Description

GARMIN NUVI 205W PORTABLE GPSGarmin's nüvi 2x5 models improveupon their 200-series predecessors by adding top-of-the-line features such as FM traffic updates or MSN Direct content capability to an entry-level line. But Garmin is also introducing some significant improvements with this new series, like a predictive technology that provides faster satellite lock, a redesigned screen with more information, terrain maps, and an exciting new photo navigation feature. The 205W also offers a wide 4.3-inch (diagonal) screen that displays 70% more of the road around you.

The nüvi 2x5 models sport the slim design that Garmin introduced with the 200-series last year, so they all fit comfortably in your pocket or purse, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that makes them convenient for navigation by car or foot.All of the models include useful travel tools like a JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more.

Important Product Information: This device features a "screen lock" feature. This is a standard feature on all nüvi 2x5 and 7x5 Garmin units. If you slide the "Power" key to the right, it will lock the screen and prevent any accidental touches. Once the screen lock feature is engaged, the screen will go black/gray after about 15 seconds to save power on the device. To unlock the screen, just slide the "Power" key to the center position. This feature is really targeted for "Pedestrian" mode so that a user can put the device in his or her pocket/purse and quickly unlock the screen instead of powering on/off continuously. For more information, see page 5 of the product manual.

Key Features/Benefits for all 2x5 Series Navigators

• HotFix (Long Term Ephemeris Prediction) finds satellites faster (Learn more)
• Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Basemap shows 3D shaded terrain features (Learn more)
  
• Faster 333 Mhz processor offers faster, smoother map drawing and vehicle icon motion through turns
  
• Redesigned user interface offers more information (Learn more)
• Photo Navigation lets you upload geo-coded photos from a phone, geo-coding camera or photo site and navigate to them. (Learn more)
• Add Dynamic MSN Traffic and Content with the optional GDB 55 antenna and charger (Learn more)
• Send addresses directly to your Garmin from Google Maps or Mapquest 
• Automatic Time Zone Transition
• 4.3-inch Widescreen shows you more of what's around you as you drive (Learn more)
• Memory Card Slots so you can add maps and travel guides, or store photos (MicroSD card slot on 3.5-inch units; SD card slot on 4.3-inch units)
• Preloaded Maps with Navteq data of the Lower 48 States + Hawaii + Puerto Rico
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery for easy portability (up to 4 hours per charge)
• Custom Vehicle Icons let you personalize your navigator (Learn more)
• Integrated Antenna for a slim form factor
• Where Am I? -- instantly shows you all of the emergency services nearby (Learn More)

Which nüvi is Best for You?:
Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators

Learn More

Improved Interface

One of Garmin's key product philosophies is to make extremely complex technology easy to use for anyone right out of the box, and perhaps nowhere is that better exemplified than in the user interface for Garmin's portable navigation devices. Garmin's interface is a key to their success part of what makes their devices such a pleasure to use. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get data about your trip. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with turn-by-turn voice directions, 2-D or 3-D maps and smooth map updates as you navigate. This year, Garmin has redesigned its interface to include much more useful information.

Old Interface

New Interface

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HotFix™ – aka: Satellite Ephemeris Data Prediction

Your GPS device locks onto transmissions from a dedicated network of Satellites in order to determine its position. Until the device gets a "lock" on three satellites, it can't effectively navigate, so decreasing the time it takes for your device to get "satellite lock" is always a goal of GPS manufacturers. With Garmin's new HotFix technology, your Garmin GPS remembers the position of all satellites it is tracking when you turn it off, and calculates their movements in order to predict where they should be the next time you turn it on. This gives the device an idea of where it should look for satellites, and dramatically decreases the time it takes for your Garmin to get its position and start navigating. HotFix can predict satellite positions for up to 3 days after the device was last turned off. Using Garmin’s unique Web site — Garmin Connect Photos — users can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google’s Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nüvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.

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Navigate by Photo

Using Garmin’s unique Web site — Garmin Connect Photos — users can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google’s Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nüvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide. Choose from Panoramio's collection of photos from around the world. Easy to use interface displays photos on Google Maps. Search for photos by location name or map area boundary. Transfer photos directly from Garmin Connect to device with the Garmin Communicator. View photos in Google Earth. Supports Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox 2+, Safari 3+ on Windows and Mac.

