Magellan Premium Car Kit for iPhone and iPod touch
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Magellan Premium Car Kit for iPhone
Features
- Compatibility: iPod touch 2G, 3G; iPhone 3G, 3Gs
- Transform your iPhone or iPod touch into a complete in-car solution for GPS navigation
- Charge your device while mounted; built-in GPS receiver enhances performance
- Noise-cancelling, hands-free speakerphone with powerful amplified speaker
- Works with any navigation or location-based app, including Magellan’s RoadMate app
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 8 x 5 x 5 inches
- Weight: 2 pounds
No A2DP, no Voice Control
I purchased this unit to replace a Garmin GPS and a Kensington LiquidAUX Bluetooth adapter. Because of the placement of the cigarette lighter jack, the bluetooth adapter did not pick up my voice very well. I expected this one unit to do everything plus handle the GPS functions for me. I was wrong.
The Magellan unit works well as a GPS, but I found that it does not do A2DP for the iPod function. My iPhone must be plugged in to play music. With the LiquidAUX the phone just needed to be in the car. Often still in my jacket pocket. Now I must plug it in. If I only intend to make phone calls, the Magellen unit will work with a Bluetooth connection. The separation of the two audio functions makes no sense to me.
The real crazy thing is when I want to use Voice Control. It does not use the Bluetooth, nor use the speaker in either the Magellan unit or via the car stereo. It only uses the iPhone’s own microphone and speaker. I can’t hear it while driving and I must shout to get it to dial.
Oh, and placing the iPhone right near the car stereo (rather than in a jacket pocket) causes the GSM noise to be picked up by the car stereo. Really bad when wanting to listen to music on the iPhone.
Increases GPS signal by TONS, works with 3rd party navigation software too.
It’s absolutely unreal how much this unit boosts the iPhone’s GPS reception, and how quickly it helps it get a lock! It almost makes it painful to try and navigate without this unit! The build quality is very good, mostly plastic, but sturdy and holds the iPhone really well. The mounting system is a suction-based mount, and they made it easy to use by adding a nice little lever that lets you add or release suction on the car’s glass… it’s a nice touch!
The bluetooth works – but I found the speaker quality to be a little lacking and my car a little too loud – so phone calls were still best done by picking up the phone. Luckily, they have a quick release that makes doing this pretty easy, and is a 1-handed operation too. The unit had no problems playing my GPS software’s voice directions loud and clear. The Magellan also charges the iPhone while it’s docked – and if you’ve used your iPhone for navigating you’ll know this is a MUST HAVE feature… the iPhone really drinks battery while using the GPS chip! This thing is a must-have for long trips, and I was really happy that I could continue to use my (already paid for) Navigon GPS software!!
Setup is a breeze – take it out, plug it in, add the iPhone, and away you go. It’s also nice to be able to remove it from the window so quickly – this keeps thieves from even knowing it’s in the car as it sits safely in the glovebox. Swivels from portrait to landscape with just a touch, too. Very solid GPS tool for the money… Highly recommended!
It’s a Fantastic Toy….!
Pros:
-Excellent build quality; very solid and holds my iPhone (with my OtterBox case) very sturdily.
-Good mounting of iPhone with swivelling dock connector and flexible/adjustable top clip.
-Fits iPhone perfectly with my OtterBox case. But be warned – it was adjusted to its highest point, so it wont fit a case larger than the PixelSkin.
-GPS fix more accurate than iPhone’s internal GPS. This resulted in less jerky movements and less jumping around during GPS application usage.
Cons:
-GPS signal dropped out far more often than others standalone like belkin. This is unacceptable in a product meant to improve GPS reception that actually uses the same GPS chip as the belkin I am comparing it with.
-With kit mounted on windscreen the iPhone overheated and stopped working (displayed a temperature warning message and forced itself into sleep mode) once. Mind you this was after three hours of driving, directly towards the caribbean summer sun on a 35C/95F day. where is use it most is in puerto rico and in the US. This is not a shortcoming of this Magellan kit, but rather an issue with mounting iPhones in car windscreens in general.
