Magellan has announced the RoadMate 1475T, their first product with lifetime traffic. The 1475T is identical to the RoadMate 1470 I recently (and favorably) reviewed, with the addition of the traffic receiver. It carries a suggested retail price of $299 and will be available immediately.
Read on for the news release:
Following the recent release of the Magellan RoadMate series, MiTAC Digital Corp. is introducing the Magellan RoadMate 1475T to round-out the highly acclaimed series. In addition to the premium features available in the 4.7" Magellan RoadMate 1470, the Magellan RoadMate 1475T is equipped with traffic – enabled device (VPA) that offers subscription free, real-time traffic alerts, incidents and road congestion reports.
The free traffic solution is ad supported, where valuable offers and promotions of participating companies are delivered conveniently to the user. "Magellan is committed to providing navigation solutions that provide the best possible experience to consumers," said Mike Wagner, senior director of product marketing for Magellan. "The new Magellan RoadMate 1475T takes that commitment to the next level by offering users an enhanced ease-of-use and convenience with premium features like the built-in traffic link and the exclusive OneTouch user interface."
Like all new models in the Magellan RoadMate series, the Magellan RoadMate 1475T offers the revolutionary OneTouch(TM) favorites menu that puts personally selected addresses and searches just one click away. After the user identify and store preferred banks, restaurants and other destinations into the OneTouch favorites menu, the user can instantly obtain directions to closest preferred destinations anywhere they travel.
The Magellan RoadMate series also gives users searchable AAA TourBook(R) listings that include AAA Diamond Rated restaurants and lodgings, along with attractions, events and campgrounds – taking the guesswork out of planning a trip. Users can also access listings for AAA-Approved Auto Repair shops and businesses that offer AAA member discounts. All listings include the exact GPS location.
The new series also provides a toll-free menu for AAA members to access North America’s largest roadside assistance network.
The new Magellan RoadMate 1475T offers the following features:
- New 4.7-inch, WQVGA – color, anti-glare touch-screen display in an ultra-thin design
- Acclaimed easy-to-use OneTouch favorites drop-down menu with personalized search icons to easily find favorite places
- Features AAA TourBook listings and member Roadside Assistance menu
- 6 million points of interest (POI)
- Spoken street name guidance tells the user the street name and which way to turn before each maneuver
- Highway Lane Assist points the user in the right direction and ensures the correct lane will be chosen before the next interchange or exit
- Highway Exit POI search let the user find gas stations, restaurants and hotels near upcoming exits
- QuickSpell(R) with New SmartCity Search intelligently narrows searches and checks spelling when entering addresses
- Offers multi-destination routing with route optimization lets the user plan trips with multiple stops in the order they want or optimize a trip for the most efficient route, saving them time and money
- Includes NAVTEQ(R) maps of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico
The manufacturer’s suggested price for the Magellan RoadMate 1475T is $299.00 and is available for purchase. The Magellan RoadMate series ships with a windshield mount; a 12-volt vehicle power adapter; an adhesive disk for alternative, on-dash mounting; and a quick reference guide. For additional accessories, including cases, pouches and additional mounting options, visit www.MagellanGPS.com. Map updates for Magellan products can be purchased separately.
About Rich Owings
Glad to help! I understand how frustrating that can be.
I have now returned 2 Magellan 1475t’s over the last few days.
1st 1475t was actually noted as 1475t on the underside of the unit. The cord was shorter and received traffic. The unit did not announce street names.
The address book was great with icons and full addresses diplayed.
2nd 1475t was noted as 1470 with traffic cord.
The address book was awful.
If before I had La Quinta- Macon with their icon I now got no icon and only La Qui. I might have 10 La Q’s in the address book; now which one?
I will wait for the real 1475t and not this poser bait and switch from Magellan
what’s up with the unit restarting by itself
anybody have similar problems?
Folks,
Per: Magellan 1475T
If you’re talking about:
“The unit did not announce street names.” – go to the magellan web site support page to download to 2.05 to solve this issue
“Traffic link” is not needed FYI – works nicely here in Seattle without one EVEN without the power cable – just need to enable it if not already
I think this is huge upgrade compare to my first and old magellan 3225 – traveled thousands of miles between Alaska & lower 48
A lot of my co workers have Garmin – I don’t like it at all but 1475T has some of similar features that Garmin has making it unbeatable with screen size
Only problem I have with this 1475T package – the auto power adapter cable sucks (just like Garmin) – I’ll order the coiled cable
*thumbs up to Magellan*
I’ve been running 2.05 since last Thursday and still no TTS (street names). It also sends me on strange routes wanting me to go up and around the whole block (4miles vs 1mile).
