount. To top it off, the power connector connects to the mount itself which feeds power to the GPS, therefore you don’t have a power cable dangling loose when you take your GPS out of the car. I’ll say it again, this is the best mount in the industry.

Software So on to the software review: The unit is relatively easy to use simply press the on/off button on the top of the Nüvi, flip up the aerial to turn on the GPS receiver and within a few seconds you are ready to start navigating.   The initial menu consists of ‘Where To’, ‘View Map’ and ‘Travel Kit’ – the functions of which are quite obvious.   You can press the satellite signal strength meter in the main menu to see which satellites you’re locked onto as well as your current accuracy reading and altitude.   I’ve had accuracy down to 14 feet but it averaged around 20-30 feet depending on conditions. I learnt that I live at 1039 feet above sea level!   From this initial screen you can also change the system preferences in settings, and adjust the volume and screen brightness. This can be activated from any display simply by briefly pressing the on/off button. To actually switch the Nüvi off press and hold the on/off button.   OK so to get going: Press ‘Where To’, enter the country, and postcode and you’re off...   If you don’t know the postcode then it’s still an easy process: Select search all and insert the road name and you’ll be presented with a list of matches.

Simply select the appropriate one, input house number and you’re almost away. The Nüvi has the option of not using a house number so instead of having to insert a ‘0’, which sometimes gives spurious results, there is the option of ‘-’ which sends you to the centre of the postcode area.   Navigating to a selected point on a map will only work in ‘Browse Map’ mode – if you input a postcode or address then view map you do not get the option to select a different point to navigate to. This can be overcome by tapping on the map to get the road name then start a new search.   Once you’ve decided where you’re going simply press the big green ‘Go!’ button. Route calculation seems fast although this obviously depends on the length of the journey – as expected there are settings to change the route from shortest distance to fastest time as well as what types of road to avoid etc.   The directions are well-timed and concise however the Nüvi does seem a little quiet when compared to the volume from the StreetPilot i3 – one would assume this is due to the sleek shape of the unit not leaving much space for a larger speaker. Having said that, there is still ample volume for motorway driving with the stereo on; but bare in mind that it will distort slightly at higher volumes.  Conclusion As conclusion, we can see that this is very good device. Here are the points: It’s small. Really small. 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87 inches small. It doesn’t get in your way while you’re driving. It doesn’t feel like there’s a boulder on your dashboard. It’s just about all screen. There’s very little chrome. There are no buttons. There’s no goofy shapes or lights or anything. It’s just a nice, really bright, surprisingly clear screen. It’s fast. The UI is always ready for you. No pauses, no lock-ups, no delays when you touch the screen. It’s refreshing (as most touch-screen based things I’ve used are usually sluggish). It’s all about convention over configuration. Plug it in and it works for 90% of all cases. No config. Zero learning curve (I mean it — ZERO). Yes, you can change some stuff if you want to, but there’s no need to. It couldn’t be easier to use. Really. It speaks the name of the next street. It doesn’t just say “Turn left in 0.2 miles” it says “In 0.2 miles turn left on Paulina.” This makes a significant difference. I didn’t think it would, but it basically allows you to keep your eyes on the road (instead of a map) 99% of the time. It has a 4-8 hour battery. This means you can take it with you (because it’s so small and light). You can walk with it if you need to know how to get somewhere on foot. You can take it with you to Europe on vacation and never get lost in the car or on foot. You can load it up with MP3s and Audiobooks so you always have something to listen to should you forget your iPod in the car. You can import custom points of interest that other people have compiled. For example, people can compile speed traps or police camera locations and share that file. Load that into your Nuvi and you’ll be alerted before you head into a trap. It’s accurate and very sensitive. It even works inside my garage with no windows. Apparently this is because of a new SiRF chipset. Currently, Amazon give 52% Discount for this product, just click here to take a look.