-When switching the car ignition from ‘accessories’ to ‘run’ and then to ‘on’, the Magellan kit naturally loses power momentarily. However when it powers back on, it often would not sync with the iPhone’s Bluetooth as the power cycle was too fast. I would need to manually power cycle the Magellan kit #ie. remove power plug, then reconnect# allowing enough time for the iPhone to lose Bluetooth sync before re-establishing the power.
MAJOR MAJOR CON:
-When you plug a 3.5mm audio cable into the AUX connector on the Magellan kit #for attaching to a car stereo, or external powered speakers, etc.#, the music and application sounds CONTINUE COMING OUT OF THE BUILT-IN SPEAKER!!! This is a ridiculous design, as it means to listen to music through your car stereo without the crappy built-in speaker ruining the music for you, you need to turn down the volume on the Magellan Kit #as this only controls the volume of the built-in speaker#. But then if you receive a call, the call audio #via Bluetooth# cannot be heard #as you have turned the volume down on the built-in speaker, which is where the call audio is sent#, so you have to manually turn the volume up on the Magellan kit again #using a fiddly little dial that is difficult and dangerous to find while trying to concentrate on driving#. You have to do this EVERY TIME a call arrives… STUPID!
Why oh why was the kit designed like this? We will never know. However Magellan have responded to my question about it and have indicated that they will release some sort of firmware/software/application fix for this speaker problem in the near future.
iTouch users need this
If you have an iTouch, then you need this. Without a GPS receiver you cannot use any of the navigation applications. I originally bought this because my wife complained that the FM tuner she was using with her iPhone would change stations just as she was coming to an important intersection. She eventually brought her car to a professional car-audio place that installed something that works for her iPhone, but not my iTouch.
Yes, the $129 is steep but you will find that the construction quality is a lot higher than most simple GPS holders. For iPhone users, this will boost your GPS signal strength; which will get you on the road a lot faster.
A PLUS
It does come with an audio out function. So you can still use the old cassette method of listening to it through your car radio, if you still have the cassette radio.
WHY NOT FIVE STARS?
Because it only works when it is plugged in. If it could store battery power or work of the battery power of the iTouch/iPhone it would get all 5 stars. But once you remove the car charger, it stops working.
Also, the speaker function is not that great. Yes, it is ok, but not like listening through your car radio. Once you start moving on the highway, have the radio turned up and add in a conversation, it will easily be drowned out.
MISC
Compared to my Nuvi, using this GPS with my iTouch is far superior. I use the Navigon application (also expensive) but I find that it gives better directions than my Nuvi.
Waste of $$, people.
You can a generic one of these on Ebay for like $15-$25 and doesnt have any issues. Dont waste your $.
A Must For IPod Touch Owners
Just trust me and get 1 already but if you are not sure then continue to read below.
Pros:
A very nice, secured and well constructed cradle, it hold my Ipod Touch and a friend’s Iphone very securely which in term give the owner of the very expensive Iphone/Ipod touch a sense of security about how safe their toys are.
- many would not consider this as a pro but to me the ability of not having to take the protective cover off before inserted into the cradle is a great big deal. I didn’t purchased the protective cover/case just to take it out when it may be most needed.
- I’ve been travel with this to over 6 different states and this device would only drop its signal only a small amount of time that I can count with 1 hand. which to me is very surprising considering this is only an add-in and not a built in.
- The charger, the Bluetooth, the AUX port, and the Speaker are useful. The Bluetooth especially can be use with other devices with a great intercepting range with great clarity.
- The suction on the cradle is one of the best I’ve seen. unlike some suction cup that make you wonder when apply to windshield or mat, this thing will erase any doubt you have regarding its ability to hold on. I’ve driven on dirt road where even my fat belly wouldn’t hug well on my seat and yet this thing would not let go of my Ipod.
Cons:
- the only thing I can think of is the charger. it seem even though the port on the device look just like a regular USB port you find on your phone, camera, and etc.. it seem none of my other cable would work even though it fitted perfectly. This may not be a con as much as an inconvenience, just worry about what happen when I misplaced or break the power adapter that came with it.
