Magellan Premium Car Kit ($129.99)
REVIEW – “Take your mobile device to the next level with Magellan’s GPS Kit!”
I have heard so much about GPS kits like this one on both sides. Some people say that it’s ridiculous to pay that much because you could by a standalone unit cheaper, while others say that they add so much more than just a GPS chip to the experience. Thanks to the folks at Magellan I was able to get my hands on one! I did my best to run it through the fire and see how it performs at various tasks. At the bottom of this review you’ll also see a YouTube video where I’ve posted an unboxing and field test of the dock!
First off I’d like to say that I am very impressed with the build quality of the dock. Of course you would expect nothing less when you’re shelling out $130, but no part of the unit or accessories felt fragile. The initial setup of the device is very simple. Once you’ve got everything plugged in and the dock attached where you want it 
there is a small black button the back of the device that will make it “search” for other devices. All you have to do then is just connect to it via Bluetooth. This only has to be done one time as your device will remember the dock later and automatically connect as long as you have your Bluetooth on.
One of the things that I was quite interested in is how well the speakerphone would perform. I typically have a busy schedule and sometimes it requires me to be getting in touch with people while I 
amalready on my way there. If I’m going to be safe it is important that I keep my hands free and eyes on the road. The speakerphone function seemed to work quite well. I’m not exactly sure if the dock has some kind of noise cancelling feature or what, but I had no problem with people being able to hear me and the dock’s built in speaker amplified the other party’s voice enough to make it easy to carry on a conversation.
Many people have wondered how much performance difference there really is between an iPhone on its own and one connected to a dock unit like this one. I ran several different tests on the unit. Most of them were simply checking the signal that the apps were receiving while connected to the dock and disconnected and seeing how the Apps performed 
while driving around. After testing the performance of several different GPS apps it was obvious that this dock gives a significant boost to the GPS signal of the iPhone.
The most telling test that I did is demonstrated in my video review below. If you hunt through the settings of the TomTom GPS app you will find an option called “GPS Enhancer.” The app states thatwhen this option is turned on that it “compensates for any delays or inaccuracies in your location.” To test it I turned this option off and drove around both with the dock and without it. The results were obvious.
There was a big difference in the “choppiness” of the location updates on the screen. This was especially evident when turning. I’m sure you’ve noticed if you’ve used a GPS app with your phone that things are really choppy anytime you make a turn. With the dock connected if you make a turn that the app was not expecting it will still takes a second for it to reroute you, but you won’t experience the same choppiness while the app is trying to figure out which direction you went!
Now if you are a bargain hunter it’s possible that this product may not be for you. If; however, you just want a dock that will charge your device, amplify your mic input and speakers, enhance your GPS and hold your device steady in the car you are unlikely to find anything that does it as well as this dock. And even if you do it is unlikely that you will find it all in one device!
Overall I think that anyone that chooses to shell out $130 for this dock is not going to be disappointed with what they receive because it just works right out of the box! there was almost no “setup” procedure, and all of the advertised features seem to work smoothly. Whether you’re looking to add GPS capability to your iPod Touch, or you just improve your iPhone experience in the car, the Magellan dock is a one stop solution for docking your iPhone and iPod Touch! So check it out at MagellanGPS.com today!
- David H.
Also check out the Magellan GPS app for $79.99 in the App Store if you have not already!
Download Now!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Developer – MiTaC Digital Corporation
URL: http://magellangps.com
DEVELOPERS NOTES
Transform your iPhone® or iPod touch 2 G into a GPS navigator with the built-in GPS receiver in Magellan’s Premium Car Kit.
Purchase and register the Magellan RoadMate App at Magellangps.com and receive a coupon valid towards $20 off the purchase of the Premium Car Kit from Magellan. Coupon codes will be emailed to your registered account within 7 days of registration. Promotion offer applies to all eligible purchases made before 1/31/2010.
