Garmin Nuvi 1490T
Manufacturer: Garmin Part number: 010-00810-05
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Anyone who wants a reliable and simple navigation device with a bit more screen real estate won't be disappointed by the Garmin Nuvi 1490T.
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CNET editors' review
Garmin Nuvi 1490T price range: $185.99 - $193.04
- Reviewed by: Antuan Goodwin
- Reviewed on: 09/07/2010
The good: The Garmin Nuvi 1490T's 5-inch touch screen greatly increases road visibility. Bluetooth hands-free calling, free FM traffic data, and a fuel-saving EcoRoute function further increase this Nuvi's value. Garmin's interface remains one of the easiest to understand.
The bad: The bigger screen doesn't get an increase in resolution, resulting in jagged edges on some of the graphics. Ad-supported traffic may be a turn-off to some users.
The bottom line: Anyone who wants a reliable and simple navigation device with a bit more screen real estate won't be disappointed by the Garmin Nuvi 1490T.
TomTom's got one. Magellan's got one. Now, we have our hands on Garmin's newest 5-inch GPS navigator. Dwarfing the current norm of 4.3-inch units, the Garmin Nuvi 1490T's big screen makes it that much easier to view from its perch on a car's dashboard or windshield. With Bluetooth hands-free calling, free traffic data, and a clever, green driving suite of tools, this big fellow is not a bad choice for people looking for a good blend of advanced functionality and ease of use.
Design
The Nuvi 1490T's most distinguishing feature is its large 5-inch screen. Compared with the 4.3-inch units we normally see these days, the extra real estate is quite obvious. There also appears to be a slight increase in screen brightness. At arms length, the larger onscreen buttons are easier to hit, making light work of address entry. However, screen resolution remains the same 480x272 pixels as the 4.3-inch Garmin units, so the display's pixels are slightly more obvious and its text is rendered with more aliasing.
The unit features a glossy, black bezel with a small pinhole microphone in its lower left edge. The left side is home to a microSD card slot and on the top edge features the power/lock button. Flipping the Nuvi over reveals its matte-finished back panel. Here you'll find the Mini-USB port for charging and syncing and the unit's speaker.
Also in the box is a suction cup windshield-mounting bracket, a 12-volt car charger with a Mini-USB tip and integrated FM traffic antenna, an adhesive dashboard-mounting puck, and an assortment of user guides and warranty papers.
Interface
The Nuvi 1490T's home screen features two large icons for the two major functions of a portable navigation device: finding a destination and browsing the map. Along the top edge of this screen is a status bar with icons for GPS signal strength, Bluetooth status, navigation mode, current time, and battery state. Touching the Bluetooth icon jumps straight to a hands-free setup screen; the navigation mode icon lets users select between automobile, pedestrian, or bicycle navigation modes; and tapping the time brings up the time settings screen. Of course, the time is automatically set by the GPS signal, so this last option is largely unnecessary.
The bottom edge of the home screen is where you can find the volume controls and the tools menu. With a destination chosen, the bottom bar will also display options for detour and stop navigation and if a phone is paired, here is also where the phone menu will appear.
You can select your destination using an address or by searching a preloaded database of points of interest. Address entry and search use the onscreen QWERTY keyboard, which is quite nice as far as navigation keyboards go. It doesn't feature any sort of predictive blanking of keys, but will display a list of possible completions once you've gotten a few letters punched in. The resistive touch screen requires more pressing effort than most smartphones, but after a few entries, we quickly got used to bearing down.
Meanwhile, the map screen is able to display 2D or 3D maps that are easy to understand and read at a glance. The top bar displays the current street or the next turn. Along the bottom edge is a back button for returning to the home screen, a configurable button that displays routing data (ETA, direction of travel, elevation, etc.) and a speed display that, when clicked, takes you to a trip computer screen.
Along the map's left edge is the traffic icon that is gray when traffic data is unavailable, green when the route is all clear, or turns yellow or red when obstructions are ahead. It also displays an estimated delay time. On the right edge are transparent buttons for zooming in and out and an EcoChallenge score icon, which we discuss in the next section.