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3D Terrain Maps

Shaded relief terrain maps show you when to expect hills, mountains, forests and other natural features. Topographic terrain maps are viewable when using the 2D "birds-eye" view.

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Traffic-Capable FM Traffic

With an optional receiver, you can get alerts from TMC Clear Channel about traffic tie-ups and road construction that might lie ahead on your route. All you have to do is simply touch the screen to view traffic details and you'll be ready to detour around any problem area. And if you end up missing a turn, or you're forced into a detour that is not relayed through the traffic receiver, the nüvi's sophisticated automatic routing will get you back on track in no time. In most areas, TMC Clear Channel traffic broadcasts are continuous — there's no waiting for scheduled traffic news updates or random alerts. Because traffic broadcasts are received via a "silent" FM data channel, you can still listen to music or news programming on your car radio without interference from incoming FM traffic data transmissions.

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Widescreen -- See More of What's Around

Where Am I?

First-Rate Map Data

nüvi accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger.

The nüvi comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps for the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, including a hefty POI database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. Garmin gets its map data from NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping. In addition, nüvi accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs Important note about map updates: Due to our high volume of sales, almost every Garmin portable GPS navigator sold by Amazon.com will come with the most recent map version. If you ever do need a map update, you can purchase one from Amazon.com at our Garmin Store.

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Garmin Lock

Beyond Navigation

Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer.

Navigation is just the beginning. The nüvi 2x5 models features travel tools including a JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. This device is compatible with optional content plug-ins available via microSD card, such as the Garmin Travel Guides and Garmin SaversGuide provide detailed data for attractions and information on nearby merchants offering discounts, so you can customize nüvi for your travel needs. For Accessory Map Cards and Travel Guides the Units Feature: a MicroSD Card Slot on the 3.5 inch Units, and an SD Card Slot on the 4.3 inch Units. Garmin has also added the ability for customers to add custom points of interest (POI’s) from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras.

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Trick Your GPS Ride

Customer Reviews

 Not the best one out there - Aug 30, 2010

I think it is time to buy a new unit. I Connected unit to satellites OK. Changed home and voice settings OK. Screen menus very intuitive. My most significant probolem came when I registered the thing. Had to download software. OK. Then they suggested a map update (good for 60-90 days from purchase). My mistake was when I went for the upgrade. Since then I've spent about seven hours on the computer, all downloads "successful", mymaps says all's OK, but my little garmin says "No detailed maps found that can support routing". Thank you, that's why I bought it. I've tried everything, it doesn't work any more. When I try to send Garmin an email inquiry, it won't send it because my "browser is not supported." I bought this computer in Feb of 98. What's for Safari not being "supported"? I have to wait for the service M-F in the morning.- so I have to lose work to get support? Thanks I've been using computers for 8 years. Can't recommend this model. And Garmin gets a big F for support. I thought it was sweet as the voice accompanied me to work.

 Bad luck? - Aug 29, 2010

I purchased my Nuvi 205w on May 12, 2010 from Amazon. Everything was great, price, shipping, etc, however, this review is not about the service, but the product.
I knew this was a super basic product, but all I was looking for was simply a moving map that let me know how and where I'm going.
Sadly, after 1 week of excitement putting my tomtom in the drawer, Nuvi had failed me with a common problem that many customers had addressed: Freezing at start up.
This Nuvi 205W had frozen at "load map" at least 15 times over the past 3 months of usage. What it means is, usually when you turn it on, the system requires the GPS to load the maps on the device, and after the maps are loaded, the GPS will show the menu and start looking for a signal. However, on this Nuvi, it's either loading the map forever, or it just turns itself off after the map is loaded(after the loading bar is full).
And that wasn't the end of it. According to the support, I should be able to back-up my GPS if this happens, so after I do a hard-reset, I can import the back-up back to the device. So I tried and tried with my Mac and my PC, but evidently it didn't like my computers. Not only it was dead silence, it stayed on the "load map" section and never went on. So I decided to just do hard reset every time and erase all the data on it since connecting it to my mac/pc did not help at all.
Last but not least, starting a month ago it wouldn't even allow me to do a hard reset anymore, so now I have a GPS that won't even turn on. And since I had to go out of country for a while, I didn't bother to have to deal with it.

