Although Garmin is advertising the Zumo 550 as a GPS for motorcycles, looks like it could turn out to be a great in-car nav unit as well. As I mentioned in my recent review of the Garmin StreetPilot c550, the one thing I would have liked is a freshening up of Garmin's ageing interface. Looks like the Zumo just might be great. Check out the specs:
- Bluetooth
- XM NavTraffic
- XM Satellite Radio
- SiRF StarIII Chipset
- NAVTEQ Mapping Data
- WAAS Enabled
So what exactly makes the Zumo 550 a bikers GPS? According to Garmin's website, the unit's touch screen display is designed to be "glove friendly" to operate, and you can set the controls for left-handed operation. The unit is also ruggedized, and designed to withstand all the vibration you typically get on a motorcycle. It also includes special motorcycle mounting hardware, in addition to regular 4-wheel vehicle mounting equipment.
Looks like we can expect about 3 hours of battery life from the Zumo 550's internal lithium-ion rechargeable. Here are all the deets we know so far:
- High-sensitivity GPS receiver
- Display: 2.8” W x 2.1” H (3.5” diag.), 320 x 240 pixels; high bright sunlight-readable, UV-resistant, touch screen display
- Unit dimensions: 4.8" W x 3.9" H x 1.6" D
- Weight: 10.6 ounces
- Removable lithium-ion battery; three hour typical use
- Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling and navigation audio prompts
- Supports optional FM TMC traffic alerts
- Supports optional XM NavTraffic with XM weather, and XM Satellite Radio
- Preloaded maps for all of North America or Europe
- Voice announces streets by name
- Look up addresses and points of interest
- Choose 2D or 3D map perspective
- Upload custom POIs, including alerts for speed zones and safety cameras
- Built-in MP3 player and JPEG Picture Viewer
- SD card expansion makes it easy for storage and route sharing
- Export and review your travels in Google™ Earth with a free account from MotionBased.com
- Glove-friendly touch screen with left-handed controls makes it easy to operate
- Sunlight-readable, UV-resistant display makes it easy to view your screen
- Motorcycle console for trip information, including fuel gauge to warn you when its time to fill up
- Motorcycle mount with standard 4-hole AMPS pattern so you can mount it anywhere
- Included motorcycle mount for riding and automotive mount (with integrated speaker) for driving
- Includes Garmin Lock™, an anti-theft feature
- Custom caps, available in a variety of colors, to reflect your style
- Waterproof: IEC 60529 IPX7 standards (submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 min.)
I was a bit bummed when I read about the new Zumo as I just purchased a nuvi 360 and probably would have waited for this one had I known about it. The nuvi is great, but it lacks a few features that I really want in a GPS such as itinerary/route planning, tracking/breadcrumb capabilities, and a compass page. It looks like the new Zumo 550 is going to have all of these (plus a whole lot more) making it a great little portable GPS unit (I really wish that Garmin would have updated the UI on the nuvi 360 with these features). What I don't like about the Zumo is that it doesn't have an integrated speaker (which I understand since the unit is to be water proof for motorcycle use) and it appears to be much bulkier/heavier than the nuvi is.
I am glad to see Garmin continuing to come up with new and innovative GPS units though. Way to go Garmin!
Right, the Garmin Zumo does look great, mostly intended for Motorcycle use. It has more durable construction to withstand natures elements. I am assuming the car mount for the Zumo will actually have a speaker integrated into it, because the unit itself is waterproof to a certain extent. I like the removable Lithium-Ion battery option for swappable batteries (so you don't have to throw out your GPS unit just because the battery quit working on current models). However the draw back is this, it has limited battery time compared to newer Garmin models, and is still more like the bigger Garmin units that cost over a thousand dollars which this unit will cost as well. Not like that's a problem if you have the money, but GPS systems have been breaking away from strictly GPS function, and while MP3 and Picture Viewing is nice, how much other features are actually an everday advantage? We'll see where this unit goes when it comes closer to launch, but I am probably going to get a Nuvi 360 anyways. So many great new features come out once or more a year, that sometimes it is best to hold back and see what is the best that comes.
I wouldn't stress too much on the price. I remember when the first nuvi was introduced, Garmin set the price upwards of $950. Now they're in the $500 - $600 range.
Also, Garmin's recommended pricing is usually a little higher than the prices you see out in the wild.
Of course the downside is waiting...
Yes, I've already seen a site on the web taking pre-orders of the Zumo 550 for $769. That's only a bit more than the current street price for the nuvi 360 (which is around $735 now).
FYI, You can win a zumo by signing up here:
http://www.garmin.com/products/zumo/freeride.html
This unit is more rugged than the other units. Most GPS units today are designed for a control environment however this particular one mostly likely can withstand more.
Garmin Zumo 550 Review: http://www.bestnewreview.com/polls.aspx?poll=199&partner=0&Desc=Garmin-Zumo-550-Review