Over all I would recommend this device to anyone that love to travel and always get lost. I believe even with just as a wireless Bluetooth device, a charger, an AUX connectivity, and cradle, this device is already worth a lot of money already therefore one is not actually paying much for the GPS feature at all. Please note, I’ve heard many reviewer mentioned Motion X software as a cheap alternative software to use with this device, please reconsider it if you just have an Ipod Touch or a limited data plan Iphone since this device and Motion X will not work for you as Motion X required you to have a data source at all time to download live guidance and map. If you have just an Ipod touch , you may have to duke out the money and buy the more expensive app like navigon, tom tom, and etc.. which in a way would help since even your Iphone does not have data coverage everywhere you go and well no one wants a huge bill for using data while out of their service area. One other thing I would like to justify for this unit which I saw many reviewer pointed out as a bad thing, the AUX port. The AUX port works fine and yes it does seem that when you use it, sound will come out from both your stereo system and the built in speaker. But you can just turn down the volume on the cradle and the sound would just go through your stereo system only, music as well as voice guidance.
Hope this help.
Compatible with other Navigation app
Pro:
Compatible with all apple mobile device
Compatible with third party app without wifi or data service (I use it with the G-Map US West on ipod touch and it got step by step voice prompt)
Adjustable mounting holder
Con:
Speaker quality is not that good.
Like other gps mounting holder, windshield mount will stop working under higher temperature
the mounting holder has no internal battery, so you need plug in to your car for power
Holding it’s own
All is good with the Magellan Premium Car Kit. It has performed as expected. It is easy to install, requires almost no setup, and does all that it was advertised to do.
I can’t seem to keep my iPhone attaced to my hip and have lost it several times getting in and out of my car. Getting in and out, it sayed on my hip because I had no better place to put it. Now I do.
I think the price is a bit steep but when compared to the competition, the TOM TOM car kit, it was a better price point.
My only complaint is I have to unplug and replug in the Magellan Premium Car Kit to get the bluetooth to hook up each time I get in the car. The oulet I am using is always hot even with the key off. So I’ve had to develope the habit of unplugging the kit each time I get out of the car.
Charging issue and horrible GPS reception
I am one of the early adopter, having bought this kit early when it was first available. I travel by car quite a lot as part of my job and I had the chance to test this kit extensively.
As the title stated, here are the major problems:
1). CHARGING
When I plug my iPhone 3GS, about 3 out of 5 I’ll get a message on the iPhone saying that “This accessory is not for iPhone”. I have tried every possible way to ensure that I am plugging the iPhone properly, which it does because the shape of the kit prevent the iPhone to be plugged in other ways, yet I still get that dreaded message and the iPhone DOES NOT CHARGE. it seems that the connector is not designed well and it does not recognize the iPhone most of the time.
2). GPS
The GPS inside the kit, when it work, it worked great. But most of the time, it DOES NOT WORK. Many times, my Magellan GPS or Navigon app will suddenly lose signal. I thought it was the application itself, but when I mounted my iPhone to a normal car kit with no GPS, I never lose GPS signal unless I am inside a tunnel or under heavy foliage cover
I tried my best to test this car kit, even beyond the 30 days return policy. Alas, this kit just perform badly.
Do not buy this kit!
magellan gps cradle
I am very pleased with this product. It is so great to have my IPOD as a GPS. the software you will need is very good and the cradle is made well. It will fit with any case you have on your IPOD. I highly recommend this product. There are tips and AC/DC adaptors to fit this cradle at [...] they are great because you can use this AC/DC adaptor for all your devices also [...]has a battery pack for sale which then you can use the GPS portable by connecting the cradle with your tip to the battery pack. Great for hicking.
Too Bad!
Too bad,
This thing had so much promise.
First off, I did quite a bit of research before I got it, but evidently not enough.
I got this guy locally, just in case I had a problem. Good thing I did.
Reading the description you would think that it is compatible with the iPod Touch. It is not. If you read carefully you will see the words “(2nd generation)”. This means that if you own an iPod Touch made recently, your out of luck. The reason is bluetooth pairing. Apple has not implemented the full bluetooth capability, so it will not even see the dock to try the pairing function.
Design wise, I rated it low. The main reason is, the mounting system is too flimsy. I bounces around unless it is supported.
Until Apple fixes the Bluetooth issue this device will NOT work.