I definitely didn't expect to pay about 100+ dollars to have a nice looking black screen suck to my windshield. I realized it has passed the return date on Amazon, so I contacted Garmin's support agents, and hopefully I'll hear from them soon.

Maybe it was just my bad luck. After all this is an item I've been looking at for a few months before finally decided to get it, which has a 4.5 star rating on Amazon... I guess for now I'll stick to my Tomtom which saved my life the first time that Nuvi backed on me.

 Garmin 205W - Aug 29, 2010

Easy to use for basic directions. However, it can be rather annoying if you decide to take your own route. The nuvi will attempt, many times, to turn you around so you can follow it's chosen route.

 great product for great price - Aug 27, 2010

dad bought one so i already know what i was getting i am writing this even before i recieved it from amazon. come on 99 dollars for a garmin that is 4.3 inchs square what a deal, it even tells you the speed limit on most road frickin awsome

 Not bad, but gets lost - Aug 26, 2010

The Garmin nuvi 205W works well enough, but it does occassionally get lost. Actually not lost, just sometimes picks the wrong way and has to correct itself. We were in Bosaton, and it constantly had to "recalclulate" because the confusing streets in Boston kept screwing us up (me and the machine). Also I was under the impression that it had Canadian maps, it does not...my oversite, not a fault of the machine. Over all it's OK, but Id suggest spending a bit more and getting one with more maps and voice announce for street names...

 great and convenient gps - Aug 24, 2010

This is an old type, which got all I want. It is very easy to use and convenient.
good one!

 What a piece of junk! - Aug 20, 2010

I had a previous Nuvi 205 and it was a good, practical piece of equipment that mostly got you where you wanted to go, even if the routings were a little weird from time to time. That's why I ordered another when the first died. This Nuvi 205 has been dumbed down to almost useless. It doesn't give street names out loud--a real disdavantage when driving alone in cities. It has also atempted to route us down some really bad dirt roads in national forests. Now I'm unhappy and using it as little as possible. It's sad to see them lower the quality to this level.

 Worst GPS EVER, Gets us Lost EVERYTIME WE USE IT - Aug 12, 2010

i would never buy another Garmin GPS ever. Not only are the maps 3 years old on a brand new device, they want to charge me to update the maps. Everytime my wife uses this to head into portland, it tells her the wrong directions. Ive tried all the different settings and its all the same result. CRAP! Dont buy this unless you want to get lost. Now i have to take a loss on a brand new item so i can go buy a tom tom instead. Garmin is a waste of money!

 Great for the Price - Aug 11, 2010

Does everything I and probably most people would need a GPS to do. I've noticed it's a little slow in areas with a high density of streets and intersections, but this is infrequent and not too bad. Otherwise its great. Its extremely easy to use and makes road trips to new areas a lot easier and less stressful.

 multiple buyer - Aug 10, 2010

I have bought two GPS units this summer,and they have been great! I myself take a few drives to get used to understanding the yellow arrows, but i am a slow learner. My husband and brother have no trouble, and they are the primary users. One thing i advise is learning how to use the 'extra features' this little gizmo has to offer. On a recent vacation it was invaluable to be able to search through the GPS to find resturants near by or shopping centers. My father also has this unit, and he had never explored these buttons...it really enhances the use.

 Low quality - Aug 10, 2010

This is a low quality product! It does not connect to the satellite right away, and for the most part, the unit tells you "acquiring satellite" but it never acquires anything and you feel like throwing it out of the window!!!
Do yourself a favor and also save a lot of nerve cells by buying TomTom instead. Trust me, you will be much happier and you will also get wherever you need to go. Plus TomTom gives free traffic and map upgrade for life. Try that with Garmin, good luck... you will have to shell out major cash to get the upgrades from Garmin!
You can trust on TomTom, on the other hand if you go with Garmin, I suggest you get a print out of the direction from Mapquest before you leave home. That kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

 Garmin nuvi 205W - Aug 09, 2010

The is just a basic GPS but it does all that I want it too. Would recommend to anyone!

 Excellent GPS - Aug 07, 2010

I'm the kind of person that gets lost more frequent than I would want to admit, and having this GPS from Garmin makes driving a lot easier and comfortable. Once the map is uploaded and depending on the detail level, there's a huge database of places, and the ability to save custom locations is extremely useful. I've this device attached to my windshield, and the size is perfect, the screen doesn't have too many colors or a high resolution, but volume can be adjusted to hear the navigation, instead of watching the display.

