Full Review

30 March 2006 - Pocket-lint was given the chance to have an one-2-one briefing with Navman and its latest GPS unit - the Navman iCN750.

The first thing you will notice is the new widescreen display, At 4 inches it's big - big enough to be a make a difference and from Navman's efforts on its lower end devices trying to reduce the size of the screen it's pleasing to see that Navman isn't following this through on its top-end units.

Get past the bright colourful screen and you'll also notice that you can now get a reception inside. This is thanks to the inclusion of the new SIRF Star III chipset and even though we were inside for the demonstration, the chaps at Navman had no problems showing us where we were or setting navigation points.

For us this is a godsend, it is not until you see the new technology working that you realise how frustrating it was jumping in your car and then having to wait a couple of minutes before the GPS sprung into life.

Although we weren't able to test the unit on the road, Navman were keen to point out that the software has had to re-written from the ground up to fit that new shiny screen. With this in mind, the company says it has had the chance to fix certain anomalies like instructions to turn right on a junction on the motorway and now the accompanying voice instructions will also tell you what road you need when you come off the motorway at the roundabout so you can be prepared.

Get past the new software, that new screen and the new chipset and Navman has significantly improved Traffic support with the introduction of a new cradle, that like the Sony Nav-U system is built directly into the cradle rather than, like previous efforts from Navman expect you to trail a horrid cable across your - of course - clean dashboard.

But hidden, as if waiting to pounce is the introduction of something that we wouldn't expect to see on a GPS unit - a digital camera.

Navman has included a 1.3 megapixel digital camera on the iCN750 to tie in with a new service the company has launched - NavPix.

NavPix allows you to upload and download further locations or share locations with friends and family that you've taken with you new digital camera.

According to Navman the idea behind the offering is that when you are next around your mate's house or see a restaurant while driving along - they recommend you pull over first - you snap a picture and this records the GPS position of the location for later use.

The idea is that eventually you will be able to search for a host of locations via the online database and then drive straight to them rather than having to punch in a postcode or address.

It's a nice idea and we're sure, once someone works out how to punch the data into Google Maps, will be a huge success; but for some reason we aren't sold on the crackpot idea the Navman spokesman came up with that "if you lose you car in a large car park, this will help you find it".

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
At first glance, and we stress this is just a first glance, the iCN750 looks very sharp. While the camera may come across as a gimmick or a fad, luckily Navman has realised this and made sure it's not the main focus here.

What is, is that hard drive with all the maps of Europe, traffic support via the optional TMC cradle and the use of the improved GPS chipset.

One to look out for in May when the iCN750 hits the shops.