I think it may be the last straw… based on the huge lack of knowledge from their customer service (telling me it takes 24hrs for Traffic Link to work, then telling me I need a cable and the actual issue was that the car power cord needed to be attached…) and the lack of any kind of on-line documentation. I still have not recieved my “verification of purchase” email they said would take 24 hrs (I faxed to them Thursday morning).
I had a Garmin a year ago that I sold because I didn’t use much, I never had a problem with them… I love the screen size on this but seems they really missed on quality and customer service with this one…
Update: I just downloaded the 2.05 FW again, I noticed the file name changed from Rel3 to Rel6. Funny they don’t call it out anywhere, you have to actually save the file to see the name.
I’ll test it out on the way home and see if it speaks names now.
I returned the original 1475t before I saw the download to try and make the unit speak street nammes; bummer.
The only units Costco now has are 1470′s boxed as 1475t with the traffic cord. It is not the same. The address book for the 1470 is awful compared to the actual 1475.
1470= slider on/of
1475=on/off/reset and has newer maps.
If you get a 1470 instead I would return it and let Magellan eat the cost.
I have had 3 Magellans and while not perfect I still prefer and will wait for the correct 1475t
Purchased one yesterday from Costco and returned it today. The car movement on Magellan’s map was soooo sluggish. I would pass an intersection and the triangle would still be on the street prior before entering the intersection. I had the car parked on my drive way (50-80 feet off the street) and the gps would show it right in the middle of the street. I stopped by a red light, completely for about 2 seconds, and the speedometer was still coming down from 20 mph to 0, thought I was frozen for more than a few seconds. The software upgrade didn’t help at all. What I liked best compared with my actual Magellan 4250 was the fact that it would recalculate the route without the annoying “recalculating route” line. Oooohhh, and the street names pronunciation…it was so muffled at best. Screen, poi’s and aaa are amazing.
Just did the 2.05 update. Everything works perfect now. I have to say it speaks the street names way more clearly than Garmin. I am traveling 700 miles this week to visit family. I will go through 3 big cities. I will write an update on how it did. Because Chicago is always so much fun to drive through and alot of traffic.
I recently bought the 1475t from BJ’s.
It came with the old firmware and two things were obvious issues based on this site:
1) Text to speech did not work
2) The unit hung with the error reported in this thread.
I updated the firmware to 2.05 and everything now appears to work correctly.
I had some concerns about all of the issues with the power cord (did it have the traffic link or not) and what I have found out is that based on the serial # there are two different types of cords. At first I thought I had the wrong one, but after checking on the Magellan site, I in fact, did receive the correct one.
Oveall I am very happy with this unit. It does a lot of good things and was a real value for the $ (I think)…I paid $179 at BJ’s.
But….with all the good, there is always the bad. I am finding that the accuracy of the unit is not what I had with prior magellan units. It says it is accurate to 10-15 feet but when I get to a turn or pass a street, the map is slow in showing that I have reached that turn or street. For example…I came to an intersection today and was going to make a right. The map showed I was still a good distance from the turn. When I am passing a street I have already passed it before it shows on the map I am passing it. This is very frustrating as though it knows when I want to make a turn the map does not seem in sync.
Anyone else having this issue?
I have now had this unit 2 weeks. Even before the update I never had an issue with the mapping portion of the unit. Like I said before the only issue I had was with the unit speaking the street names and now that I have done the update it is perfect. I have put 1700 miles on before the update and no mapping problems. I had the Garmin 765T before this and nothing but problems with it…
After the latest 2.05 FW the TTS works fine but as others have mentioned the jerky and slow map were just too much. I just got back from Costco with the Garmin 265WT. Out of the box it worked perfect and was smooth and intuitive to use.
I loved the large screen of the Magellan and the chime before turn but just couldn’t deal with the choppy scroll and delayed screen…
So, thanks to everyone for all the help/advice but I imagine I’ll return the Magellan tomorrow before the Christmas rush.
dang should i get garmin too?
Even though im at the intersection
gps says im far away from it
Just came back from Boston’s Logan International Airport and the 1475T worked flawlessly even in over two miles of tunnel under the Boston harbor and zig-zag travel between and around the terminal buildings.
