Display Upgrades In Recent GPS Technology

| Sunday, November 13, 2011
By Yusef Naser


Car GPS units have evolved significantly over the last few years, and not just in their internal technologies. Enhanced navigation technologies are normally the best justification for upgrading, but design improvements can also enhance these devices. The popular GPS brands, including major brands like TomTom, realize this. They're now producing the TomTom GPS Navigators GPS navigator with a 5-inch displays in order to keep up with the competition.

Early GPS devices used 3.5-inch displays, but now people are accustomed to the 4.3-inch widescreen displays. Buying a unit with a 5-inch screen might seem like an expensive upgrade, but that doesn't need to be the case. TomTom offers a couple of inexpensive TomTom GPS navigators with 5-inch screens. For example, the TomTom VIA 1505TM is affordable but gives you the same benefits as typical 5-inch devices.

Advantages of 5-inch GPS Devices

The pixels on the screen will look larger on a 5-inch display than on a 4.3-inch, although the overall screen resolution will stay the same. This advantage can be significant for a GPS unit that's used in a vehicle. Depending on your vehicle's interior design, a dashboard- or windshield-mounted GPS unit might not be so easy to read. While zooming in can help, you need to activate the zoom feature by tapping the proper control. The menus of a 5-inch GPS are easier to read and the display remains clear on more zoom levels because its text is bigger than a 4.3-inch device. GPS units like the TomTom VIA 5-inch models have slim profiles and remain lightweight despite their larger screens.

A Quick Buying Guide for 5-Inch GPS Units

The TomTom GPS Navigators is the least expensive TomTom VIA unit. For about $150, you can get all the basic GPS functions. This particular model is basic compared to a TomTom GO model, but it still gives you plenty of helpful features. For example, you'll have maps with detailed roads and plenty of points of interest. The 1505 also gives you helpful navigation technologies such as Eco Routes, Advanced Lane Guidance and IQ Routes.

But if you are upgrading from a smaller 4.3-inch device, you are better off going for something a bit more midrange like the TomTom VIA 1535T. This way you are not getting just a screen upgrade but also a functionality upgrade where you can take advantage of Bluetooth and voice recognition features. These features used to be on high-end devices and now ordinary consumers can have a chance at better convenience.

The TomTom devices with the TM suffix are better yet. These particular models come with lifetime traffic updates in addition to lifetime map updates, and there aren't any subscription fees to worry about. Real-time updates are essential if knowing the best route to take at a particular time is important. Updating the maps periodically is also important because it lets you be aware of new road developments. A unit such as the TomTom VIA 1535TM would be a great buy and it's priced at under $200.




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