EcoRoute
EcoRoute is a suite of tools and functions that the Nuvi uses to help drivers get to their destinations while using less fuel and emitting less carbon.
After inputting our vehicle's city and highway fuel economy (fueleconomy.gov is a good starting point) and estimated per gallon cost for fuel, the main ecoRoute function went to work, producing the EcoChallenge score. On the map screen, a circular icon appeared containing a numerical score (from 0-99) and a leaf that changes from red to green as your score increases. Driving smoothly caused our score to increase, whereas fast starts and harsh braking resulted in lower scores. The ecoChallenge score is an easy way to estimate how efficiently the vehicle is being driven, but for even more information, you can tap the EcoChallenge icon to view a detailed scoring screen with a historical graph of the past few hours' scores and breakout averages for overall, speed, braking, and acceleration scores. The detail screen is also accessible from the EcoRoute menu, from which you can also find options for viewing mileage reports, historical fuel economy graphs, vehicle profile information, and green driving tips.
With EcoRoute active, a new Less Fuel route preference opens up over in the navigation settings menu along with the standard Faster Time, Shorter Distance, and Off Road options. With this option checked, the Nuvi will attempt to route the most fuel-efficient path for your vehicle's profile and, at the end of each trip, display a report listing distance traveled, average fuel economy, fuel cost, carbon footprint, and average EcoChallenge score for the trip. The Nuvi also stores this data under the Mileage Report icon in the EcoRoute menu and as text files for retrieval later using a USB connected PC.
However, the EcoRoute software is merely making educated guesses at the vehicle's fuel economy using the information gathered from the GPS antenna (speed, elevation, and acceleration and deceleration rates) and the fuel economy estimates input during setup. For a more accurate snapshot of fuel economy, you have two options. The first is the "At the Pump" function, a low-tech solution that is little more than a glorified calculator. After stopping for fuel, you input the fuel price (per gallon), the amount of fuel used, and the distance traveled since the last fill-up (conveniently automatically filled by the EcoRoute software) to calculate the actual miles per gallon burned. But that's a simple function that can be accomplished with a basic understanding of division and is calculated only after the fuel has been used. For the best balance of up-to-the-minute accuracy, you can purchase and install Garmin's EcoRoute HD module in your vehicle. This module connects to the vehicle's onboard diagnostics port and wirelessly transmits engine and emissions data to the Nuvi over Bluetooth. Armed with this information, the ecoRoute software can most accurately estimate the efficiency of the vehicle in motion. The Nuvi also gains diagnostics capabilities through this connection, so it can view and clear trouble codes if the car's check engine light illuminates.
Traffic
Garmin Nuvis with model numbers ending in "T" feature traffic data reception. In the case of the Nuvi 1490T, you get free lifetime FM-RDS traffic data. This data is displayed in a traffic menu as a list of incidents and on the map screen as icons and color overlays on major highways. A green highway should be all clear and a red street is probably stop-and-go, with yellow roads somewhere in between. Due to the somewhat limited resolution of FM traffic, we had a few incidents where we followed the Nuvi onto a green highway only to be met with a jam. Also, there's simply no data available for surface roads. However, most of the time the FM traffic data could be trusted.
Traffic data is used during trip routing and to deliver more accurate estimated times of arrival (or delays). Even with no destination chosen, the Nuvi will occasionally verbally warn the driver of impending delays on the current road.
Nuvi units that feature traffic receivers, such as our 1490T, carry a slightly higher MSRP than units without traffic, but don't think that Garmin is footing the monthly traffic data subscription out of the kindness of its corporate heart. Rather, the traffic subscription is ad-supported, which means that you will be subjected to occasional text ad in the map screen's top bar or in menu screens' bottom bar. Clicking on any of these ads will bring up a listing of the nearest locations for the advertiser, for example a restaurant or hotel. We found the ads to be unobtrusive, but some may find them annoying.
The antenna for the traffic system is embedded into the 12-volt power cable, so you won't be able to receive traffic updates without first plugging in.
