Review of the Garmin StreetPilot c550
By Craig Ellison, PCMag.com
When Garmin announced its c500 series of automotive GPS navigation systems last March, it had some people scratching their heads. Why would anyone buy these devices when they're just a high-priced extension of the popular c300 series of value-priced GPSs? But PC Magazine was able to road test one of the first c550s available in the U.S., and I can tell you that the bevy of new features make the price premium a no-brainer.
The c550 ($799) is a portable GPS with a 3.5-inch QVGA touch screen. The only hardware controls on the device are the power switch and the volume control. All input is done via the touch screen. Like the c330, it runs either from the power adapter in your car or from its built-in rechargeable battery, which offers as much as 8 hours of battery life. It features the same simple interface found on virtually all current Garmin products. The main screen has two main choices: "Where to?" and "View map." It features a 3D view as well as the standard 2D North Up and 2D Track Up views found on virtually all GPSs. Like the C340, as well as the 2700 and 7000 series Garmins, the c550 also features text-to-speech voice prompts. Since the operation and menu system of the c550 are so similar to the c330's, we'll focus on the new features.
The most visible new feature of the c550 is the new antiglare screen, which uses the same technology as that found on the higher-priced 2700 series. It is nonreflective, has a wide viewing angle, and is visible even in bright sunlight. It represents a significant improvement over the reflective screen that we complained about on the c330.
The c550 also has a new, simpler mounting bracket: Instead of a suction-cup bracket, it has a ball-and-socket mount, which makes it easier to remove than the c330. The protective neoprene zippered case has a hole in its back; this allows you to mount the c550 to the bracket without taking it out of the case; you'll just have to unzip the case to start using it.
In addition to the new, greatly improved screen, the c550 has two new features that make it a really compelling product. First, the c550 is Bluetooth-enabled. When paired with a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone, the c550 doubles as a speakerphone. Garmin claims that the c550 is compatible with over 200 models of phones, though all features are not fully supported for all phones. Garmin's Web site lists the supported phones and which features work for each model. Even without an instruction manual, I found that setting up the Bluetooth feature was a snap. In less than a minute, my LG VX8100 successfully paired with the c550. Unfortunately, the c550 didn't support phone list synchronization with my cell phone. A new "Phone" icon appears on the main menu screen when the c550 is paired with your cell phone. A touch on that icon brings up a dialing menu; from here you can find and dial from your list of favorites or the POI (points-of-interest) database, or you can dial a number manually. One disappointment: The creation of new favorite location hasn't been updated to include the option of adding a phone number. Once you enter a new favorite location, you can go back and add in a phone number, but it takes five screen taps to get to the correct menu. I suspect that this small UI oversight will be fixed in future releases.
Since the POI database is populated with phone numbers, it's quite simple to find, for example, a nearby restaurant and call for reservations. There's also a single "Call Home" icon, and?if your phone is fully supported and has the capabilities?voice dialing and call history dialing. On incoming calls, the screen pops up the phone number of incoming call (if available) and gives you the option of answering the phone, or ignoring the call. During a phone call, you can continue navigating, but turn-by-turn voice prompts are suppressed.
The third important new feature on the c550 is built-in live traffic data. Unlike earlier models that had a separate clunky, optional RDS receiver, the c550 includes an RDS traffic receiver that's built into the DC power adapter. You have to plug in only one cable?traffic data and power are all on the same connector. A new "traffic" icon appears on the main menu when the live data feature is active. A touch on the traffic icon brings up a list of traffic conditions, sorted in ascending distance from your current location. Traffic conditions include traffic, accident, construction, and road closure information. You can drill down for more information on each listed condition, or show its location on the map. If you have an active route planned on which there is a traffic alert, the c550 can automatically reroute around the problem. A three-month subscription is included with your purchase. After that, the subscription costs $60 for 15 months.
The c550 also includes a number of other new features which, when taken individually, aren't amazing, but in total add to its value. The c550 is now outfitted with two speakers rather than one and comes with an MP3 player. You can transfer your tunes to the internal memory (about 700MB are available), or play them directly from an SD card. I loaded close to 700MB of MP3s onto an SD card and played them while navigating. When it comes time for the device to give a voice prompt for an upcoming turn, the MP3 playback is automatically muted, as it is also during a phone call. I found no decrease in GPS performance when the music was playing. The c550 has both a stereo output jack and an external microphone jack for those who want better quality than that offered by the built-in microphone.
The c550 also has provision for customized cursor icons. In addition to the standard wedge-shaped cursor icon, the c550 ships with a car and a truck cursor icon for the more creative of us. Additional icons will be posted on the Garmin Web site. Garmin also addressed one of the weaknesses we found in the c330: A touch of the cursor icon now gives you a one-touch option of saving your current location as a favorite.
The security-conscious consumer can enable the Garmin Lock?a four-digit code that you can assign. Once this is enabled, you must enter the code each time you power up the unit. Should your c550 be stolen, the thief won't be able to use it. Should you forget your code, if you take the c550 to the location defined as "Home" it will unlock.
For bloggers who want to include map views of their travel adventures, the c550 can create screenshots. When this feature is enabled, a small icon of a camera appears on virtually every screen. A touch on the camera icon takes a 320-by-240 screenshot and stores it on available internal memory.
The c550 is a solid upgrade to the c330 and C340 GPSs. While the c550 does carry a $100-to-$200 list price premium over the older models, the new Hi Bright screen, Bluetooth phone, and live traffic capabilities make this a significant improvement over its predecessors.
