Garmin nuvi 880 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review
Garmin nuvi 880 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Feature
- Sleek, ultra-slim design fits in a pocket; High-sensitivity GPS receiver for fast satellite lock
- Pre-loaded with City Navigtor NT maps for North America, including more than 6-million name-searchable points of interest
- Speech recognition -- speak menu options and keep your eyes on the road
- Multi-destination routing -- enter several destinations and get the best route to all of them; "Where am I?" and "Where's my car?" features
- Full feature set -- text to speech for spoken directions with real street names; MP3 player, and Photo viewer
With the nüvi 800 series, Garmin adds smooth speech recognitionto its bestselling line of sleek portable GPS navigators. As with all nüvis, you get a slim, pocket-sized navigator with a gorgeous display, detailed NAVTEQ maps that let you search by name for more than 6 million points of interest like stores, restaurants or hospitals, and an easy, intuitive interface. All of the 800-series navigators also feature a rich array of features including spoken directions in real street names, integrated traffic receivers, MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play all the nüvi's audio, including voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system. The top-of-the-line nüvi 880 adds Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls, an integrated traffic receiver and enhanced MSN Direct content with traffic data, real-time gas prices, movie times and more.
Key Features/Benefits
- Voice Recognition -- Just tell it what you're looking for (Learn more)
- Enhanced MSN Direct Content -- find the cheapest gas nearby, see how fast traffic is moving, get local weather forecasts, event information and more (Learn More)
- Easy to use interface (Learn More)
- Integrated Antenna for a slim form factor
- Pre-Loaded Maps for North America with 6 million searchable points of interest (POIs), plus add your own custom POIs (Learn more)
- Multi-Destination Routing -- tells you the best way to get to a lot of different places in one trip (Learn More)
- Bluetooth for hands-free phone calling capability (Learn More)
- FM Transmitter lets you hear spoken navigation prompts, MP3s or audio books through your car's stereo system
- Where Am I? -- instantly shows you all of the emergency services nearby (Learn More)
- Where's My Car? -- never forget where you parked again (Learn More)
- Widescreen -- gives you a better idea of what's around you (Learn More)
- microSD card slot -- store extra maps, travel guides, photos or MP3s
- Photo Viewer and MP3 Player (Learn More)
- Customize Your Onscreen Vehicle Icon (Learn More)
- Garmin Lock (Learn More) -- keep others from using your navigator
- Photo Navigation lets you upload geo-coded photos from a phone, geo-coding camera or photo site and navigate to them. (Learn more)
- Send addresses directly to your Garmin from Google Maps or Mapquest
Which nüvi is Best for You?: Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators
Learn More
| One of Garmin's key product philosophies is, "to make extremely complex technology easy to use for anyone right out of the box," and perhaps nowhere is that better exemplified than in the user interface for Garmin's portable navigation devices.
Garmin's interface is a key to their success and one of the things that makes their devices such a pleasure to use. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get data about your trip. |
Usable voice recognition is something we've been waiting to see for a long time. Reaching over to type out directions on your GPS isn't just difficult, it can feel downright dangerous. There's even a warning on every GPS not to do it. But who has the time to sit still and punch in a destination? Well, now you can have your hurry and your directions too.
The nüvi 800s aren't the first GPS navigators to offer voice recognition, but the level of flexibility they offer sets a new standard for simple and intuitive use.
The device comes with a little remote control that mounts on your steering wheel. It has two buttons. One is, "listen." The other is, "stop listening". Hit the "listen" button to start voice recognition. Then you can speak any of the words that appear on the display, and the device will understand, or you can ask questions based on most points of interest. Say, "find nearest Italian restaurant," for example, and you’ll get a list of nearby spots. Say "go to" and name of the one you want, and you get turn-by-turn directions to dinner. The nüvi 880 also knows the names of many large business brands, so you can just say, "find place, Starbucks," if that's your coffee mojo.
Of course, if you know the address you want to go to, you can say that too, and the nüvi will give you directions, all without having to reach over to the dashboard and touch it.
Speech recognition is available for American English, British English, European French, European Spanish, German, Italian, and Netherlands Dutch languages. |
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Enhanced MSN Direct Content (9-month free subscription)
 | An integrated receiver allows you to access enhanced dynamic content from the MSN Direct service. Check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices, get enhanced movie listings, stock information, news and local events when you travel with your unit. Even plan trips from the convenience of your computer, via Windows Live Local, and wirelessly send custom to your nüvi.
- Free 9 month trial subscription to MSN Direct services, activation instructions provided
- MSN Direct Traffic Receiver (GDB 55) included in the box
- Extended MSN Direct service subscriptions available for purchase: 12 months for .95 + tax (visit MSN for further details)
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The super-bright, 4.3-inch (diagonal) touchscreen display gives is anti-glare for ease of viewing during the day and automatically changes its color profile for easy viewing at night or in dim light. It offers 2d or 3D perspective views.
