The Garmin 1690 GPS navigator--with Bluetooth and included Traffic Receiver--features an enhanced user interface, ecoRoute, public transit mode, and text-to-speech. Plus, pedestrian navigation capability is enabled through optional CityXplorer maps, which are available for select tourist destinations in North America and Europe and can be downloaded easily directly to the nüvi. The device's enhanced user interface features improved graphics and a slide control for menu operation, while ecoRoute suggests fuel-efficient routes to save drivers money and fuel. Also, Garmin's public transit mode allows you to navigate using buses, tramway, metro, and suburban rail systems. Pre-loaded with City Navigator North America NT.
An ultra-thin GPS navigator with great Garmin features like CityXplorer and ecoRoute. Click here for an interactive demo
Bluetooth Wireless Technology The 1690 enables calling with a compatible phone, giving you a completely hands-free mobile phone experience by broadcasting navigation and phone calls through your car stereo.
See More With nüvi 1690's widescreen display, you'll always get the big picture. View map detail, driving directions, photos and more in bright, brilliant color. Its sunlight-readable, 4.3-inch display is easy to read--from any direction.
Easy-to-Use Touchscreen Interface One of Garmin's core beliefs is to continually enhance the simplicity of the user experience. The nüvi on-screen menus are logically arranged, with clearly labeled, colorful icons, making it easy to enter data and get to the information you need quickly.
Navigate with Ease nüvi 1690 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator North America NT street maps and millions of points of interest (POIs) such as hotels, restaurants, fuel stations, ATMs and more, with map data provided by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping. Enter a destination on the touch screen, and nüvi takes you there with 2-D or 3-D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. Text to speech enhances standard sat-nav voice guidance by speaking the names of places and roads. It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. In addition, nüvi 1690 accepts custom points of interest, such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.
Announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. Click to enlarge.
Lane assist guides you to the correct lane for an approaching turn or exit, making unfamiliar intersections and exits easy to navigate. Click to enlarge.
Junction View gives you a photo-realistic screen that shows you both the road detail as well as the signs as you will see them on the road. Click to enlarge.
Enjoy access to Garmin's nüLink! services like weather forecasts, flight status, white pages, and more. Click to enlarge.
Travel North America With nearly 6 million points of interest and detailed road coverage for the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, City Navigator North America NT delivers all the data you need to navigate North America.
Displays nearly 6 million points of interest--hotels, restaurants, parking, entertainment, fuel, shopping and more. Includes highways, interstates, business and residential roads in metropolitan and rural areas. Includes detailed information such as turn restrictions, roundabout guidance, speed categories and other navigation features. Gives turn-by-turn directions on your compatible Garmin device. Includes postal code support for Canada. Enhances pronunciation data for compatible Garmin devices that speak street names (example: "Turn right on Main Street").Know the Lane Before It's Too Late No more guessing which lane you need to be in to make an upcoming turn. Lane assist guides you to the correct lane for an approaching turn or exit, making unfamiliar intersections and exits easy to navigate. It realistically displays road signs and junctions on your route along with arrows that indicate the proper lane for navigation.
Junction View takes it a step further, giving you a photo-realistic screen that shows you both the road detail as well as the signs as you will see them on the road.
Multi-Point Routing The 1690 automatically sorts multiple destinations to provide an efficient route for errands or deliveries.
Pedestrian Navigation New to the nüvi series is Public Transit--navigate using buses, tramway, metro and suburban rail systems with optional CityXplorer content. Downloadable CityXplorer data and city guides are available for purchase and download from garmin.com for many cities.
Where Am I? Keep track of yourself and your car with nüvi 1690. 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. nüvi 1690 even remembers 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.
HotFix Satellite Prediciton Garmin's HotFix capability automatically calculates and stores satellite locations, greatly reducing satellite acquisition time so that you can turn the unit on and get going. With HotFix, your nüvi 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. HotFix can predict satellite positions for up to 3 days after the device was last turned off.
Garmin nüLink!
With Garmin nüLink! Services you know the local area, even if you’re from out of town. Accurate real-time information about the area you’re traveling in is delivered directly to nüvi 1690 via a built-in wireless module. The 1690 currently comes with a free 2-year Garmin nüLink! Subscription, which include services that can make every day more enjoyable.
Google™Local Search Access up-to-date information for the local area using the power of Internet-enabled local search and navigate directly from the search results. Real-time Traffic Garmin nüLink! services provide current traffic data for your route so your nüvi 1690 can automatically optimize a route for the shortest time. Just drive and let nüvi 1690 do all the work.Gas Prices Is your fuel tank getting a little low? Garmin nüLink! services show you where you can find the best prices for any grade of fuel in your area. Just tap the screen and go to your chosen station.
Ciao!™ What are your friends up to? Ciao! integrates multiple third party location-centric social network applications, such as GyPSii, with more networks expected to be added in the future.