 Irritating - Aug 07, 2010

I bought this 2 months ago and find it can be useful but it is inaccurate often enough that I would never rely on it. Although I have it set for fastest route, it has repeatedly sent me down dirt roads. It has shown 40 miles to my destination while estimating my arrival time in 6 minutes. It has sent me to a supposed gas station in a huge corn field and a Kohl's department store in a vacant lot on the wrong road 1/2 a mile away from the real store. On a couple of occasions it couldn't find satellites until I held it out the window. If you make a wrong turn, it immediately recalculates a new route even if that's miles and miles longer than simply turning around. And it never, ever, suggests that you turn around! The France add-on sent me the wrong way down a one way street and recommended the wrong exit off roundabouts with annoying regularity. At DeGaulle airport it led me to the right latitude and longitude for the rental car return, but several levels below where the car return actually is, nowhere near the ramp to get to the correct level. In short, I find I can use this only as a backup to looking at a map and reading the road signs. And I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

 Useful but annoyingly hard to use. - Aug 05, 2010

The functionality is good, but there are two major drawbacks that have caused this to lie unused in the glove compartment since I bought it:

* it takes incredibly long to acquire the initial satellite signal. Just to get started takes ~ 5 minutes. Using Google Maps on the iPhone is much more efficient.
* the touchscreen is very poor. Hard to type and key recognition is often awry and I need to restart to get the display aligned with the touch input.

Perhaps newer models have addressed these issues, but this model isn't something I would recommend.

 Garmin - Aug 04, 2010

Bought this GPS for my college student. I bought the same one about 2 yrs ago and it has helped me tremendously! Great price! I paid much more than this.

 Basic model - Aug 04, 2010

The GPS seems to work well. It is quick to reroute you if there is a detour in the road which is nice. I would like it to be a bit more user friendly but for the price, it is worth it.

 Garmin review - Aug 03, 2010

This Garmin is fine for the money. We have had a TomTom before and like this Garmin better. My complaint is that it does not have many features, example, you cannot pick out the voice you would like, it only has a female voice on it, also it did not come with a weighted stand for on the dash, also the screen is hard to see in the sunlight and does get fingerprints on the face easily. I would recommend it for the price we paid of $99.00.

 I like this GPS - Aug 03, 2010

This is my first GPS and so far it works great! It's inexpensive, easy to use and the directions are accurate. I don't know how I lived without one before. I would definitely recommend this product!

 Garmin GPS - Jul 30, 2010

I purchased the Garmin nuvi 205W after reviewing the results of testing by the Good Housekeeping Institute. Purchased it just 2 days before a trip to Seattle. It's one of the very best items I've bought for myself in a long time! It was easy to learn to use, very clear picture, easy to follow. The only slight problem I had is a matter of language, when it says "bear left" & the road goes more straight, I was a little confused. But you know immediately when you've made a wrong turn - the device immediately says "re-calculating" & then gives you instructions on where to turn to get back on track.
It works great! I would recommend it to anyone.

 Garmin nuvi 205W Portable GPS Navigator - Jul 29, 2010

My first GPS navigator turned out to be perfection. Display is clear, even in direct sunlight through the windshield. Audio is clear - no mistaking what "she" says. We became quite attached to "her" during an extended 15-day road trip, so much so that we named her "Marsha". Her routes were flawless, as were her directions and time calculations. I particularly appreciated that she kept me apprised of currently posted speed limits as well as my own speed. How did I ever travel a highway without her!!

 So easy - Jul 29, 2010

When our old Garmin quit working, I wasn't looking forward to learning to program another gaget! However, this one is much easier to navigate, has so many more features than the last one, and was about 1/3 the cost. Great little "gaget"!

 GSP FOR OTHER COUNTRIES - Jul 29, 2010

Do you know if i can upload to this GPS other maps for countries such as Venezuela?. Also i want to know if this equipment comes with spanish language softwares.

 Works just fine. - Jul 28, 2010

Works just fine as advertised. Seems to be quite accurate too. No issues at all.

 A wonderful GPS Unit - Jul 25, 2010

I have found the nuvi 205W Portable GPS Navigator very easy to use. What more can I say?