Our GPS Buying Advice article offers a complete buying guide for anyone in the market for a new GPS package, whether they happen to be novice or expert. Enjoy your look around – and don’t get lost!

GPS Buying Tips

Before you even contemplate buying a new GPS, you will need to work out a few things:

Budget

As ever, budget is your key consideration. Work out your maximum spend, stick to it and don’t budge under pressure from the enticing words of salesmen.

Travel

How far do you travel and why do you want a GPS? If you don’t go far, then there is little point in buying expensive. GPS are jam-packed with features these days, but you may not need all those extra features like European maps if you aren’t ever going to use them.

However, if you are using it every day and travel from place to place, a GPS unit will quickly become vital to your working schedule and you should invest accordingly. A high price generally means a good, long-lasting build quality – although always check reviews before making your decision

Placement

Have a think about where you can put your GPS on your car. Is size going to be an issue? Is it going to block your view through your windscreen, and if so, can you place it on the dashboard instead?

It is possible to buy mounts that fit in the air-con vent grill on your dashboard, but these can cause issues with blocking air – and the GPS may even be too heavy to sit there for too long.

Updates

Basic journeys are fine, but most maps will need updating every once in a while. Find out before buying whether these updates will be provided for free – there could be nasty charges on their way that you don’t expect.

GPS Functions

There are several key functions that most GPS units will offer; here is a brief outline of what to expect….

The Basics

GPS stands for ‘Global Positioning System’ and works by using orbiting satellites and GPS receivers to calculate a current location anywhere in the world. There is one major stipulation; the GPS device must have a direct line of sight to a minimum of three satellites in the sky to triangulate your position, meaning GPS may not work if you are underground or in a deep valley.

However, if you are out in the middle of the sticks and within line of as many satellites as possible, your GPS can be unerring – the more satellites that can locate you, the better the accuracy.

GPS been commercially available since the 80s, with more portable versions of the device apearing in the 90s, the devices finally smalenough to fit in your hand – and therefore your car. Nowadays,many smart phones have GPS capabilities inbuilt and you can get GPS units for motorcycles, bicycles, boats and runners, sport watches, walkie-talkies and even GPS specifically used for tracking animals.

Screen size and type

Expect your typical GPS unit to measure between 3.5 inches to 7 inches diagonally. Unless you have particularly bad eyesight, a well-designed screen and clear audio directions are more important than size. Small screens have their advantages – they are cheaper than big screen GPS, for example although large screens also have their advantages; bigger maps, more extensive travel data including street names and speed, and a larger virtual keyboard, which might be essential for the large-handed.

Touchscreens

Most modern GPS units have touchscreens that you use a virtual keyboard to enter your destination, normally with some form of predictive text. Always do this before you have started to drive, of course! More modern GPS units offer voice-recognition which you might consider if you can see yourself travelling to changeable locations many times per day. However, voice recognition is still in its infancy and can be unreliable, so beware.

Map coverage

The standard GPS will contain detailed street maps for whichever country you reside in and many include maps for all of Europe and beyond, if you do a lot of travelling, although these additional digital generally cost more to download. Most maps will be similar whatever brand of GPS you buy as the electronic map data used comes from two or three sources.

There are a wide range of personal GPS; handheld GPS units may not display maps at all and simply report your longitude and latitude while creating a track of coordinates you have already been to, while certain other models can even display downloaded satellite images. If you have awkward vision, you may consider buying as big a screen possible, as it can be hard to see maps on some GPS units.

Media card slots

GPS devices have a built-in hard drive or use flash memory cards to store data, and those memory cards typically come in the form of microSD cards. Hard-drive models are quicker at calculating routes and searching for POIs, but media cards will last you far longer. You can also get hybrid GPS units; hard drive models that also contain a media card slot. Media cards are excellent for updating maps and backing up addresses and also offer extra multimedia features in some higher-end GPS units, including photos and videos.

