Navitel E505 Magnetic. GPS navigation test
A few weeks ago, Navitel introduced a new model of GPS-navigator - E505. This novelty has two important features that you should pay attention to.
It would seem that the market for classic car GPS navigators should survive the crisis, and new devices should appear on it less and less. Nothing could be more wrong. There are still relatively few cars with factory navigation, and even the new test cars that we use in our newsroom, if they are already equipped with it, then very often it is ... not updated ...
Therefore, we have come to one of the most interesting novelties of this season - the Navitel E505 Magnetic navigation system.
Outside
Navigation right out of the box makes a good impression. The case is slightly oval, only 1,5 cm thick, with a pleasant to the touch satin finish. The 5-inch matte TFT screen is touch sensitive, making it easy to use.
On the side of the case there is a slot for micro SD memory cards, a power connector and a headphone jack. The socket does not have a typical attachment to the glass holder, but more on that later.
Processor and memory
The device has "on board" a dual-core processor MStar MSB 2531A with a clock frequency of 800 MHz. Quite often used in GPS-navigations of various manufacturers. The navigation has 128 MB of RAM (DDR3) and 8 GB of internal memory. In addition, thanks to the slot, you can use external microSD cards up to 32 GB. You can download other maps or music to play on them.
Two in one…
For at least two of the following reasons, you should be interested in this navigation model. First, it is the operating system used. So far, Navitel has mainly used Windows CE and Android in tablets. Now it has “switched” to Linux and, according to the manufacturer, should be much faster than Windows. We do not have a comparative scale with previous devices of this brand, but we must admit that Navitel E505 performs all operations very quickly (route selection, alternative route selection, etc.). We also didn't notice the device freezing. What I really liked was the very fast recalculation and the proposed route after changing the current course.
The second innovation is the way the device is mounted on a holder mounted on the windshield - navigation is immobilized thanks to a magnet placed in the holder, and the corresponding pins allow power to be supplied to the device. In general, the idea is ingeniously simple and is already being used, including from Mio, but whoever has not used it at least once will not know how convenient and functional it is. And he certainly will not imagine navigation mounted differently. The device can be quickly connected to the holder and removed even faster. If you often leave the car (for example, when traveling on vacation), the solution is almost perfect!
Features
Modern navigation is already very complex devices that not only provide a lot of information about the route, but also perform new functions.
One of the most interesting is the "FM Transmitter". After setting the appropriate "free" frequency, the user of the navigator can use the information provided by the navigation speaker or play their favorite music from the microSD card installed in the navigator directly through the car radio or infotainment system. This is a very convenient and interesting solution.
See also: Buying a used hybrid
Cards
The device has maps of 47 European countries, including maps of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. The maps are covered by a free lifetime update, which, according to the manufacturer, is done on average once a quarter.
In use
And how navigation performed in our tests. To sum up in one word - great!
Navigation is intuitive, which is not always obvious. In the settings, we can choose the lecturer's voice, as well as the given vehicle category (for example, motorcycle, truck), thanks to which the navigation will optimally suggest a route for us.
We can choose a route from three options: the fastest, the shortest or the easiest. We are always informed about the length of such a route and the planned time of its completion.
On the left side of the screen is a strip with important information about the route, time and speed. Traditionally, the largest information is about the remaining distance to the next maneuver, and below - the smallest - information about the remaining distance to the next maneuver.
Four more:
– our current speed, with background highlighting in orange if our speed is exceeded – compared to the speed at the given location – up to 10 km/h, and in red if it is more than 10 km/h higher than recognized;
- the time left to reach the goal;
- the remaining distance to the target;
- Estimated time of arrival.
At the top of the screen, we also have information about the battery charge, the current time, and a graphical bar showing the progress of our journey to our destination.
In general, everything is very readable.
Now a little about the cons
It was about the pros, which clearly speak in favor of the purchase, now a little about the cons.
First of all, the power cord. It's well made, but... too short! Its length is about 110 centimeters. If you put the navigation in the center of the windshield of the cable, this will be enough. However, if we want to put it, for example, on the windshield on the left side of the driver, then we may simply not have enough cable to the outlet on the central tunnel. Then we just have to buy a longer cable.
The second “accident” of navigation is the lack of information about speed limits. Admittedly, they are usually found only on minor local roads and are not common, but they are. Regular updates will help.
Summation
The use of Linux as the operating system, the magnetic mount and the free maps with lifetime updates are definitely the big draws of this navigation. If we add in intuitive, easy controls and nice graphics, all at a relatively very good price, we'll have a device that should live up to our expectations. Yes, a lot of additional applications could be added to it (for example, a calculator, a converter of measures, some kind of game, etc.), but should we expect this?
Pros:
- profitable price;
– quick response when changing or changing the path;
- Intuitive control.
Cons:
– short power cord (110 cm);
– gaps in information about speed limits on local roads.
Specifications:
| Possibility to install additional cards | Roof |
| display | |
| Screen Type | TFT |
| Screen size | 5 in |
| Screen resolution | X 480 272 |
| Экран touch | Roof |
| Display lighting | Roof |
| General information | |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Processor | MStar MSB2531A |
| CPU frequency | 800 MHz |
| Internal storage | 8 GB |
| Battery capacity | 600 mAh (lithium polymer) |
| interface | mini usb |
| microSD card support | yes, up to 32 GB |
| Headphone jack | yes, 3,5mm mini jack |
| Built-in speaker | Roof |
| External dimensions (WxHxD) | 132x89x14,5 mm |
| The weight | 177 gr |
| Guarani District | 24 months |
| Recommended retail price | 299 PLN |
See also: Kia Stonic in our test