What is great about 1475T is its ability to provide directions in the tunnel even though there is no satellite link. It does that by showing the turns and exits with arrows (apparently stored in its database). And when you get out of the tunnel, the satellite link is instantaneous with voice prompts of where to turn. Wow! The only thing it did not do was to warn you to pay toll ahead….and I’m that might be coming soon as a firm ware update.
The TTS pronunciation for most names is very good except for numbers. For example, Exit 20 (exit twenty) is pronounced as exit “TWO-OH”. It’s a little awkward at first but you’ll soon get used to it.
One feature that was a pleasant surprise was the name of buildings appearing on the screen while in the parking lot. And when entering a commercial zone such as a hospital area it gives a parking option. With so much assistance it feels like you’re traveling with your own concierge attendant.
Hat’s off to Magellan. Great unit. Great price.
For those who are having problems with your unit, I feel your frustration but don’t be too quick to criticize because as to customer service, that is one area in which they excel and should be given their props.
“For those who are having problems with your unit, I feel your frustration but don’t be too quick to criticize because as to customer service, that is one area in which they excel and should be given their props.”
I have to disagree with the “great customer service” comment. I called them 3 times and faxed them my receipt, each time I got a different answer why the unit didn’t work and never did hear back about my faxed receipt.
I learned more on this board from “customers” than I did from Magellan’s “customer service”…
Now my pathetic unit with confusing model #’s, sketchy graphics and other unknown bugs is back at Costco.
I must say the Garmin that replaced it has been flawless…
I bought the 1475T from Costco last week and love it. Map is very detailed and love the lane guidance. I do not experience any of the issues mentioned here. My unit is software Ver 1.01 and i’m not sure I want to upgrade to V2.05 worried my system will not perform as now. Again, I DO NOT have the jerky moovement, position is accurate, and traffic alert is there even on battery.
My only compaint is the spoken voice is scratchy – like a blown speaker. I was going to return the unit to Costco for replacement but after reading these posts may not fearing getting worse unit as replacement.
Here’s what I know for sure after using my 1475T for two weeks now:
1. If you bought you unit from Costco & the serial number starts with 0791 – you DO NOT need the traffic link power cord to receive traffic info. To prove this, go to the Traffic option of the System menu & look in the upper right hand corner of the screen for an antenna symbol. Next to that symbol you should see vertical red bars (one or more) which indicate if traffic signal activity is going on. If, instead, you see a red X next to the antenna symbol, it indicates that NO traffic signal activity is going on (Make sure to check that the “enable traffic” option is activated on that same screen). My unit showed signal activity with the plain power cord that came with the unit, but as soon as I plugged in the traffic link power cord Magellan had sent me, I got the infamous “red X”. Nuff said!!
2. To cure the TTS problem, you need to down-load FW version 2.05, but there are TWO different versions. As a previous poster above pointed out, the later version, release 6, is the one that will solve the problem.
can someone give me the link to download the 2.05fw for tts and the support number. this is my fist magellan and does not look like it work. also can i have the model for the traffic cord please. thanks
http://www.magellangps.com/support/notes.asp?supportID=878
Be careful what you wish for because it will come back to bite you. Since I bought my Roadmate 1475T I have been whinning that I’ve never had a traffic event and wondered if the unit was working.
Well, yesterday I had my first traffic event but I didn’t know how to get around the traffic. Does anybody know how to create an alternate route and avoid a traffic jam?
Well I used my Magellan 1475t to get from Minneapolis to Detroit and it is now back at Costco. To stay. It took some way around Chicago that added an extra 45 minutes. My brother has the Garmin 1490t and was 30 minutes ahead of me. It brought him through Chicago . I went to Costco this morning and bought the Garmin 1490t and plus it was $100 off today. Do not buy anything but Garmin nothing else compares.
Okay…I have to be honest and say that I really do like the 1475T…but…
I brought the initial unit back to BJ’s today because I was very frustrated with the fact that the map always lagged behind. I would come to an intersection and make a turn and the unit was about 2-3 seconds behind. (PS: I was using firmware 2.05)
So I called Magellan Support and explained the problem to them. They told me that even though the unit is rated to be accurate to 3-5 feet, it is normal for the unit to be lagging 2 seconds—but they did say that if I could exchange the unit to do so—so I did today…
Out of the box (firmware 1.01) the unit did exactly as the first unit did…it lags behind. So this is very frustrating, but I did get another $30 off bringing the unit to $149. So now I have a decision to make…I really like the overall unit and the funcitonality it provides, but the lagging is quite frustrating. The audio part is accurate (the chime when to make a turn) so either I need to ignore the inaccuracy of the unit and accept the 2 second lag or return the unit outright and begin the investigation all over. PS: I dont think that the Garmin is the end all to everything…I have friends that have had Garmin units and hated them and went to Magellan—so I gues it is truly user preference.
