Sunday, March 18, 2012

Top 10 Bestselling Automotive GPS

Whether you’re looking for a great automotive GPS for that special someone or simply wanting to get one for yourself, this list features some of the most popular and most purchased GPS devices available, using Amazon’s statistics. It’s worth noting that the devices may vary slightly from day-to-day, but since this list is generated in December—when most people buy electronics—it is probably pretty accurate. The prices displayed are before any relevant discounts which, of course, Amazon nearly always offers on GPS products.

1. Garmin Nuvi 57LM

nuvi-57lmtBuy on Amazon (regular price $149.99)

This rather affordable device is one of the more simple GPS devices Garmin offers. As you can tell from the name, the device includes lifetime map updates—a standard in today’s GPS devices. Other Garmin features include Real Directions, which uses street names and landmarks; Up Ahead, which shows nearby food and gas stations; preloaded Foursquare data; Lane Assist with Junction View; and School Zone Warnings, to name a few.

At the time of writing, the price of this awesome device was discounted by around 40% to $89.99.

2. TomTom VIA1535TM

tomtom-via-1535tmBuy on Amazon (regular price $119.99)

This device is listed as not only #2 in automotive, but also #1 in powersport GPS units. As the name implies, it comes with lifetime maps and traffic. Other features include voice recognition, hands-free Bluetooth calling, advanced lane guidance, preloaded POIs, TomTom’s roadside assistance, and IQ resistance. It is a little surprising that this device made it to the Top 10 as it’s actually an older device and was released in 2011. The updated version of this device, the TomTom 1515TM, is also on this list (see #9).

At the time of writing, the price of this device has been discounted by 25% to $89.99.

3. Garmin Nuvi 2589LMT

nuvi-2589lmtBuy on Amazon (regular price $229.99)

There are actually several different versions of this device which have slightly different features. However, the version that has made our list is the 5 inch device with Bluetooth and voice control. As the name implies, it also comes with lifetime maps and traffic. Other Garmin features include Free Lifetime Traffic Avoidance, to see where delays are; Up Ahead, to see gas and food nearby; Active Lane Guidance, Smartphone compatibility; Garmin Real Directions; and compatibility to add a wireless backup camera, to name a few.

At the time of writing, Amazon did not have this in stock, but the listed price was discounted by 43% to $129.99.

4. TomTom VIA 1515M

tomtom-via-1515mBuy on Amazon (regular price $119.99)

This popular TomTom device is so popular, it is on this list twice. This version features lifetime map updates (at least four a year) and a 5 inch touchscreen display with split screen junction view. The device focuses on ease of ues and features Map Share, IQ Routes for faster travel, pre-loaded POIs, Lane Assist, and spoken street names so you won’t miss a turn.

At the time of writing, this device was discounted by 29% to $84.99.

5. Dinly 7 inch Car GPS

dinlyBuy on Amazon (regular price $66.99)

Of all of the devices on the list, I have to say this one surprised me the most. Unlike the others, which are from larger recognizable companies, this GPS device is definitely an outlier. However, it has extremely  mixed reviews, and from what it looks like, the device is basically just a smartphone that is dedicated to GPS. There aren’t any specific GPS-related features listed, although it does come with an 8 GB memory card and free map updates. Personally, I’ve never even heard of this, so I would definitely do your research before purchasing.

At the time of writing, this device was in stock, and not discounted.

6. Garmin Nuvi 55LMT

nuvi-55lmtBuy on Amazon (regular price $139.98)

This is an upgraded version of the Nuvi 55, and it features lifetime maps and traffic updates. Additionally, the device features the sorts of things you’d expect on a Garmin device including a bright 5 inch dual-orientation display, touchscreen navigation, Lane Assist with Junction View, School Zone Warnings, Up Ahead to show nearby locations, quick search, and Garmin Real Voice, which sounds more like a human when giving directions than most devices.

At the time of writing, the device was in stock and not discounted. Used devices could be purchased for $116.94, however.