Bluetooth
The Nuvi 1490T is equipped with a Bluetooth wireless connection and supports the hands-free (HFP) and phonebook access (PBAP) profiles, as well as a data connection when paired with the previously mentioned ecoRoute HD module.
Pairing with a Bluetooth-enabled phone can be initiated from the handset or from the Nuvi's Bluetooth menu. After inputting a four-digit PIN, the Nuvi will be recognized by your phone as a speakerphone. In the main menu, a new Phone icon appears along the bottom bar, opening up options for calling points of interest, history, and home, as well as a manual-dialing keypad. An option for voice dial opens a connection for using your phone's voice command system, if supported, to initiate calls.
With handsets that support PBAP, the Nuvi can also request and download your contacts to be accessed from a phone book icon that appears in the phone menu once the download is complete.
Incoming calls are recognized by the Nuvi and displayed in a pop-up window along with caller ID information and options to accept or ignore the call. Call quality is passable; the Nuvi's speaker is loud and clear; but the microphone picks up almost as much road noise as spoken words, so be sure to wind those windows up and turn down the stereo before accepting or making any calls.
User reviews
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Works as Advertised - Easy to use and update
by hnavp66 on November 26, 2009
Pros: Crisp, clear display makes maps easy to read. Voice announcements are clear and easy to hear, and adjust. Unit fires up and shuts down quickly . Garmin website tools now make units easy to update.
Cons: Unit required extensive software and firmware updates out of the box, requiring a 2GB download.
Summary: I read the 2 previous reviews and I have to say had I read them first I would not have purchased this unit. However, with that said Garmin must have ...
Summary: I read the 2 previous reviews and I have to say had I read them first I would not have purchased this unit. However, with that said Garmin must have issued several fixes as I've not come across any of the issues experienced by the other reviewers.
Be sure to load your firmware and software updates before putting the unit in use. The Garmin website now makes this much easier to do as the downloads are basically automated and just require time.
The unit comes on quickly, the touch screen isn't overly sensitive and is a QWERTY keyboard, making typing more intuitive. There's also the option for a straight a-b-c layout if typing isn't your thing.
Once on, the screen is bright and easy to read, but also adjustable brightness so the screen doesnt dominate the car. The suction holder is firm on the winshield. No fear of dropping off while driving (had a unit a while back that did that). When the power cord is removed the unit gives you the option to keep the unit on, or shut down. Later on, shutting the unit down is a quick button push for immediate shut off.
I have not used the bluetooth connection yet. The unit also has a screen shot function that I'm a little confused about right now, since it's not a camera unit. Perhaps to save a map copy for some reason.
When the map is up you can manuever around using a finger swipe. Zoom in and out shows quite a bit of detail. Unit will do a quick recalculation when you turn the 'wrong way.'
Good GPS unit once the updates are installed. Shop around on this one though. I bought at Costco for $340, and then 10 minutes later at Best Buy saw the exact same unit for $500.8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great GPS! I don't understand the complaints!
by Baby_Doc on December 7, 2009
Pros: Larger speaker with clear voice output.
Larger, brighter 5.0 inch touch screen.
Easy to use interface.
Uncluttered 3-D perpective maps -easy to use and follow.
Lane assist and junction views - very nice!
Blue tooth works.
Hotfix to satellites.Cons: 3-D map does not show name of street upon which you are traveling.
Points of interest not visible on 3-D maps. In 2-D must zoom to 200 ft or less to see POI.
Takes a minimum of 2.5 hours to update maps. ONLY first update is free.Summary: This is my first gps purchase. I, too, bought it on black Friday for $249 at Costco. At that price it is a good value. It works as it should. ...
Summary: This is my first gps purchase. I, too, bought it on black Friday for $249 at Costco. At that price it is a good value. It works as it should. I love the big screen and clear voice directions. The blue tooth works great, too!
