Jenneth Orantia11 August 2008, 10:20 PM
Better known for its landline telephones, Uniden has unleashed a brand new range of portable navigation devices that put it on equal footing with the better-known GPS vendors.
Uniden isn’t a name that’s readily associated with portable navigation, but its latest range of TRAX devices proves that it’s a force to be reckoned with. The TRAX 430 sits in the middle of the range, with a 4.3in touchscreen and text-to-speech technology for spoken street names, minus the built-in Bluetooth and TMC antenna that’s offered with the top-of-the-range 436 model.
The TRAX 430 is a refreshing change of pace from portable navigation devices that try to cram in a heap of extraneous features. The 430 concentrates solely on getting you from point A to point B, and it does so in a straightforward and elegant fashion. Right out of the box, it impresses with its ease of use, offering a choice between simple and advanced modes and a selection of voices to choice from. Sadly, you’re limited to only four English voices in strong American accents, two of which offer text-to-speech functionality, and there's no provision for adding other voices.
Aside from the power button on the top, the TRAX 430 is completely free of buttons. Options are selected by tapping on the touchscreen, and even in Advanced mode the menus are nicely laid out and easy to navigate through. Entering an address takes place using a virtual on-screen keyboard, and it uses predictive text to minimise the number of letters you need to key in. The exceptional screen doesn’t hurt either, with wide viewing angles, vivid colours and a high 480 x 272-pixel resolution.
The TRAX 430 may be limited to basic navigation, but it offers a few features that aren’t found on other navigation devices. One of these is 3D landmarks that can be rotated 360 degrees so you can view them at all angles. It’s more of a cosmetic thing than an aid to navigation, but it’s fun being able to see the Sydney Opera House and Queen Victoria Building as three-dimensional models rather than flat depictions on the map. Multi-lane turn-offs at the end of freeways and major roads also get the benefit of an indicator at the bottom of the screen that shows which lane you need to be in to make the next turn.
Uniden has done a great job at making navigation a no-brainer. Acquiring a satellite lock takes less than five seconds, and the main mapping screen is nicely laid out and easy to follow. Turn-by-turn directions from the built-in speaker are reasonably loud, but it can be difficult to hear if you’ve got music playing simultaneously. Upcoming turns are announced well in advance, and the voice guidance prompts you at regular intervals from over a kilometre away. When you’re driving through a tunnel – which is usually when you lose the GPS signal – navigation continues to guide you into the right lanes and exits. If you miss a turn, the TRAX picks it up quickly and provides an alternative route within a matter of seconds.
Out of the box, the TRAX 430 is set up to alert you when you’re driving over the speed limit, and you can also set it up for speed camera warnings. The warnings are handy for avoiding traffic violations, but the default setting for speed warnings sets off a prompt when you reach the actual speed limit – which wouldn’t be so bad if the TRAX’s speedo was spot-on, but it’s usually three to five kilometres off. Thankfully, you can adjust the settings so that it only informs you when you’re anywhere up to 30% over the advertised speed limit.
The TRAX 430 is a strong competitor at the entry-level end of the market, and if you’re mainly after a portable GPS with a large screen and solid navigation functionality, this device is just as good as the ones from the more popular brands. As an added bonus, the TRAX 430 comes with New Zealand maps worth $169.95.