7. Garmin Nuvi 57LMT

Buy on Amazon (regular price $169.99)

This Garmin nuvi device is extremely popular—so much so that it’s actually on our list twice! Unlike the bestselling version at the top of the page, this device is slightly upgraded and features lifetime traffic updates so that users can see where the current slowdowns are and avoid as much of it as possible. Additionally, the device supports a backup camera. Other Garmin features include Real Directions, which uses street names and landmarks; Up Ahead, which shows nearby food and gas stations; preloaded Foursquare data; Lane Assist with Junction View; and School Zone Warnings.

At the time of writing, there were only about 20 devices left in stock, and they were discounted 21% to $133.81.

8. Garmin Nuvi 67LMT

nuvi-67lmtBuy on Amazon (regular price $199.99)

This device is actually very similar to the above device, however it is simply a more recent version. The device features a 6 inch screen with dual-orientation display, a high-sensitivity receiver, preloaded maps with lifetime updates, and lifetime traffic updates to avoid the snarls. Other features include Lane Assist with Junction Views, Foursquare POIs, Garmin Real Directions, and School Zone Warnings. The device is also compatible with some backup cameras.

At the time of writing, the device was temporarily out of stock, but the price was discounted by 40% to $119.99

9. TomTom VIA 1515TM

tomtom-via-1515tmBuy on Amazon (regular price $139.99)

This device is a top-of-the-line version in the 1515 series and features many of the same features as some of the lower devices. Other features include IQ routes, which provide faster routes; Map Share, which provides daily map updates; free lifetime traffic and map updates; 5 inch screen; split screen views so you don’t miss an exit; an integrated mount so it attaches easily to the windshield or dash; and preloaded POIs. Easily the coolest feature is the constantly-updated maps which might just make this device pay for itself when on the road.

At the time of writing, the device was discounted by 21% to $109.00.

10. Garmin Nuvi 2699LMTHD

nuvi-2699lmthdBuy on Amazon (regular price $269.99)

Much like the above device, this is the top-of-the-line version of the nuvi 2699 series. This device features a 6 inch pinch-to-zoom display with dual orientation, and as the name implies, lifetime maps and lifetime free HD traffic. It comes with Bluetooth and voice control and features other features like Up Ahead, Active Lane Guidance, Direct Access, and Garmin Real Directions. It is also compatible with smartphones and wireless backup cameras.

At the time of writing, the device was discounted 26% to $199.92.

Top Ten Bestselling Running GPS Units on Amazon

The Fitbit Surge was the No. 1 running GPS unit

The Fitbit Surge was the No. 1 running GPS unit

In my opinion, Amazon is one of the easiest ways (if not very scientific) to see small trends in the GPS industry as it sells for all of the different GPS manufacturers. It isn’t super accurate or really all that important, but it’s certainly interesting!

Today we’re gonna look at the running GPS units, some of which are GPS watches and some of which are not, as the market is pretty fractured and crazy right now. There are some duplicates in the list (due to multiple sizes or colors) which I have skipped over if they were already listed. read more

Amazon Top Ten Bestselling Handheld/Sport GPS Devices

Garmin GPSMAP 64

Garmin has a variety of handheld devices and it’s been a while since we looked at Amazon’s bestseller list for these devices. So today, I’ll pulled 10 of the most popular and frequently purchased handheld devices from the list to compare: read more

Top Ten Bestselling Auto GPS Devices on Amazon

Garmin nuvi 42 review

It’s been a while since we looked at GPS device trends, so I thought I’d take a minute today and look at the units that made Amazon’s Top Ten Bestseller list for automotive units. The last time we did a Top 10 was nearly a year ago, and while the No. 1 unit is still the same, pretty much everything else moved up or dropped off the list entirely! read more

Top 10 Non-Garmin Auto GPS

TomTom VIA 1535TM

Garmin is one of the most popular makers of GPS devices, and when you browse Amazon’s best seller list, the amount of Garmin devices listed is staggering, no matter what category you’re considering. And while Garmin does make some pretty solid devices, sometimes it’s nice to take a look at the other guys and see what they have to offer.

