Garmin nüvi 880 4.3 Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

Customer Reviews

Garmin nüvi 880 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

2008-10-04
The best GPS unit I've ever used. Voice command worked like a charm along with all the other features except one. The Bluetooth function is pretty much worthless, but, I didn't buy it for this feature. Unfortunately; it developed an overheating problem and was returned for a replacement. Good return policy and very satisfied with service.

The Best GPS

2008-10-03
This is probably he best portable GPS out there right now. I previously had a NUVI 660 which was also great, but without MSN Direct ot Voice Recognition. The voice recognition is terrific, and I was amazed at how it could recognize different voices with the same results. You activate the voice recognition with a button device that fastens around the steering wheel. It's a little awkward and sometimes gets in the way when I am in a turn. I compensated for this by rotating the button down on the inboard side of the steering wheel so that all you feel is the strap that holds it to the wheel. If the passenger is navigating, you have to tell the driver to push the button. It would be nice to have another button located on the passenger side somewhere. You have to turn the radio down, and close the windows for VR to work properly, but that's the nature of them all. MSN Direct works as advertized, and I especially like the Gas Prices feature. All-in-all it's pricey, but that's the way they market the new and improved items. If you want the latest, and greatest, this is the one.

Great GPS - Outdated maps Even 2009 version

2008-09-23
I was using Garmin SP2720 for almost three years. Last year I brought a Lexus RX400h with built in Navigation surprisingly supported by NAVTEQ, the same company support GARMIN. However, I found that the Lexus Navigation is outdated by atleast 3-4 years and is totally misleading in route calculations. So I decided to buy a Garmin 880 to keep in my Lexus. However, I was shocked to see the unupdated map in the Nuvi 880, though it has came with 2009 version map preloaded. In my town they re-directed a route with some modification to the existing route almost 2 and half years ago. I updated my SP2720 last year with Garmin's map update 2008 and this change was not in that map. Now, Nuvi 880 came with 2009 version of map and still there is no update in the route change in my city. I have no clue what they updating in their maps every year and selling it for nearly $80 every year.

I like almost every feature in Nuvi 880. I have had no problem in tuning voice with FM transmitter though my Lexus has the FM antena on the roof at the back of the car.

MSN Direct is not accurate though they have nearly full coverage in my area. Weather was in accurate. However gas prices were very accurate. Traffic was not covered in my town area.

Voice command is very accurate. I have typical "Indian" accent and Nuvi 880 had no problem in recognizing my commands whereas my Lexus always failed to recognize my voice commands.

Bottom line: Expensive unit. However, very user friendly and since a garmin it is the best amongst other brands available today. If bluetooth and voice command is not a priority for you, go for Nuvi 700 series and save nearly half or more of the cost compared to Nuvi 880. MSN Direct is not worthy for the price they charge! If your Nuvi 880 comes with a 2.x version of firmware, you will have a lot of problems. Your computer may not even recognize the unit by auto webupdater service. You should manually upgrade your firmware to current 3.x version. ***SOMETHING GARMIN TECH SUPPORT WAS UNABLE TO HELP ME***

antiquated map

2008-09-20
Garmin Nuvi 880......... Really thought this would be a good one... I immediately found that their map was evidently created by someone aged 3-4...... The map was inaccurate in quite a few instances.... It misplaced some places by several hundred feet and did not show continued roads that were built at the same time.... In two cases at least it showed partial roads...... I was not happy at all with the maps. Paying hundreds of dollars for a gps and finding you can do better by just guessing (that's an exaggeration but you get the idea... ) Contacted Garmin... Their reply: It's the best they've got.... They need to get some cartographers that are worth their salt and to CORRECT their maps... DWS

Remote Transmitter Unreliable.

