Garmin 1350LMT Review

I have had the Garmin 1350LMTfor 10 days so far, so take the review for what it’s worth. I paid $128 for this unit on Amazon.I typically use a GPS in its muted state, preferring visual queues over voice prompts. That having been said, I downloaded Garmin’s voice studio, which allows you to record your own voice to use instead of the typical voices. It works very well, but use a high quality microphone, preferably with noise reduction to make the best quality recording. I also liked being able to download different icons from their website; I now use a small jet instead of a car to navigate with. The calibration feature for the touch screen also works very well. The screen updating is much smoother than my 255w, which is a little “jerky” as you move along your destination. Another thing I really like is that I could transfer all my “favorite” destinations to my new unit simply by plugging in my old unit to the computer with the included USB cord, saving the “Current.gpx” file to my computer, then plugging in the new unit and copying the Current.gpx file from the computer to the new unit. (For some reason though, I had to first delete the pre-installed “favorites” Garmin includes, which is their headquarters in various parts of the world.)Of course, these are all minor points that do not really indicate the actual “functionality” of a GPS. A couple things I have noticed thus far are a little disconcerting to me. If I am driving with the GPS on, but I haven’t actually punched in a destination, it shows a dotted line along my current route showing where I have driven on previous trips. This indicates the GPS has recorded where I have gone in the past, and could be construed as an invasion of privacy. (but by the same token, the very use of a GPS precludes any expectation of privacy.) I have also noticed that the speed indicator has stuck at 14MPH at least once so far. (This time when a destination had been punched in.) Again, these are not show stoppers for me, since the reason I bought the unit is for accurate navigation, and the lifetime map updates; I don’t care about all the other bells and whistles.Of the few destinations I have punched in, the unit has been flawless. I have disabled the traffic feature based on research that indicates it is not to be trusted. I also strongly dislike the idea of having coupons and commercials fed to me. (BAD idea Garmin, at least provide an option to disable the coupons. Some people actually like this feature?)As for downloading map updates, The first time you register your unit you have to download an update. This took about 55 minutes through my Comcast HS internet connection. Make sure you use an ethernet connection and not wireless for the transfer, or you will be waiting a LONG time! It remains to be seen as to how long future updates will take, but as you can only update four times a year, (And I will most likely update only once or twice a year)this is only a minor inconvienience.

So, while I am only giving the unit four stars, the unit will suit my purposes nicely. (I hope.) I may update this review as I gain more experience with the unit, so stay tuned

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