Here are some of the most popular devices made by Magellan and TomTom, according to Amazon:

read more

Top Ten Cyber Week GPS Deals

top10cm

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are officially over, but that doesn’t mean that the deals are! If you’re looking for some new GPS units for a gift for someone (or maybe for yourself) then check out my top ten picks for good units at pretty nice prices: read more

This Week in GPS — October 31, 2014

7534718-large

This week in GPS is a weekly link roundup of (mostly) GPS related odds and ends, from GPS Tracklog and other places around the Web. This week’s featured image is the world’s largest GPS drawing created in the United Kingdom, which happens to be just in time for Halloween! Happy Halloween everyone! Here are some other things that happened in the GPS world this week:

read more

10 Best Hunting GPS Units

Deep breath. Take the shot. You see a flash of fur and excitedly rush away from your stand to see if you got a hit. You find it (or don’t) and then you turn back and… wait… which way was the stand again? The use of a Hunting GPS unit isn’t necessary but it definitely adds a sense of security and safety to any wilderness activity.

Amazon doesn’t have a list specifically for hunting GPS units, so I did a search on my own to find the ones that seemed most suited. They aren’t listed in any particular order, so read through and see which one would work for you!

 

Magellan eXplorist 350H

Magellan eXplorist 350H

Magellan eXplorist 350H Handheld GPS – This GPS unit is designed specifically for hunters. Retailing at $249.99 on Amazon, the device has 3.4 stars, but only a handful of reviews.

Features:

  • Hunt specific waypoints
  • Hunting Boundary information for 40 states
  • Boundary Alerts to keep you off private property
  • a topographic map contour layer
  • preloaded maps
  • hunting calendars
  • satellite imagery

read more

Top Ten Bestselling Cycling GPS Units on Amazon

Garmin Edge 500 GPS deal

Garmin Edge 500, shown here in blue

1. Garmin Edge 500 Cycling GPS

This lightweight cycling computer features high sensitivity GPS, an easy to read display, a barometric altimeter and comes in red, blue or black. The device is meant for training more than routes and it measures speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent, and heart rate (when paired with a heart rate monitor). It also supports Garmin Connect.

This device is the No. 1 Bestseller on Amazon for Cycling GPS Units

On Amazon, it received 4.4 stars

The list price for the Edge 500 is $199.99 and can be purchased on Amazon.

2. Garmin Edge 800

The Edge 800 is a little larger than the 500, and has some of the same basic features including high-sensitivity GPS receiver and a barometric altimeter. Unlike the 500, it also has a touchscreen, a built-in base map with a microSD card slot for adding your own maps/tracks, training tools that include workout planning, auto pause, auto lap and courses and ANT+ power meter. The device is compatible with Garmin Connect and is rugged and waterproof with an IPX7 rating.

On Amazon, it received 3.8 stars

The list price for the Edge 800 is $449.99 and can be purchased on Amazon for $281.23 read more

Top Ten Bestselling Vehicle GPS Devices on Amazon

Garmin nüvi Essential Series 2013

When we set out to do a top ten from Amazon, we were surprised to find that Garmin Nüvi had pretty well taken over the market. Out of the top 20 bestselling GPS on Amazon, only 5 of them were not Garmin devices (four TomTom and one Magellan). And out of the 15 Garmin devices, only one of them was not from the Nüvi line (Garmin Dezl 760LMT, ranked 16).

The Nüvi line is very popular and we have written several articles dissecting the Nüvi line and comparing them in a chart for your convenience. The Nüvi line all have voice guided navigation, lane assist, turn-by-turn instructions and a bright, friendly screen. All devices with LM after the model number come with free lifetime maps. When purchased on Amazon, many of these units also include a mount for your windshield or dashboard. read more