Some people have complained that they have had problems with connecting to satellites. I did not experience this except with the first cold startup of the unit. According to Garmin, during the first cold startup, the unit gathers data of the satellite positions that it then stores in an almanac for future use, enabling almost immediate connections when you turn on the gps the next time. The gathering and writing of that new almanac of satellite postions sometimes needs an open clear unobstructed view of the sky with the gps in a stationary position. This can take 5 minutes the first time you use the gps. This almanac should not need to be rebuilt often, unless you haven't used the gps for a long time, or you had flew to a distant location and then tried to use the gps again.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Works great
by ahensel149 on March 27, 2010
Pros: Previous GPS Garmin 650t. Larger, clear screen readable in all light conditions. Very quick to locate satellites. Route planning intuitive. With old unit I would often pass a street physically before the GPS would indicate the passage.
Cons: Took reviewers advice and updated firmware and maps first. Tricky to find where to update firmware on Garmin site. Took six tries before map update worked. Bluetooth coordination with cell, thanks to virtually no documention, not easy.
Summary: Setup, as explained, not that easy. I hoped for much better documentation; the manual with hand held hiking units were a 1,000 times better. Garmin assistance only available weekdays ...
Summary: Setup, as explained, not that easy. I hoped for much better documentation; the manual with hand held hiking units were a 1,000 times better. Garmin assistance only available weekdays and not after 5. I can see why some reviewers found the setup overwhelming. At one point in the map update if you did the wrong thing you could have pooched your unit - according to the on screen warning. Easy to miss if one is in a hurry. Once the somewhat unpleasant setup was over I took the 1490T for an extensive drive. It worked great. The faster processor meant that changes in direction, such as sharp turns, was instantaneous. I haven't had to use the traffic alert but it must have been working because I did get unobtrusive advertising at the very top of the large screen. The POI feature was far superior to the 650T. Using bluetooth was a piece of cake and the clarity and volume of calls was great. All in all, an excellent unit. If it hadn't been for setup hassle I would have given it 5 stars.
My use of the unit for a week has changed my opinion drastically. It's route planning is ludicrous. In "going home" it has me driving past the road leading to my side street and go about a mile and a half to come in a back entrance and then tells me to turn right, when I should be turning left. On another route, it had me going south when I should have been directed to go north. My old GPS routing was clearly superior. It is off in it's placement of my actual location by 200 feet most of the time. Bluetooth volume to me is good but the other party thinks I am fading out all the time - this when I'm sitting in the car with the engine turned off. For those still wishing to buy, turn off ZoneAlarm (if used) before doing the map download. I was very disappointed to learn that Garmin is Taiwanese owned and the auto units are now built there. Tech help was American and good. My new rating is 1.5 stars. My unit will go back.
Updated on Mar 31, 20105 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Big screen but has big issues
by wwwXpert on January 20, 2010
Pros: 5" Screen, Free Lifetime FM Traffic, Geocoding
Cons: No POIs on Map while driving, Intermittent Blank Screens when driving, Intermittent System Crashes, Usability issues when Panning Map with Touch Screen, Inaccurate Satellite Triangulation (sometimes off by 1 city block)
Summary: The Garmin nuvi 1490T offers a great screen and free lifetime FM traffic but delivers poor value in usability, reliability and customization. I tested this new unit over the course ...
Summary: The Garmin nuvi 1490T offers a great screen and free lifetime FM traffic but delivers poor value in usability, reliability and customization. I tested this new unit over the course of three weeks in Northern California and New York City. The system performance degraded over time where the Map display goes blank intermittently and calculation of routes takes several minutes. So if you're driving and make a wrong turn, expect to be lost because the unit becomes unresponsive while it recalculates the route which takes several minutes; and when it's done, it's not where it was previously and has to recalculate again and again. Also, Garmin removed all POI display on the Map when driving with no manual override to display POIs. As a consumer who's driving, you will not be able to see different POI categories like gas stations, coffee shops, parking, etc... Bottom-line, stay away from the Garmin nuvi 1490T.
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Garmin Nuvi 1490
by rfr88 on May 18, 2011
Pros: Good maps. Fairly good directions. Not so good at redirects.
Cons: Garmin claims this unit is Bluetooh compatible. They do not note that it seems to be comaptible with phones other than those that my wife and I, or our 3 kids own. It is NOT compatible and does not work with MANY current models of Smartphones. I have the
Summary: Garmin may be a fine GPS, but it a very poor Bluetooth unit. I feel that Garmin is falsely advertising their Bluetooth compatibility. They should state that it is only ...