The widescreen format gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is especially useful in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and somewhat easier to push. |
Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views of a 3-inch (diagonal) screen
| and a 4.3-inch diagonal widescreen
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This lets you enter several spots into the device (day care - supermarket-cleaners - office - day care, for example) and it will plot the fastest route. And once you've found the best router, the "Route Planning" feature lets you save up to 10 different routes, Garmin touts the feature for providing, "the most efficient route for errands, deliveries and sales calls." The feature also makes this an instant essential accessory for anyone who shops garage sales (you know what we're talking about).
A trip log provides an electronic bread crumb trail of up to 10,000 points, so you can see where you've been on the map.
Garmin's "Where Am I?" feature is a useful safety feature on all nüvis, but voice recognition makes it even better.
On any nüvi (including this one), you can just tap "Where Am I?" to find the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address and intersection. Also see your exact latitude and longitude coordinates. With the 800s, all you have to do is say "Where am I?" to get the info.
Like the nüvi 700s, the 800s will also remember where you parked. It automatically marks your position when you remove it from the windshield mount, so you can navigate with nüvi on foot and find your way back to your vehicle. Perfect for unfamiliar spots and crowded lots such as amusement parks, stadiums and malls.
nüvi 250W accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger.
| The nüvi 880 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty POI database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. Garmin gets its map data from NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping.
In addition, nüvi accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs Important note about map updates: Due to our high volume of sales, almost every Garmin portable GPS navigator sold by Amazon.com will come with the most recent map version. If you ever do need a map update, you can purchase one from Amazon.com at our Garmin Store. |
In more and more places, it is becoming illegal to use cell phones while driving without a hands-free kit. The nüvi's Bluetooth capability, microphone and speaker lets match it to any bluetooth-capable phone to make hands-free mobile phone calls. Simply dial the phone number with the nüvi's touch screen keypad to make a call on a compatible phone. To answer an incoming call, just tap the screen and speak into the built-in microphone. Making and taking calls on the road has never been easier, or safer. In addition, Garmin makes it a breeze to look-up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or even tap into your cell phone's call history log.
Garmin's patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location
Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer.
| Navigation is just the beginning. The nüvi 880 features travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, MP3 player, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. It also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map.
This device is compatible with optional content plug-ins available via microSD card, such as the Garmin Travel Guides and Garmin SaversGuide provide detailed data for attractions and information on nearby merchants offering discounts, so you can customize nüvi for your travel needs
note that the 800 series is unique among nüvis, in that the 800s use microSD cards, where all other nüvis use SD cards..
Garmin has also added the ability for customers to add custom points of interest (POI’s) from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras. | A handy MP3 player lets you play songs stored on SD memory cards.
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Custom vehicle icons let you ride in style, at least inside your GPS.
See more icon option | All Garmin nüvis support configurable vehicle icons. These fun, customized car-shaped icons come in a variety of colors to add a personal touch to your vehicle's position on the map. |
| Using Garmin’s unique Web site — Garmin Connect Photos — users can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google’s Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nüvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.
- Choose from Panoramio's collection of photos from around the world.
- Easy to use interface displays photos on Google Maps.
- Search for photos by location name or map area boundary.
- Transfer photos directly from Garmin Connect to device with the Garmin Communicator.
- View photos in Google Earth.
- Supports Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox 2+, Safari 3+ on Windows and Mac.
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Notes
- Optional software for language translation, detailed travel guides, and savings programs allow you to customize your nüvi to fit your travel needs
- The FM transmitter feature is only available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
- Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nüvi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.
What's in the Box
nüvi 880, Preloaded City Navigator NT for North America*, MSN Direct receiver with integrated vehicle power cable, 9 months free MSN Direct service*, Speech recognition remote, Vehicle suction cup mount*, USB cable, Dashboard disc, Quick start manual
Notice: MSN Direct service will be available only until January 1, 2012. Activate a subscription between November 19, 2009, and March 31, 2010, and receive 9 months of MSN Direct service for free.
Which nüvi is Best for You?
Note: All nüvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.
Device | Screen Size inches (W x H) | Included Maps | Text-to-Speech (Directions in Real Street Names) | Traffic | Bluetooth | Media | FM Transmitter (audio through car stereo system) | Multi-Point Routing | Battery life (hours) |
Cont. U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico | AK and Canada | Europe |
| nüvi 880 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 205 | 2.8 x 2.1 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 205w | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 255 | 2.8 x 2.1 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 255w | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 260w | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | | | Photos | | | up to 5 |
| nüvi 265T | 2.8 x 2.1 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 265WT | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 275T | 2.8 x 2.1 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 285WT | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 465T | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 755T | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 760 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 5 |
| nüvi 765T | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 775T | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 780 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 5 |
| nüvi 785T | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 850 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 855 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 885T | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 9 months free); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos, MP3s | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 1200 | 2.8 x 2.1 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 1250 | 2.8 x 2.1 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 1260T | 2.8 x 2.1 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 1300 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 1350 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 1350T | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 1370T | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 1390T | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 1490T | 4.4 x 2.5 | | | | | MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
| nüvi 1690 | 3.81 x 2.25 | | | | | NAVTEQ Traffic, 2 years free (Garmin nüLink! service) | | Photos | | | up to 4 |