Robert
Solid solution for ipod touch and iphone gps apps
I’ve been using this for well over a month now. I love it and there is no way I’m going back to a regular GPS. I purchased the Magellan 2010 maps app from the iTunes store on sale for $59.99 and loaded it onto my iPod so I could use it with this kit. As a GPS, the iPod touch is so much faster than even current Magellan and Garmin dedicated GPS devices. It’s really difficult to review this without reviewing the app as well since they really do belong together, but I’m very satisfied with the Magellan 2010 maps app. The touchscreen response is almost instant and the POI’s display faster than on my Garmin. I also love the lane guidance and the multiple custom 1-touch saved addresses.
I’ve removed and reinstalled the suction mount a few times until I found where I preferred it to be mounted, and it hasn’t fallen off the windshield once. The mounting kit is easy to rotate on the ball mount to achieve the desired angle.
My car stereo also has Bluetooth, and although I can clearly hear anyone talking to me, I’ve had complaints that they can’t hear me very well. By contrast, the speaker on this kit is just not loud enough and I’m always asking people to speak up. It also doesn’t always connect to my phone. When I have my car stereo paired to my phone though it connects and disconnects flawlessly. I would say the Bluetooth feature needs improvement.
Three complaints:
The GPS chip resides in the power cord so it renders this useless for iPod users who wish to use the GPS app for walking routes. Why couldn’t they put the GPS chip into the mount and engineer the mount to be an external battery pack for the iPod? In that scenario, the usability of this product is extended because it would act as a charger and allow walking routes.
The speaker is just not loud enough.
The GPS app must be purchased separately. I bought the Magellan app for $59.99 on sale at the iTunes store.
Great iphone car kit!
This is a great GPS kit for your iphone and ipod touch.
Easy to use, and work with your iphone case too, so you
dont have to take it off.
Still have not try it with my ipad touch first generation
not sure if it will work with it!
Buy a real GPS
Buy a real GPS. It’s not worth the money.
On the plus side, the cradle is pretty well made and feels solid. The suction pad feels firm, it fell off once but I suspect that was user error.
On the minus side, the internal speaker does not shut off if you connect it to the car radio. The bluetooth hands free is flaky, you end up grabbing the phone because one of you can’t hear the other. The software is good but oh so slow to get started and if you interrupt it with an incoming phone call it quits and you have to start again. If you use the sticky pad to attach it to the dashboard you can’t angle the phone down enough to see it properly. The light on the power adaptor is too dim to see in daylight so you don’t know when it is connected or not until the phone runs out of juice. The connection between the phone and the cradle is temperamental and requires you to be very firm when seating it to get the audio to come through.
Better than most.
I was in a hurry to get some way to mount my new Iphone 3gs into the car. This seemed to be the ticket; magellan’s other products are all decent. So, I went ahead and bought it. So far, it works fine. But the Tom Tom mount is still better, even if it is more expensive and you can only supposedly get it from the iphone site (where I ordered it and surprise, surprise it got to me sooner than the Amazon’s Magellan mount did). Average, this one gets four stars. The Tom Tom gets five.
Great GPS Option
Product performs as advertised. Easy to install. Good speaker quality and setting up the Bluetooth connectivity was simple. This combination makes my dedicated Magellan GPS redundant.
Overall very satisfied.Magellan Premium Car Kit for iPhone and iPod touch
Better than TomTom
It works perfectly with my iphone and ipod touch. I use Navigon and Magellan apps for ipod touch. Cannot install other apps on my ipod touch. GPS reception is much better. Better than TomTom because one cradle can be used for iphone and ipod touch. With TomTom you have to buy one for iphone and one for ipod touch.
Overpriced for what it does
Don’t waste your money. I bought it for bluetooth ability so that I could make/receive phone calls without messing with my ear piece. I tested by calling my answering machine at home and the sound quality of this thing is horrible. You dare not make a business call using it if you value your client.
I thought I’d be able to use my car’s sound system but plugging into the aux jack does not disable the internal speaker of the unit. The only way for it to not play is to lower the volume. But then you don’t hear an incoming phone call.
Junk. Save your money. Mine is going back.
Off to look at Amazon return policy……
A good GPS navigation solution for your iPhone and Ipod Touch. However doesn’t include map software (sold separately).