“rated to be accurate to 3-5 feet, it is normal for the unit to be lagging 2 seconds”
When you walk, yes…..2 seconds lagging could be 3-4 feet but when you drive, let’s say on the highway, the 2 seconds lag is more like 100 feet. Unacceptable
Ken, resist the urge and keep your Magellan.
That one second delay you are experiencing (although mine works fine) is not a big deal considering all the other positive attributes of the 1475T.
Compared to OnStar, I find the Magellan a superior product–no contest. Besides the wide screen and larger graphics, the 1475T acquires satellite signals instantaneously, gives you four options for your planned trip and allows you to avoid undesirable segments of a route.
And the AAA tour book is invaluable for those long trips. Try getting that with a Garmin? or any other brand for that matter. For the price of $149, the Roadmate 1475T is a steal. Good luck with your decision but I think staying with Magellan is the corrrect decision.
The AAA POI’s is a joke. There were gas stations off exits on my trip this weekend and the 1475t did not even list. If you check my earlier posts you will see I really liked this unit. But then I went through major cities traveling and it fails…BAD… Plus I was thinking that if a company cannot launch a product and have it be ready from the box then it makes me question there quality. I am staying with the superior brand GARMIN
Hi,
I purchased my 1475t y’day , how do we know the map version and firmware version, unable to find this any doc supplied.
Also, “Product Compatibility for 2009 Spring Map Update” doesnot display 1475t map upgrade.
Please advice,
Regards,
Ashok
You’ll find the map & firmware versions listed as one of the options in the “System” menu.
The 1475T is not included in the “2009 Spring Map Update” because it’s so new that it already contains the latest map update.
Thanks Paul ..
Just got my 1475T at Costco tonight. Right out of the box I was able to get traffic. Like other post my units voice also sounds scratchy like a blown speaker and the volume goes up and down while tell exit names. It also does not say street names. Can anyone help on either problem?
Go into voice settings and make sure you have chosen a voice that says something like “computerized” or “text-to-speech (TTS).”
My 1475T with software verson 1.01 has no voice setting selection. Maybe when I upgrade to v2.05 the setting will be there.
Just found out that the 1475t that I thought I bought is a 1470. How can they do that and what can I do to get the right one.
Love the unit, but am disapointed in the POI/AAA list. I know someone said above that the 1475T was not part of the spring map update b/c it is so new, but I have POI’s showing on places that have been out of business for over 2+ years. I agree with Ryan, if the unit’s maps/POI’s are a few years behind out of the box, it makes me wonder how I can trust those POI’s in other areas I am not familiar with. Back to Costco it will be going.
I bought a Magellan 1475T from Costco on Friday and discovered it is actually a 1470. It works great but it is not what I purchased. It’s back to Costco tomorrow for a 1475 model.
Good luck finding the correct unit at Costco. I returned my original 1475 because the TTS did not work. Costco sold me another and it was the 1470in a 1475 box. I did not appreciate the bait and switch.
This time I had them open 3 units and they were all the 1470 in a 1475 box.
Yesterday I went back to Costco and had them check the serial numbers first and all started with 0782 which is the 1470. 1475′s start with 0791.
The address books are totally different with the 1475 much better IMO.
I like Magellan but this is crazy on their part. I believe they are dumping their defective units on Costco and they are getting most of them back.
AND now Costcos sale is over another added insult to injury!
The 1475T/1470 confusion is because the 1475T is a 1470 that has a traffic receiver in the box. It’s confusing but I don’t see it as deceiving. It gets more confusing because the units that start with serial # 0791 do not have the FM traffic cable because the FM receiver is built-in – I assume they no longer say 1470 on them. Magellan posted new firmware again dated 12-5-09 (2.20 Rel 2) that will hopefully fix the lag that at times seems pretty bad. Overall, I think the 1475T is good for the money but my local Costco only has the older units (pre 0791) so I will wait until they get the new ones to try the 1475T again.
Thanks Craig.