2008-09-20
Voice recognition is a great idea. For the most part the unit does a good job of interpreting speech. If there is a lot of noise (even the car air conditioning fan), it can interfere with the Garmin 880 understanding what you say. The speakers in the Garmin 880 should be louder. It is sometimes hard to hear verbal directions over road noise. The FM transmitter is of very poor quality - not really powerful enough to send a quality signal to the radio antenna just two feet away. The biggest complaint is that the remote speech recognition transmitter will not activate the speech recognition mode of the Garmin 880 every single time. Many times you have to push the transmitter button up to 5 times to get the 880 to respond. I have tried two different Garmin 880s and the problem existed on both units. This is especially bad when you see a detour coming up and you push the remote to say "DETOUR" but the 880 won't respond and go into the voice recognition mode. There is no hard or soft key to activate speech recognition - only the remote transmitter. For the price of the Garmin Nuvi 880 you would think that Garmin would correct this problem before placing the unit on the market!

Major road trip

2008-09-19
With the nüvi 800 series, Garmin adds smooth speech recognition to its bestselling line of sleek portable GPS navigators. As with all nüvis, you get a slim, pocket-sized navigator with a gorgeous display, detailed NAVTEQ maps that let you search by name for more than 6 million points of interest like stores, restaurants or hospitals, and an easy, intuitive interface. All of the 800-series navigators also feature a rich array of features including spoken directions in real street names, integrated traffic receivers, MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play all the nüvi's audio, including voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system. The top-of-the-line nüvi 880 adds Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls, an integrated traffic receiver and enhanced MSN Direct content with traffic data, reas-time gas prices, movie times and more.

Key Features/Benefits

New -- Voice Recognition -- Just tell it what you're looking for (Learn more)
New -- Enhanced MSN Direct Content -- find the cheapest gas nearby, see how fast traffic is moving, get local weather forecasts, event information and more (Learn More)
Easy to use interface (Learn More)
Integrated Antenna for a slim form factor
Pre-Loaded Maps for North America with 6 million searchable points of interest (POIs), plus add your own custom POIs (Learn more)
Multi-Destination Routing -- tells you the best way to get to a lot of different places in one trip (Learn More)
Bluetooth for hands-free phone calling capability (Learn More)
FM Transmitter lets you hear spoken navigation prompts, MP3s or audio books through your car's stereo system
Where Am I? -- instantly shows you all of the emergency services nearby (Learn More)
Where's My Car? -- never forget where you parked again (Learn More)
Widescreen -- gives you a better idea of what's around you (Learn More)
microSD card slot -- store extra maps, travel guides, photos or MP3s
Photo Viewer and MP3 Player (Learn More)
Customize Your Onscreen Vehicle Icon (Learn More)
Garmin Lock (Learn More) -- keep others from using your navigator
New -- Photo Navigation lets you upload geo-coded photos from a phone, geo-coding camera or photo site and navigate to them. (Learn more)
New -- Send addresses directly to your Garmin from Google Maps or Mapquest (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

Easy to Use Right Out of the Box

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 and one of the things that 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.

New -- Voice Recognition

Usable voice recognition is something we've been waiting to see for a long time. Reaching over to type out directions on your GPS isn't just difficult, it can feel downright dangerous. There's even a warning on every GPS not to do it. But who has the time to sit still and punch in a destination? Well, now you can have your hurry and your directions too.

The nüvi 800s aren't the first GPS navigators to offer voice recognition, but the level of flexibility they offer sets a new standard for simple and intuitive use.

The device comes with a little remote control that mounts on your steering wheel. It has two buttons. One is, "listen." The other is, "stop listening". Hit the "listen" button to start voice recognition. Then you can speak any of the words that appear on the display, and the device will understand, or you can ask questions based on most points of interest. Say, "find nearest Italian restaurant," for example, and you’ll get a list of nearby spots. Say "go to" and name of the one you want, and you get turn-by-turn directions to dinner. The nüvi 880 also knows the names of many large business brands, so you can just say, "find place, Starbucks," if that's your coffee mojo.

Of course, if you know the address you want to go to, you can say that too, and the nüvi will give you directions, all without having to reach over to the dashboard and touch it.

Speech recognition is available for American English, British English, European French, European Spanish, German, Italian, and Netherlands Dutch languages.

