The variety of GPS devices are slowly becoming like smartphones. There are a lot of models to choose from and you only have the model number as your guide to selecting the best one for your needs. The price of a GPS device can also determine how powerful the features really are. But it is that time once again for Garmin to add some new devices to the pool of thriving GPS units.
While the model name doesn’t stand out, the Garmin nuvi 2455LMT is a $199 GPS device that you should pay close attention to. The new features pretty much make all of the other existing Garmin products seem “outdated”.
- Garmin nuvi 2455LMT
Design
The one thing that remains the same is the design. It has a 4.3-inch display and it is still light enough for this device to serve as a basic handheld GPS device. Since the package includes a suction cup mount, the device is best installed on your car’s windshield or dashboard. It is quite thin and light with nice contoured edges. You can switch orientation by going to Settings > Display > Orientation.
Features
The Garmin nuvi 2455LMT is one of the first devices to feature the Garmin Guidance 2.0 interface which is a refined interface that combines some familiar elements with some promising improvements. You still get the two choices on the home screen where you can view the map or plan a very quick route. There are significant speed improvements when searching for destinations and it is now possible to select businesses on the map without going through menus.
The lane assist with junction view has been around in many Garmin GPS devices for a while and it is finally getting a nice improvement. Called photoReal junction view, the screen splits in half so you can see both the junction view and map. The graphics of the junction view are significantly improved and it does a fantastic job in accurately displaying the road signs and highlighting which lanes you need to be on to take the right exit. Once you do take that exit, you can use the Enhanced Exit Services to see what services are within range on that highway.
The new portrait view mode gives you another way to view the map. It also works with the photoReal junction view where the screen is split horizontally.
The number of points of interest also increased significantly from 6 million to over 8 million. This particular model is an LMT model as well so the map updates are forever free so any changes in roads or key landmarks can be properly updated. Garmin continuously rolls out updates so you can update 4 times a year at maximum.
Lifetime traffic updates is included too and that feature also received some nice updates. The updates are now obtained from a new system called 3D traffic. Garmin claims that this new system checks the conditions over 2 billion times every month. It also has another component called Garmin Traffic Avoidance which reports any current occurrences like road construction or heavy traffic. It obtains the data from other Garmin owners as well as news stations and other historic traffic data so results stay accurate. People living in metro areas will find it a lot easier in taking the best possible route to a certain destination. Like the map updates, there is no subscription required and no monthly fees will ever surface.
Like many other Garmin devices, a microSD card slot is available so it is possible to add cityXplorer maps for enhanced street navigation. Using this feature is good if you are checking out this city that you are unfamiliar with and want to explore the best places there. It is also possible to change the default text-to-speech voice to something else if you want to add some personality to your GPS device. The Garmin Garage site allows you to download custom vehicles for your navigation graphics to make the Garmin nuvi 2455LMT more fun to use.
Conclusion
The Garmin nuvi 2455LMT has a lot of potential because it is complete with free lifetime map and traffic updates and a good price point. All of these improvements are great for new users since they don’t affect the simple interface and ease of use. If you owned a Garmin nuvi device before, the split screen and portrait views could be enough to finally upgrade.
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