Summary: Garmin may be a fine GPS, but it a very poor Bluetooth unit. I feel that Garmin is falsely advertising their Bluetooth compatibility. They should state that it is only compatible with some cell phones.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I have used this for 2 weeks and find it very good
by destevenson on October 30, 2010
Pros: Like the screen size, the ability to instantly change from compass to altimeter or clock. This is the first unit I have had that could find my home in the country. Most lead you down dead end roads.
Cons: Like everything about it at this time.
Summary: An overall good GPS unit. Only time will tell if it will lead me astray in the future.
Summary: An overall good GPS unit. Only time will tell if it will lead me astray in the future.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Outstanding experience
by mannishboy on September 11, 2010
Pros: extremely intuitive, screen is easy to read and bright, accuracy is very good overall, fast start-up and shut-down, comes with a nice mounting bracket, fit and finish is very good, updates for 60 days.
Cons: will likely need a micro-sd card immediately for updates as there is very little built-in memory available. Battery life is minimal. (neither of these are deal breakers).
Summary: I broke down and finally bought a Garmin for my recent trip to NC (775 mi. to a new destination for me). I was immediately impressed with the 1490T as ...
Summary: I broke down and finally bought a Garmin for my recent trip to NC (775 mi. to a new destination for me). I was immediately impressed with the 1490T as a user friendly and fast device. I have never owned a GPS unit before and just grabbed one that looked like it would probably work for me. I recommend it. Starts up quickly, acquires position quickly, and processes route quickly. Also recalculates a new route quickly when you miss a turn due to construction or if you take a detour for Starbucks or a rest stop. All excellent features for an auto-based navigation unit. Battery life is low as expected but the chances of not having an available 12v outlet available in a car nowadays is negligible.
I have no gripes with the resolution. It is perfectly acceptable to me. Very easy to read information on the screen and the voice that comes with the unit is clear and understandable (if not perfectly pronounced). You can, if you wish, load different icons for your car and/or different pre-recorded voices, or use your own voice with software available at the Garmin website.
All in all, a great purchase. Worked perfectly for me. $199 at WalMart on 9/2/2010.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great GPS... Go for it!
by jackbert88 on March 9, 2010
Pros: Very easy to use and easy to understand. Great features like eco-driving (wich I started to use this week), traffic (wich is accurate in the Montreal area). Bleutooth has many features with POI. Easy to find and call anywhere you're going...
Cons: Doesn't have an FM transmiter, the first firmware and map update is a bit long but it's only done once. An mp3 player would have been nice to have as well like the Nuvi 765WT.
Summary: I tried the Nuvi 250W, 265WT and 765WT but I prefer the 1490T with the new features like Lane assist for example. Even though it doesn't have the FM ...
Summary: I tried the Nuvi 250W, 265WT and 765WT but I prefer the 1490T with the new features like Lane assist for example. Even though it doesn't have the FM transmiter and the MP3 player, I still prefer the 1490T. I also tried the Tomtom 540XXL but it doesn't come close to ease of use of the 1490T. GO FOR IT... It's a great buy and I haven't had any of the problems mentionned in other reviews!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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1490T is great value
by doc9899 on January 31, 2011
Pros: Size, screen quality and size, ease of use, intuitive, multiple capabilities
Cons: None so far
Summary: This is my first GPS and I am thrilled with the 1490T. I resisted buying one only because I thought Google maps would get me anywhere - was I wrong! ...
Summary: This is my first GPS and I am thrilled with the 1490T. I resisted buying one only because I thought Google maps would get me anywhere - was I wrong! After misinformation on a trip (due to construction, which would have been avoided if I had the Garmin) I bought this for an amazing $139 at Costco. I was up and running in no time after the 4 hour charge and updates via the excellent website. The PDF manual is excellent. All the usual GPS features are easy to use from the screen menus. The BlueTooth capabilities are a real bonus. I found the favorites menu easy to use, the transfer of my address book from my phone to the nuvi slick, and the hands free communication feature very handy and clear.