New -- Enhanced MSN Direct Content (3-month free subscription)

An integrated receiver allows you to access enhanced dynamic content from the MSN Direct service. Check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices, get enhanced movie listings, stock information, news and local events when you travel with your unit. Even plan trips from the convenience of your computer, via Windows Live Local, and wirelessly send custom to your nüvi.

Check out a full description of MSN Direct content features, or a coverage map for MSN Direct services.

A 3-month subscription to MSN Direct is included with the device. After that, subscription fees are $49.95 per year, or $129.95 for a lifetime subscription.

Widescreen -- See More of What's Around

The super-bright, 4.3-inch (diagonal) touchscreen display gives is anti-glare for ease of viewing during the day and automatically changes its color profile for easy viewing at night or in dim light. It offers 2d or 3D perspective views.

The widescreen format gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is especially useful in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and somewhat easier to push.

Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views of a 3-inch (diagonal) screen

and a 4.3-inch diagonal widescreen

Multi-Destination Routing

This lets you enter several spots into the device (day care - supermarket-cleaners - office - day care, for example) and it will plot the fastest route. And once you've found the best router, the "Route Planning" feature lets you save up to 10 different routes, Garmin touts the feature for providing, "the most efficient route for errands, deliveries and sales calls." The feature also makes this an instant essential accessory for anyone who shops garage sales (you know what we're talking about).

A trip log provides an electronic bread crumb trail of up to 10,000 points, so you can see where you've been on the map.

Where Am I?

Garmin's "Where Am I?" feature is a useful safety feature on all nüvis, but voice recognition makes it even better.

On any nüvi (including this one), you can just tap "Where Am I?" to find the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address and intersection. Also see your exact latitude and longitude coordinates. With the 800s, all you have to do is say "Where am I?" to get the info.

Where's My Car?

Like the nüvi 700s, the 800s will also remember where you parked. It automatically marks your position when you remove it from the windshield mount, so you can navigate with nüvi on foot and find your way back to your vehicle. Perfect for unfamiliar spots and crowded lots such as amusement parks, stadiums and malls.

First-Rate Map Data

nüvi 250W accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger.

The nüvi 880 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, 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.

Navigation is just the beginning. The nüvi 880 features travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, MP3 player, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. It also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map.

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

note that the 800 series is unique among nüvis, in that the 800s use microSD cards, where all other nüvis use SD cards..

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.

A handy MP3 player lets you play songs stored on SD memory cards.

Trick Your GPS Ride

Custom vehicle icons let you ride in style, at least inside your GPS.
See more icon option

All Garmin nüvis support configurable vehicle icons. These fun, customized car-shaped icons come in a variety of colors to add a personal touch to your vehicle's position on the map.

New -- 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.

New -- Send Addresses Directly from Google Maps or Mapquest

tching to try out a new restaurant, or setting off on a road trip to locate the best toffee apples on the east coast? Now, it's easy to search for locations on Google Maps or Mapquest, then transfer the addresses directly to your Garmin GPS navigator.

Hook up your Garmin to the computer via it's USB port
Search for the location you want
Click the Send link in the info window for the address. That will bring up a popup "Send to" form.
Pick GPS, then pick Garmin and hit the "Send" button.

The address will instantly transfer to your Garmin device, The point will be saved as one of your favorites, and you can navigate to it or view it on a map just like with any other favorite.

The process does require a small plugin, which you can get at Garmin's website at http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3739. You can send business addresses to your Garmin device from these countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

Search for the location you want.

Pick "Send to GPS".

Go!

Notes

Optional software for language translation, detailed travel guides, and savings programs allow you to customize your nüvi to fit your travel needs
The FM transmitter feature is only available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
This nüvi comes with a free, three-month trial for MSN Direct services.
Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nüvi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.

What's in the Box

nüvi 880, Preloaded City Navigator NT for North America*, MSN Direct receiver with integrated vehicle power cable, 3 months free MSN Direct service*, Speech recognition remote, Vehicle suction cup mount*, USB cable, Dashboard disc, Quick start manual

Which nüvi is Best for You?