When Garmin announced its c500 series of automotive GPS navigation systems last March, it had some people scratching their heads. Why would anyone buy these devices when they're just a high-priced extension of the popular c300 series of value-priced GPSs? But PC Magazine was able to road test one of the first c550s available in the U.S., and I can tell you that the bevy of new features make the price premium a no-brainer.
The c550 ($799) is a portable GPS with a 3.5-inch QVGA touch screen. The only hardware controls on the device are the power switch and the volume control. All input is done via the touch screen. Like the c330, it runs either from the power adapter in your car or from its built-in rechargeable battery, which offers as much as 8 hours of battery life. It features the same simple interface found on virtually all current Garmin products. The main screen has two main choices: "Where to?" and "View map." It features a 3D view as well as the standard 2D North Up and 2D Track Up views found on virtually all GPSs. Like the C340, as well as the 2700 and 7000 series Garmins, the c550 also features text-to-speech voice prompts. Since the operation and menu system of the c550 are so similar to the c330's, we'll focus on the new features.
The most visible new feature of the c550 is the new antiglare screen, which uses the same technology as that found on the higher-priced 2700 series. It is nonreflective, has a wide viewing angle, and is visible even in bright sunlight. It represents a significant improvement over the reflective screen that we complained about on the c330.
The c550 also has a new, simpler mounting bracket: Instead of a suction-cup bracket, it has a ball-and-socket mount, which makes it easier to remove than the c330. The protective neoprene zippered case has a hole in its back; this allows you to mount the c550 to the bracket without taking it out of the case; you'll just have to unzip the case to start using it.
In addition to the new, greatly improved screen, the c550 has two new features that make it a really compelling product. First, the c550 is Bluetooth-enabled. When paired with a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone, the c550 doubles as a speakerphone. Garmin claims that the c550 is compatible with over 200 models of phones, though all features are not fully supported for all phones. Garmin's Web site lists the supported phones and which features work for each model. Even without an instruction manual, I found that setting up the Bluetooth feature was a snap. In less than a minute, my LG VX8100 successfully paired with the c550. Unfortunately, the c550 didn't support phone list synchronization with my cell phone. A new "Phone" icon appears on the main menu screen when the c550 is paired with your cell phone. A touch on that icon brings up a dialing menu; from here you can find and dial from your list of favorites or the POI (points-of-interest) database, or you can dial a number manually. One disappointment: The creation of new favorite location hasn't been updated to include the option of adding a phone number. Once you enter a new favorite location, you can go back and add in a phone number, but it takes five screen taps to get to the correct menu. I suspect that this small UI oversight will be fixed in future releases.
Since the POI database is populated with phone numbers, it's quite simple to find, for example, a nearby restaurant and call for reservations. There's also a single "Call Home" icon, and?if your phone is fully supported and has the capabilities?voice dialing and call history dialing. On incoming calls, the screen pops up the phone number of incoming call (if available) and gives you the option of answering the phone, or ignoring the call. During a phone call, you can continue navigating, but turn-by-turn voice prompts are suppressed.
The third important new feature on the c550 is built-in live traffic data. Unlike earlier models that had a separate clunky, optional RDS receiver, the c550 includes an RDS traffic receiver that's built into the DC power adapter. You have to plug in only one cable?traffic data and power are all on the same connector. A new "traffic" icon appears on the main menu when the live data feature is active. A touch on the traffic icon brings up a list of traffic conditions, sorted in ascending distance from your current location. Traffic conditions include traffic, accident, construction, and road closure information. You can drill down for more information on each listed condition, or show its location on the map. If you have an active route planned on which there is a traffic alert, the c550 can automatically reroute around the problem. A three-month subscription is included with your purchase. After that, the subscription costs $60 for 15 months.
The c550 also includes a number of other new features which, when taken individually, aren't amazing, but in total add to its value. The c550 is now outfitted with two speakers rather than one and comes with an MP3 player. You can transfer your tunes to the internal memory (about 700MB are available), or play them directly from an SD card. I loaded close to 700MB of MP3s onto an SD card and played them while navigating. When it comes time for the device to give a voice prompt for an upcoming turn, the MP3 playback is automatically muted, as it is also during a phone call. I found no decrease in GPS performance when the music was playing. The c550 has both a stereo output jack and an external microphone jack for those who want better quality than that offered by the built-in microphone.
The c550 also has provision for customized cursor icons. In addition to the standard wedge-shaped cursor icon, the c550 ships with a car and a truck cursor icon for the more creative of us. Additional icons will be posted on the Garmin Web site. Garmin also addressed one of the weaknesses we found in the c330: A touch of the cursor icon now gives you a one-touch option of saving your current location as a favorite.
The security-conscious consumer can enable the Garmin Lock?a four-digit code that you can assign. Once this is enabled, you must enter the code each time you power up the unit. Should your c550 be stolen, the thief won't be able to use it. Should you forget your code, if you take the c550 to the location defined as "Home" it will unlock.
For bloggers who want to include map views of their travel adventures, the c550 can create screenshots. When this feature is enabled, a small icon of a camera appears on virtually every screen. A touch on the camera icon takes a 320-by-240 screenshot and stores it on available internal memory.
The c550 is a solid upgrade to the c330 and C340 GPSs. While the c550 does carry a $100-to-$200 list price premium over the older models, the new Hi Bright screen, Bluetooth phone, and live traffic capabilities make this a significant improvement over its predecessors.
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