Magellan Premium Car Kit for iPhone and iPod touch is a great GPS navigation solution for your iPhone 3G/3Gs and iPod touch 2G. The drawback is that map software is not included in this package (need to be purchased separately from Magellan or other compatible map software), and this GPS receiver is not compatible with the google maps currently installed in iPhone and iPod touch. And for what it’s worth, I think Magellan wants people to also buy the Magellan RoadMate App (by not inlcuding the map in this kit).
Pros:
1. Compatible with iPhone 3G/3Gs and iPod touch 2G
2. Built-in GPS receiver turns iPod touch into a GPS navigator (and enhance iPhone GPS performance)
3. Accomodates skins or cases (including think/hard cases)
4. Noise-cancelling and hands-free spreakerphone
5. In-car charging
6. adjustable position (portrait to landscape switching)
7. good moounting (secure and adjustable)
8. Good Bluetooth capability and quality
9. Speaker is good (louder than iPhone speaker)
10. Car charger is included
Cons:
1. Map software is not included in the package (have to buy separately)
2. Pre-installed iPhone and iPod Google map software is not compatible with this GPS hardware
3. Microphone quality is average
4. When playing music using your car stereo using the 3.5mm audio line out, the music continue to play in the built-in speaker (it would be nice if it mute the built-in speaker if the line out is used).
Sidarta Tanu
Works but with limitations
I received this at no cost through the Amazon Vine program, and purchased the Roadmate app for my iPod Touch on sale from Magellan for sixty dollars. I use it with the Garmin Portable Friction Mount, which works great and easily lets me use this unit in different cars.
My comments below apply to the combination of this unit with the Roadmate software since this unit does not come with any software.
On a clear day this unit picks up satellite signals faster than my Garmin Nuvi 660 or 350. It also gives more advance notice and better turn directions (e.g “make second left turn” instead of “turn on Clover Street in 500 feet), is easier to use to enter addresses, and is quicker to find points of interest.
Unfortunately on a very cloudy day it has failed sometimes to pick up any signal, which is a problem with any GPS unit, but seems to be more so with this unit compared to my Nuvis.
Everyone uses their GPS unit differently, but here are my concerns about this unit:
1. Sometimes during a long trip I want to mute the voice giving directions (such as when my wife takes a nap) . On my Nuvi 660 this requires literally just two screen taps. On this unit it takes six: tap Menu, tap the Tools symbol, tap Settings, tap General Settings, tap Sound, and then turn the volume down. Just not practical to do while driving.
2. POI Factory has a website with many useful and interesting points of interest, such as red light and speed traps, rest areas on different routes, etc. There is no way to download any of them onto this unit.
3. Sometimes on a trip I like to tap the screen on my Nuvi 660 to see the series of upcoming turns. On this unit you can only see the series of turns when you set the route, but not while you are driving unless you go through a laborious process similar to what I described in muting the volume.
4. If you travel abroad, there are SD cards that will give you maps of your locale (I bought one for my son to use with a Nuvi 350 when he went to Barcelona). You can’t do that with this unit. Also, if you have an iPod Touch rather than an iPhone, pedestrian mode will be useless.
5. An iPod Touch and iPhone have a glossy surface, while a traditional GPS has a matte finish. The practical difference is that my iPod Touch sometimes picks up annoying reflections that make the screen more difficult to see while driving.
6. When driving with sunglasses with direct sunlight hitting the unit, the screen is “washed out.” To be fair, the same thing happens on my wife’s Nuvi 350, though not on my Nuvi 660, which has a brighter screen.
7. Sometimes when you hit a traffic jam it is helpful to get a suggested alternate route. There is no “detour” button on this unit.
8. On a hot sunny day, even with the air conditioning on, you would never leave your cell phone or Mp3 player on the dashboard of your car while driving because the sun could eventually “fry” them.
But if you are going on a long trip on a hot sunny day, unless you frequently remove this unit from the dashboard, you risk “frying” your iPod Touch or iPhone. By contrast, I have left my Nuvi 660 on the dashboard for many hours on a hot sunny day while traveling to a vacation destination without any problems.
Bottom line: Since this unit is superior in some ways to my Nuvi 660, I will use it on trips where exposure to a hot sun is not a concern. While it does work, it is also missing “bells and whistles” that I like. If asked to choose between this and a comparably priced conventional GPS, I would definitely choose the latter. I think this is expensive for what you get.