Navigon 7200T 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigation with Bluetooth, Text-to-Speech, and Free Traffic Alerts Review

Navigon 7200T has a widescreen 4.3 inch (10.9 cm) touch sensitive display for easier viewing and larger/more information. A notable inclusion is Voice Destination Entry which is usually only found in the most expensive, high end GPS navigators. The Navigon 7200T is a value for money GPS offering lane assistance, free real-time traffic updates, Bluetooth hands-free and text-to-speech voice guidance as well as SiRF’s Instant Fix II which minimizes the time for GPS receiver to gain a satellite lock.

Navigon 7200T GPS Navigator

Landmark View 3D

Landmark View 3D shows some of the best-known buildings across the U.S. and Canada in richly textured 3D. If you can spot a building that is showing on the navigation display, it’s another way of confirming that you are on-track.

Voice Destination Entry

Being able to use Navigon’s Voice Destination Entry is a safety as well as convenience feature allowing users to keep their eyes safely on the road ahead. Using the feature is simple; just state the city, street and number you wish to go to.

Advanced Text-to-speech

Another safety/convenience feature of the Navigon 7200T is Text-to-Speech (TTS). It allows the GPS to announce street names when giving navigation directions rather than simply stating “turn left” or “turn right”. TTS improves driving safety by providing confirmation that you are on the plotted route without needing to check the GPS navigator display.

Lane Assistance Pro

Lane Assistance Pro is Navigon’s second generation of lane assistance software functionality. It provides clear visual lane guidance complete with lane maps and arrows that indicate exactly which lane will keep you on course. It gives the driver more time to position themselves in the correct lane prior to a turn.

Free Lifetime Real-Time Traffic Updates

As it usually involves a subscription fee, free real-time traffic upates for Navigon 7200T owners is an attractive incentive to buy this GPS navigator. Traffic Message Channel (TMC) updates can save time and petrol. Red-yellow color-coding with incident icons informs drivers in real-time of traffic congestion giving them the option to get the Navigon 7200T to plot an alternative route. Traffic updates are available for over 95 cities across the U.S. and Canada.

Bluetooth Hands-Free

Bluetooth enables the Navigon 7200T to act as a hands-free speakerphone for your phone allowing you keep your eyes safely on the road while conversing. Calls can be placed quickly using the navigators touch screen. If you have your contacts stored in Microsoft Outlook, you are able to import them to the 7200T using Navigon Sync.

Navigating with the NAVIGON 7200T

There are a many ways to select a destination including;

search area button to select a map area (position confirmed with crosshairs)
tapping you destination on the map
search for the city first if you don’t know the street address or for the street first if you don’t know the city
search for a POI (nearby, in a city, nationwide, direct access)

Other handy navigation features include;

Multi-Destination Trip Planning allows you to plan your entire trip at once
Speed Assistant function displays speed limit and provides customizable warnings if you are exceeding it
Predictive text assistance to speed up information entry
Route Blocking allows intersections or turns you don’t like to be blocked
Exit Guide enables users to search upcoming exits for one of six POI categories – food, gas, lodging, rest areas, auto service or shopping
DirectHelp provides instant driving directions to and contact information for nearby hospitals, police stations, roadside assistance, and pharmacies. You also have your exact location to give out so that you can be located quickly

Navigon’s Reality View Pro

A photo-realistic 3D image of complex interchanges as they are approached is provided by Navigon’s Reality View. It’s a feature that needs time to get used to as the Reality View replaces the tracking view before and intersection meaning you don’t see your vehicle’s position on the map but, you do have the advantage of seeing a more detailed intersection map.

Zagat Ratings and Reviews

Another free over with the Navigon 7200T is access to ZAGAT Survey, a provider of consumer survey-based information on where to eat, drink, stay and play. Free access is provided to five destination guides and ratings and reviews for U.S. hotels, resorts, restaurants, golf courses, attractions and nightspots in over 70 U.S. cities.

Maps

The Navigon 7200T GPS navigator comes pre-loaded with complete maps of the U.S. and Canada (including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands). According to Navigon’s their maps undergo more than 150 million updates annually. This is a good reason to take up the optional FreshMaps subscription which offers up to 12 updates of both regular maps and POI over three years from mapping industry leader NAVTEQ.

To meet it’s challenging performance demands, particularly the visual interface, the Navigon 7200T is powered by a 533 MHz Samsung 2443 processor, has a built-in graphics accelerator and runs the Microsoft Windows CE Net 5.0 operating system.

Other Useful Features

Auto-off Feature turns off your system when you turn off your car
Auto Day/Night Mode adjusts your screen for better daytime or night-time viewing