GPS Features

GPS units offer a huge array of features and in general, the more features you want, the more you will have to pay. Make sure you save as much as possible by leaving out the features you don’t need and direct your attentions onto buying the best of what you actually need. Here are some features to look out for…

3D Maps

Most car GPS units can display map data in 3D, or bird’s-eye view. When using a 2D view, the map appears like a typical paper map, while a 3D view gives you a real representation of surrounding landscape, although from a couple of hundred feet in the air. The benefits of 3D map are that you can work out your position easier and faster while driving.

Turn-by-turn Instruction

GPS units offer turn-by-turn directions, prompting you in two ways; visually on screen and with verbal instruction. You will be told when to turn right, left, and which junction to get off, all through your journey. Contemporary GPS units offer text-to-speech functions that can even (attempt to) pronounce street names.

It might be worth popping by your local retailer for a demo, as you will need to check whether the particular GPS unit you are contemplating can deliver spoken directions at sufficient volume above your the noise your car makes. Some units will actually use a short-range FM transmitter that sends voice instruction though your car’s stereo system.

Points Of Interest

Your GPS may offer you a points-of-interest feature which can show you various services you might encounter on your journey, such as hotels, parks, coffee shops and garages. Most automobile GPS units have huge numbers of POIs available in their database, but they often take time to update – more so than GPS street maps. For this reason, be aware that the coffee shop your GPS recommends may well have gone out of business a few months before!

Real-time traffic reports

Some GPS units can receive real-time traffic updates which are sent via wireless data or FM transmission. You may need an add-on receiver for this service, although some GPS have them inbuilt. Subscription fees for traffic information are common, and vary in cost for the sort of service you may want. These services can be good for spotting traffic congestion and construction-delay, enabling you to avoid jams by going a different way – although whether the service offered is any better than your car stereo’s automatic traffic report is debatable.

Channels

Your GPS unit may be capable of receiving a number of ‘channels’, which determine the number of satellite signals it can receive simultaneously. Lower-priced units generally have 12 different channels, while more expensive models can hold up to 24. In effect, the more channels you have, the more accurate your GPS will be.

Waypoints

Waypoints are specific locations that you record into your GPS unit, which are excellent for handheld devices and mean you will never get lost again! The more you spend, the more waypoints your GPS will be able to store, with the more expensive models able to store hundreds of different locations that can be managed and labelled within the actual GPS.

Tracks

Tracks are excellent for walking or driving though the countryside, as they enable your GPS to record and display a Hansel & Gretel-style breadcrumb trail of where exactly you have been. Obviously, this means you won’t get lost, but a good tracks service can also let you download your track to your home computer and view your old journeys on a map. Cheaper GPS models offer a more limited storage, while more expensive units can store many locations, which can be labelled and managed within the GPS.

GPS Accessories

Unfortunately, the money you spend when buying your GPS doesn’t just involve the actual GPS, but the accessories you may need to go with it as well. Some are essential, some will be replacements and some will be useful but not vital – here is our advice on what to expect from GPS accessories…

Updates

Maps are a key part of GPS units and as we know, streets and businesses change often, roads go from one-way to two-way and additions are added to the nation’s motorways on a yearly basis. This means that updates are crucial for the accuracy of your GPS. Some manufacturers will charge considerably for map updates, while others may allow you a certain amount for free – always check the small print!

Brackets

It is highly likely you will use your GPS unit in your car and you will more than likely need a bracket to hold it on your windscreen or dash. Your GPS will probably come with a bracket in the box, but they are prone to breaking, so if you buy one separately, ensure it is sturdy and comes with the correct power adapters.

Power supply

Your GPS device for your car will tend to use your car’s 12-volt power supply – normally the cigarette lighter. If you’re out and about on foot, make sure you have enough batteries with you to last your whole journey – and then a liitle bit more – in general, large GPS units will run from four AA batteries (lasting approx. 12 hours) and smaller handhelds will run from two AAs (4 to 5 hours of power).

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