I have not experienced any of the problems a few reviewers mentioned. All in all, this is a great product! I highly recommend it.1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Love the big screen
by tomwickland on February 26, 2012
Pros: Large screen makes maps easy to read AND is great for these of us with big fingers. Because the onscreen keyboard is large, it is easier to enter an address.
Cons: Would be nice to havec free map updates.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Garmin
- Part number: 010-00810-05
- Description: The large screen nüvi 1490T offers multiple-point routing and lane assist with junction view to help you manage busy highway interchanges. It also has subscription-free traffic alerts for most cities, hands-free calling, pedestrian navigation options and ecoRoute.
General
- Recommended Use Automotive
- Preloaded Maps North America
- Card Reader microSD
- Interface USB ,
Bluetooth - Functions & Services Time/date,
Lane Assistant ,
Distance ,
Elevation - Traffic MSN Direct,
TMC (Traffic Message Channel) - Voice Street name announcement,
Navigation instructions - Included Software NAVTEQ,
MapSource City Navigator North America NT - Compatible Software Garmin CityXplorer,
Garmin Travel Guide - Antenna Built-in
- Features Calculator ,
Clock,
ecoRoute,
Speed limit warning,
Emergency Help,
Garmin HotFix,
Garmin Lock,
2D / 3D map perspective,
Built-in microphone ,
Hands-free calling via Bluetooth ,
Garmin Garage,
Preinstalled POIs,
Currency converter ,
Photo viewer ,
Measurement converter,
Custom POIs,
Downloadable POIs,
Automatic routing,
Built-in speaker Display
- Type TFT - Color - Yes
- Diagonal Size 5 in - Widescreen
- Width 4.4 in
- Height 2.5 in
- Resolution 480 x 272
- Display Illumination Yes
- Features Anti-glare
Navigation
- Waypoints 1000
- Tracklog points 10000
- Navigation routes 10
- Trip computer Street address search,
Fast/short route,
Trip distance,
Trip timer,
Quickest route,
Avoid toll roads,
Avoid highways Media Player
- Supported Image Formats JPG
Connections
- Connector Type USB,
Antenna - Bluetooth Battery
- Type Lithium ion
- Run Time (Up To) 3 hour(s)
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Car power adapter with TMC antenna,
Dashboard disc,
USB cable,
Suction cup mount Dimensions & Weight
- Width 5.4 in
- Depth 0.6 in
- Height 3.4 in
- Weight 7.8 oz
Accessories
- Alpine 50W x 4 Apple iPod /Satellite Radio/HD Radio-Ready CD Deck (32924755)99.99
- Alpine Type-S SWS-1043D - car subwoofer driver (32400261)79.95 - 119.95
- Atrend TL-12DV Atrend Series 12-Inch Dual Slammer Vented Divided Enclosure (33648164)105.40 - 134.17
- Alpine CDE 122 - radio / CD / MP3 player / digital player (34909620)131.95 - 159.99
- Alpine CDE 125BT - radio / CD / MP3 player / digital player (34462854)169.99
- Alpine CDE 133BT - radio / CD / MP3 player / digital player (35085201)154.95 - 189.95
- Alpine Type-S SPS-400 - car speaker (32906160)59.95
- Alpine Type-S SPS-406 - car speaker (32906748)54.89 - 79.99
- Alpine Type-S SPS-410 - car speaker (34640911)46.00 - 69.99
- Magellan RoadMate 1700 - GPS receiver (35138574)154.98 - 176.99
- Garmin nuvi 1450LMT (34164423)49.95 - 237.61
- Garmin Nuvi 1490T (33639231)185.99 - 193.04
- Alpine MRP F300 - amplifier (32855869)140.97 - 199.99
- AudioBahn A2301T - amplifier (30807299)169.99
- BOSS CHAOS EXXTREME CX1800 - amplifier (33604912)132.23 - 169.99
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Garmin products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Garmin
- Address:
1200 E. 151st St, Olathe, KS - Phone: 913-397-8200
- Fax: 913-397-8282
