If you are driving a car then you should have a good GPS navigator. Now you can get GPS navigation even in smartphones. But there is something missing for sure, which made us excited for the TomTom Start 20 review. It is for sure that you will get more features and you can expect more better user experience. We have reviewed the Tomtom Start 20 and lets see if it satisfies the user experience.
Design
This GPS navigator is having an overall good build quality. The body of the GPS Navigator has no scratches whatsoever as we received a device which seems to be used for many times. The device has a 4.3 inch touch display with a screen resolution of 480×272 pixels. It is not a capacitive display for sure.
Well at the left side of the screen you can see the TomTom branding. Behind the navigator you can see a stand. This is a very user friendly stand which can be rotated as per the requirements. The firmness after setting it up in your car is superb. The device has dimensions of 119x85x19mm. The weight of the device is 154 grams. The navigator has a passive and foldable windscreen mount.
Performance
A GPS navigator`s main purpose is to guide you towards your destination. But this navigator has many additional features. But after testing the main feature, lets see what we have understood from the capability of the navigator.
If you are in the parking of you building and trying to set the route, then the Navigator says “Are you inside a building? Waiting for a valid GPS Signal”. Yes it looks out for a valid GPS signal. It needs a valid GPS signal all the time. That is what the navigator is looking for. But after waiting for long 27 seconds finally the device gets a valid signal at one of the busiest roads in Pune.
So for the user`s perspective he has to wait for a long time for the device to catch up the signal. We have been hearing that this device works well in European countries. But in India especially in tier cities like Pune, getting a valid GPS signal seems to be a challenge.
User Experience
This navigator has a lot of features. We will go through everything from the beginning. Before using the device it is recommended for the user to connect it to the computer using a USB cable. This will help the user to download the recent maps. Actually even after connecting the device to the laptop using the software, it said its up to date.
While on the same day it shows that the maps are more than 11 months old. Even after using in such case, we tested the device. After switching on the device a screen appears with TomTom appearing on the screen with a picture of a car moving.
Then it searches for a valid GPS signal. The touch of the screen is resistive. To be frank it is not responsive with delicate touch at all. It has to be used while tapping your fingers on it to use the features.
The options for the user are: Navigate To, View Map, Plan route, Settings and Help. Well lets talk about the most important feature of this device.
Navigate To
It asks where you want to navigate. The options are Home, Favourite, Street Address, Recent Destination, Landmark or POI(Places of Interest). You can point on map, Latitude Longitude and Position of last stop. So the user has a lot of options. We will talk more about the Street Address feature and the Landmark or POI.
Street address is very important and while accessing it shows you options and you can key in using a QWERTY keypad on the screen. You can search by the locality, city or code. The main task of this feature is to find out the desired location with ease.
POI(Places of Interest)
I liked this feature a lot. In this function it shows Near you, In city, Near Home, Along Route, Near Destination and the closest Police station to you. Most favorable option is the Near you. Int hat also it shows options like Search by Name, Restaurant, Petrol Station, Hospital and Clinic, Airport. Guys the list goes on and on:
From Nightlife to Amusement parks. From post offices to the marina and close by parks. This is just fabulous function. I liked this feature a lot because it shows what you want right on your screen. The best part is that you can choose it as destination and navigate to that place.
In view map, it shows your location blinking. Also while navigating there are 2 modes. The 2D and 3D modes. Another feature is Plan route. So you can plan your route well in advance. It asks if you want to depart from your recent location(If the device is unable to connect to GPS).
Settings
This is where you would like to tweak and tune a few things as per your use. There are mainly Voice settings, Language settings, Volume Settings and GPS settings. In the Voice settings, you can choose the language as per your need. There are Male and Female voice choices available for each and every language.
There are even Indian Regional languages like Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, etc for voice. But for languages it has English and main languages of other countries(Mostly Europe centric). There is a Day and Night mode option available for the user. Another feature which we liked is the demo of the journey. The navigator shows a demo of the guidance for the chosen route.
Accessories
With the start 20, a USB cable and car charger is provided.
Conclusion
This device is for people who have patience to wait for a valid GPS signal. Do not rely more on the touch of the screen, it may disappoint you. Functions and features wise the device is rich and will surely navigate you to your desired location.
