The Next Word in Navigation

Technology has evolved hugely in recent years and navigation is no exception. The days refolding oversized maps and pulling into gas stations to ask for directions are over. Or should be.

At the basic level, most smart phones will have some kind of GPS and many systems do offer turn-by-turn navigation, and a wide variety of standalone systems are available as well.

But there are a few drawbacks to using phones and standalone GPS systems:

• Smart phone GPS is not true satellite GPS, and uses cell towers to triangulate your location instead of satellites. That’s not a problem when driving in cities and urban areas, but there are a lot of remote places where cell phone towers are sparse — not the types of places you want to get lost!
• Not all smart phone navigation systems are equal: some offer turn-by-turn navigation, others require you to buy an app for that. Most have small screens (around four to five inches). And all of the systems work a little differently. Some have been known to provide the wrong information at times, or don’t work well when you’re multitasking, taking calls or playing music while driving.
• Portable GPS receivers do use satellite communication but you have to update the maps frequently. They have limited storage and they don’t necessarily offer layers for things like real-time traffic or accident reports to let you choose the best route possible. Screens are generally a little larger than phones, but still smaller than most AV receivers.
• Phone and portable GPS speakers generally aren’t loud enough to hear if you’re also listening to music on your car’s stereo system. And phone GPS often doesn’t work unless the phone is in the right position near a window, requiring you to buy a dock or grip device.

Here’s why you should consider spending a little more to get an AV receiver with GPS or upgrade to dashboard/rearview mirror GPS:

• The price is lower than you think and many in-dash/AV GPS receivers offer a complete mobile solution — fully-featured satellite GPS with voice control, plus music and video integration, Bluetooth connectivity to your phone to make phone calls and send texts, and more. Prices vary, so be sure to know what features are most important to you.
• Screens are large, usually six to ten inches, and have two to five times more screen area than most phones or standalone systems.
• Everything is completed integrated into the car with no wires or jacks required, making them impossible to lose or steal, and battery life isn’t an issue. You’re also never without your GPS if you rely on tracking mileage for work.
• If navigation is important to you then find your way to our store to see the latest options available. Ask us anything, and see for yourself how easy it is to get a complete navigation solution for your vehicle!