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Garmin nüvi 1390T
| Caractéristiques | |||
| Dimensions / Weight | 122 x 75 x 16 mm / 162 g | ||
| Antenna type | SiRF Star III / Built-in | ||
| Screen size / tactile | 4.3 inches / Yes | ||
| Autonomy | 4 h | ||
| Maps / Countries included | Navteq / Europe | ||
 Show all specifications
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| Software | Garmin 3.62 |
| Memory | Internal (microSD slot) |
| Traffic info | Yes / TMC RDS |
| Multi-destination routing | No |
| MP3 player / Photos | No / Yes |
 Hide specifications | |
Fabien Pionneau
Test date: October 2, 2009
Test date: October 2, 2009
Your GPS: economic and ecological?
Garmin's new GPS systems include a new system to calculate the most economical itinerary called ecoRoute, and the manufacturer is also keen to press the green credentials of such a system.
You need to program certain details about your vehicle, like the type of fuel used, the price and its consumption in urban and rural areas.
The GPS also offers hints and tips to save fuel, and has an 'Eco Challenge' mode that is designed to encourage you drive with the environment in mind. The benefit of this last feature is a little dubious.
When we tried it, we found that the ecoRoute system suggest itineraries that avoided both main roads and city centres to produce routes that were more fluid, even if they were longer or took more time. Although he hadn't expected much from it, it's actually quite a good idea given that fuel prices could easily keep on going on up.
You need to program certain details about your vehicle, like the type of fuel used, the price and its consumption in urban and rural areas.
The GPS also offers hints and tips to save fuel, and has an 'Eco Challenge' mode that is designed to encourage you drive with the environment in mind. The benefit of this last feature is a little dubious.
When we tried it, we found that the ecoRoute system suggest itineraries that avoided both main roads and city centres to produce routes that were more fluid, even if they were longer or took more time. Although he hadn't expected much from it, it's actually quite a good idea given that fuel prices could easily keep on going on up.
The nüvi 1390T is Garmin's new mid-range GPS. This ultra-compact satnav has a complete range of features, including lane display and detailed instructions at junctions. It comes preloaded with maps for Europe, has free traffic updates, a Bluetooth handsfree kit and also offers the ecoRoute feature, which calculates routes that use the least amount of fuel.
Hardware
The 4.3'' matte screen is easy to read, even in bright sunlight. A microSD card slot on the side allows you to install extra maps, or add photos and music to your GPS. That saves space compared to a normal SD card slot, of course, but isn't necessarily that useful because microSD cards are less popular.
The suction mount is still pretty small and easy to attach to your windscreen. The mount attaches the GPS firmly, but the ball-joint that the display is attached to is less useful, and takes up a lot of room when you're carrying it around. It would be easier to leave the stand in the glovebox and just remove the screen.
The 1390T is charged by mini USB port on the back, which connects to the cigarette lighter. There's also a module that includes the antenna for the TMC data, which is connected using a mini-jack, which is a lot less useful than a connection directly to the GPS itself.
Handling
The nüvi 1390T is a very compact device, weighing just 162 g and just 16 mm thick; it slides very easily into a bag. The plastic surfaces that Garmin has chosen are quality and the reverse side is soft.
Switching it on takes 19 seconds, and it finds the satellites relatively rapidly, even when you're indoors and close to a window. In general, the nüvi 1390T is a responsive device, unlike the 860 and 865T.
The predictive text input, though, still has a number of problems, as it only provides a series of possible place names sorted alphabetically when only a few choices remain, after you've typed the majority of the address. The destinations don't auto-complete as you type.
There's no voice recognition on this model, which means there's no way round using the onscreen virtual keyboard, which offers both standard QWERTY and ABCDE modes.
All in all, using this GPS isn't dreadful, but it's a long way from perfect too. It's a shame, as effort has clearly gone into making the menus clear and newcomers will find them easy to get the hang of.
Adjusting the volume is tricky, as you need to go through two menus on the screen, turn the sound up or down, then go through two more steps to get back to following your route. It would have been better to have some kind of direct access, or even physical buttons on the side to turn it up and down.
Navigation
The Garmin nüvi 1390T has a complete set of navigation features, including lane management, TMC traffic bulletins, alerts for nearby speed cameras and if you are driving too fast, displays of the signs to follow and a Text-to-Speech vocal synthesizer. One thing that would be welcome is a few more options when you choose your route, to avoid toll roads for example.
One problem that we found with earlier models has been corrected here: the 'voice of the GPS' is now much friendlier. It's still a little robotic, but a lot more pleasant to listen to than on some other GPS, and you no longer feel like you're taking orders from Super Nanny. However, you can't test out the different voices in the menu to see if you'd prefer one or the other.