To qualify for this special offer:
1. Purchase the App before 1/25/2010
2. Register the App on www.MagellanGPS.com by 1/25/2010
3. Purchase the Premium Car Kit by 1/31/2010 with your coupon on the Magellan website
For more details on this limited time offer, please visit http://www.magellangps.com/legal/itunespromotion.asp
*******
With Magellan’s Premium Car Kit with built-in GPS receiver (sold separately), transform your iPhone and even iPod touch into turn-by-turn GPS navigator with spoken street names. The Magellan RoadMate App uses the same easy-to-use interface as our dedicated personal navigation devices. Best of all, the App is a one-time purchase with no subscription or monthly fees.
*******
1. “Perhaps my favorite feature is the “One Touch” feature of this app. Touching the “One Touch” button in the bottom right corner will bring up a variety of options that you can perform in just one touch.” – AppShouter
2. Users of iPhones, of course, never lack for navigation options… One good alternative is the Magellan RoadMate, from the company that specializes in hand-held GPS devices. It costs $80, but for that price you get perpetual software updates and a very refined service. – The New York Times
3. The Magellan has all the abilities you would expect from a GPS device — turn-by-turn, spoken street names and music control along with a noise canceling speakerphone and access to your iPhone’s contacts for quick address lookup. It looks like a solid application, and the choice between this and TomTom’s offering will come down to preference rather than quality. — Wired
*******
Key Features
•OneTouch Favorites Menu
The award-winning OneTouch favorites menu lets you bookmark your favorite places and searches so you can easily find them.
• Spoken Street Name Guidance
Navigate confidently with spoken street names and directions at each turn, so you can keep your eyes on the road.
• Highway Lane Assist
Realistic highway signs guide you into the correct lane when approaching interchanges and exits.
• 3D Landmarks
Incredible 3D images of key landmarks show you the way with stunning visual cues.
• Address Book Integration
Easily navigate to contacts saved in your iPhone address book.
• In-App Music Control
Take advantage of seamless iPod integration. Navigate while listening to your music.
• Find Your Car
Automatically saves your parking location so you can easily find your way back to your car.
• Pedestrian Mode
With pedestrian mode you can quickly find and walk to a destination near your current location.
• QuickSpell Address Entry
Our highly-acclaimed QuickSpell® with SmartCity Search allows you to quickly enter addresses into the oversized keyboard, making entry quick and error free.
*******
Includes latest maps by NAVTEQ
• United States, Puerto Rico
• Canada
*******
Languages Supported
• Application and Voice Guidance: English, French, Spanish
• Spoken Street Names (TTS): English, French
*******
Visit www.MagellanGPS.com/iPhone to see a complete feature list, download the user manual, view a collection of tutorials, a demo video, and more…….
*******
Attention iPhone 3G Owners
2D map view mode is not recommended for use on the iPhone 3G. Owners of iPhone 3G should use 3D and 3D+ map view only.
*******
What’s new
• Now compatible with iPod touch 2nd Generation
• Customizable speed warnings
• Interactive POI on map, show POI detail with option to route to or call the POI
• Customizable, multi-destination routing
• Use the improved music player without leaving the Map screen
• Address entry improves routing to contacts in address book and sorts city options by distance
• Ability to plan a trip in simulation mode with up to 16X FF, Rewind, Pause and Next
• Find My Car now also in OneTouch menu
• Overall UI enhancements tailored to the phone navigation environment:
- Larger Back button, larger vehicle indicator
- Direct Map access button
- Larger placement of Music button
- Tap car icon to save “current location”
- Improved map panning
© 2010, iPhone and iPad app reviews. All rights reserved. An expedite fee may have been paid for some reviews. We work diligently to ensure that this does not affect the content of the review and strive to keep the journalistic integrity intact. All reviews are the personal opinion of the reviewer.
![[Post to Twitter]](http://www.appshouter.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png "Magellan Premium Car Kit Review"){kind=icon}