Note: All nüvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.

	Screen Size inches (w x h)	Included Maps			Text-to-Speech (Directions in Real Street Names)	Traffic	Bluetooth	Media	FM Transmitter (audio through car stereo system)	Multi- Point Routing	Battery life (hours)
	Screen Size inches (w x h)	Cont. U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico	AK and Canada	Europe	Text-to-Speech (Directions in Real Street Names)	Traffic	Bluetooth	Media	FM Transmitter (audio through car stereo system)	Multi- Point Routing	Battery life (hours)
nüvi 200	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 200w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 250	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 250w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 260	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 260w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 270	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 350	2.8 x 2.1					FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 8
nüvi 360	2.8 x 2.1					FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 8
nüvi 370	2.8 x 2.1					FM (receiver included)		Photos, MP3s			up to 8
nüvi 650	3.81 x 2.25					FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 660	3.81 x 2.25					FM (receiver included)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 670	3.81 x 2.25					FM (receiver included)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 680	3.81 x 2.25					MSN (receiver included; 1-year free); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 750	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 760	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 770	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 780	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver inc.; 3 months free) receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 850	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 880	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver inc.; 3 months free); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 5000	4.5 x 2.7					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)					external battery only

Enhanced MSN Direct Traffic Data and Content

Basic MSN Direct Content Features
	Traffic Reports Find the best route through traffic. Your GPS device uses MSN Direct traffic data to select the best route for you to avoid traffic congestion. Check traffic flow. Know at a glance where to expect slowdowns in traffic. Get accident warnings. Receive warnings about accidents, road closures, and construction in the area that may affect you.
	Gas Prices Compare local gas prices. See a list of recent gas prices in your area and an indication of how recently the prices were reported. Find your way to the savings. Once you find the best price in your area, use your navigation system to guide you to the gas station.
	Weather Reports Stay on top of current conditions. V

Basic MSN Direct Content Features
	Traffic Reports Find the best route through traffic. Your GPS device uses MSN Direct traffic data to select the best route for you to avoid traffic congestion. Check traffic flow. Know at a glance where to expect slowdowns in traffic. Get accident warnings. Receive warnings about accidents, road closures, and construction in the area that may affect you.
	Gas Prices Compare local gas prices. See a list of recent gas prices in your area and an indication of how recently the prices were reported. Find your way to the savings. Once you find the best price in your area, use your navigation system to guide you to the gas station.
	Weather Reports Stay on top of current conditions. View the current weather conditions in your area, including today's high and low temperatures, chances of precipitation, and more. View the three-day forecast, Plan ahead by checking the three-day weather forecast for your area. Check weather in other cities. See current weather conditions in major cities across the country.
	Movie Times Search for a movie. Find the theaters in your coverage area that are showing the movie you want to see. See which movies are playing. View which movies are playing in your coverage area or at your favorite theater. See show times and get directions. Once you find a show you want to see, check the show times and use your GPS device to guide you to the theater.
Enhanced MSN Direct Content
	Web Favorites (Send custom destinations to your GPS with Live Search Maps) Powerful trip planning: Use Live Search Maps on your computer to look up an address, search for a business, or plan a trip Choose your favorite location, and then MSN Direct delivers the address, phone number, and more straight to your navigation system. Visit Live Search Maps at http://maps.live.com.
	Local Events See what's happening near you. Find nearby events to see what's happening in your area. Find the events that interest you. Browse events sorted by category. Search for an event. Get details about a particular event.
	Stock Quotes Watch the stocks that interest you. Select stocks that you want to keep an eye on, and then see regularly updated stock prices and daily changes. Get a little more detail. Touch a stock in your list to see daily highs, lows, and trading volume.
	News Headlines Browse the headlines at a glance. See breaking news and other major news stories of the day. Read more details. Select a headline to read all the details about the news story on your navigation system.

MSN Direct Coverage Map
Get detailed info for your Zip Code at the MSN Direct website.