The system that warns you of fixed speed cameras works well, as do the alerts that signal the approach of areas likely to contain mobile speed traps. Unfortunately, you can't adjust the amount of warning you get. Finally, we remain cautious about the traffic updates provided using the TMC system: while they're useful on the motorway, they're a lot less powerful in town where they can't cover all of the roads and streets.
Extra Features
The nüvi 1390T's navigation features are complemented by a Bluetooth hands-free kit that worked very well when we tested it with an iPhone 3G, as well as a photo display and a 'Garmin Lock' PIN system, like that found on mobile phones. It would have been good to have an MP3 player with a mini FM transmitter to listen to music stored on the microSD card on the car's speakers.
A 'Where am I?' mode allow you to find your current location very quickly, and gives details of nearby services like hospitals and petrol stations, which can be very useful in an emergency.
The pedestrian mode, from cityXplorer, is simple and easy-to-use, while a public transport option should also be available soon, though we didn't test it.
Hardware
The 4.3'' matte screen is easy to read, even in bright sunlight. A microSD card slot on the side allows you to install extra maps, or add photos and music to your GPS. That saves space compared to a normal SD card slot, of course, but isn't necessarily that useful because microSD cards are less popular.The suction mount is still pretty small and easy to attach to your windscreen. The mount attaches the GPS firmly, but the ball-joint that the display is attached to is less useful, and takes up a lot of room when you're carrying it around. It would be easier to leave the stand in the glovebox and just remove the screen.
The 1390T is charged by mini USB port on the back, which connects to the cigarette lighter. There's also a module that includes the antenna for the TMC data, which is connected using a mini-jack, which is a lot less useful than a connection directly to the GPS itself.
Handling
The nüvi 1390T is a very compact device, weighing just 162 g and just 16 mm thick; it slides very easily into a bag. The plastic surfaces that Garmin has chosen are quality and the reverse side is soft. |
 |
Switching it on takes 19 seconds, and it finds the satellites relatively rapidly, even when you're indoors and close to a window. In general, the nüvi 1390T is a responsive device, unlike the 860 and 865T.
The predictive text input, though, still has a number of problems, as it only provides a series of possible place names sorted alphabetically when only a few choices remain, after you've typed the majority of the address. The destinations don't auto-complete as you type.
There's no voice recognition on this model, which means there's no way round using the onscreen virtual keyboard, which offers both standard QWERTY and ABCDE modes.
All in all, using this GPS isn't dreadful, but it's a long way from perfect too. It's a shame, as effort has clearly gone into making the menus clear and newcomers will find them easy to get the hang of.
Adjusting the volume is tricky, as you need to go through two menus on the screen, turn the sound up or down, then go through two more steps to get back to following your route. It would have been better to have some kind of direct access, or even physical buttons on the side to turn it up and down.
Navigation
The Garmin nüvi 1390T has a complete set of navigation features, including lane management, TMC traffic bulletins, alerts for nearby speed cameras and if you are driving too fast, displays of the signs to follow and a Text-to-Speech vocal synthesizer. One thing that would be welcome is a few more options when you choose your route, to avoid toll roads for example.One problem that we found with earlier models has been corrected here: the 'voice of the GPS' is now much friendlier. It's still a little robotic, but a lot more pleasant to listen to than on some other GPS, and you no longer feel like you're taking orders from Super Nanny. However, you can't test out the different voices in the menu to see if you'd prefer one or the other.
The system that warns you of fixed speed cameras works well, as do the alerts that signal the approach of areas likely to contain mobile speed traps. Unfortunately, you can't adjust the amount of warning you get. Finally, we remain cautious about the traffic updates provided using the TMC system: while they're useful on the motorway, they're a lot less powerful in town where they can't cover all of the roads and streets.
Extra Features
The nüvi 1390T's navigation features are complemented by a Bluetooth hands-free kit that worked very well when we tested it with an iPhone 3G, as well as a photo display and a 'Garmin Lock' PIN system, like that found on mobile phones. It would have been good to have an MP3 player with a mini FM transmitter to listen to music stored on the microSD card on the car's speakers.A 'Where am I?' mode allow you to find your current location very quickly, and gives details of nearby services like hospitals and petrol stations, which can be very useful in an emergency.
The pedestrian mode, from cityXplorer, is simple and easy-to-use, while a public transport option should also be available soon, though we didn't test it.
Pluses
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Clear, efficient navigation
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Good at locating satellites
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Small and well-finished
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Large matte screen
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Bluetooth hands-free mode
Minuses
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Autocorrection of addresses not very useful
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Handling of stops en route
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Suction mount too traditional
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Not many options to configure route chosen
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No FM transmitter
The Garmin nüvi 1390T won't revolutionise the world of GPS, but it's simple to use and does its job well. We would, though, have preferred more options and the chance to adjust more settings.