Local Events What’s going on in town? Search for local events, concerts, theater performances, sports, art and navigate there with ease. myGarmin™ Your nüvi 1690 will receive alerts for available updates automatically. Converter Quickly and conveniently convert up-to-date currency evaluations, measurements, distances, speed and temperature. Flight Status Quick access to flight departure/arrival times and gate information from airports around the world with the closest major airports displayed first. White Pages Forget someone's address? Find it using White Pages and navigate there. Search by name or phone number — faster and more convenient than a phone book. Send to GPS Build a list of destinations online then send them wirelessly to your nüvi 1690. Movie Times Wanna catch a flick? Just tap Movie Times and you can find an area movie theater quickly and easily. Weather What’s the weather forecast? Tap the Weather icon to get current and 5-day forecasts tailored for major cities around the world.Navigate by Photo with Garmin Connect Photos.
ecoRoute With this feature, drivers can view suggestions for fuel-efficient navigation, conserving both money and fuel:
Save Gas and MoneyNow more than ever, we're all looking for ways to conserve both money and fuel. Whether we're taking fewer trips or carpooling with family and friends, saving resources is a top priority. It was that thinking that led to the creation of ecoRoute--our free software update for compatible nüvi products that allows users to find more fuel efficient routes when navigating and even track their fuel usage. With ecoRoute, you may be able to save gas and money by adopting smarter driving habits and finding more fuel-efficient routes. Select Fuel-efficient RoutesWith ecoRoute, users will have a "less fuel" option as a routing preference. When selected, nüvi will determine if more fuel efficient routes exist based upon road speed data and vehicle acceleration data for a given route. Get Fuel and Mileage ReportsThrough ecoRoute's Fuel Report and Mileage Report, drivers can focus on their habits even when they're not behind the wheel. Fuel Report tracks fuel usage over time, and Mileage Report monitors mileage and fuel usage on a per-trip basis. In addition, Mileage Report makes it easy for business travelers to keep track of distance traveled for company reimbursements. You'll have a detailed report for each trip and the miles driven. You can also customize your nüvi by entering your car's fuel economy and the current price of gas.Search for locations on Google Maps or Mapquest, then transfer the addresses directly to your Garmin GPS navigator.
Navigate by Photo with Garmin Connect Photos Using Garmin's Connect Photos Web site, you 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.Take It With You The nüvi 1690 sports a sleek, slim design and fits comfortably in your pocket or purse. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or foot.
Additional Features
Speed limit indicator--unit displays speed limits for most major roads DEM maps show you shaded terrain contours at zoom levels of five miles and above Auto time zone--nüvi will automatically adjust your time zone while navigating Trip computer records mileage, max speed, total time and more Built-in travel kit includes features such as picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converters and calculator microSD memory card expansion slot for optional mapping and data storage Includes Garmin Lock anti-theft feature Configurable vehicle icons--allows users to select fun, customized car-shaped icons; download additional choices from www.garmingarage.com Offers a 3-D mapping perspective, or 2-D overhead view Built-in lithium-ion battery--lasts up to three hours depending on usage Includes sturdy suction cup mount that allows for easy adjustment and quick release Simplified PC connectivity, using USB mass storage, access either the microSD card slot or the unit's internal memory directly from your PC desktop POI loader program--set up proximity alerts for school zones, create custom POIs and moreWhat's in the Box nüvi 1690 preloaded with City Navigator North America NT, Vehicle suction cup mount, FM traffic receiver/vehicle power 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.Device 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) Cont. U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico AK and Canada Europe nüvi 205 2.8 x 2.1 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos up to 4 nüvi 205w 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos up to 4 nüvi 255 2.8 x 2.1 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos up to 4 nüvi 255w 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos up to 4 nüvi 260w 3.81 x 2.25 Photos up to 5 nüvi 265T 2.8 x 2.1 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos up to 4 nüvi 265WT 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos up to 4 nüvi 275T 2.8 x 2.1 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos up to 4 nüvi 285WT 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free); Photos up to 4 nüvi 465T 3.81 x 2.25 FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos up to 4 nüvi 755T 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos, MP3s up to 4 nüvi 760 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos, MP3s up to 5 nüvi 765T 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos, MP3s up to 4 nüvi 775T 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos, MP3s up to 4 nüvi 780 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free); FM (with optional receiver) Photos, MP3s up to 5 nüvi 785T 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free); FM (with optional receiver) Photos, MP3s up to 4 nüvi 850 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos, MP3s up to 4 nüvi 855 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos, MP3s up to 4 nüvi 885T 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free); FM (with optional receiver) Photos, MP3s up to 4 nüvi 1200 2.8 x 2.1 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos up to 4 nüvi 1250 2.8 x 2.1 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos up to 4 nüvi 1260T 2.8 x 2.1 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos up to 4 nüvi 1300 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos up to 4 nüvi 1350 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver) Photos up to 4 nüvi 1350T 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos up to 4 nüvi 1370T 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos up to 4 nüvi 1390T 3.81 x 2.25 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos up to 4 nüvi 1490T 4.4 x 2.5 MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic) Photos up to 4 nüvi 1690 3.81 x 2.25 NAVTEQ Traffic, 2 years free (Garmin nüLink! service) Photos up to 3
- Widescreen ultra-slim GPS design with 4.3-inch WQVGA touchscreen display and EDGE network connectivity
- Pre-loaded with City Navigtor NT maps for North America, including more than 6 million name-searchable points of interest
- Bluetooth wireless technology enables hands-free calling with a compatible phone; included traffic receiver provides North America traffic information
- Pedestrian navigation capability enabled through optional CityXplorer maps
- Enjoy 2 years of free access to Garmin's nüLink! Services like weather forecasts, flight status, white pages, and more
Unhappy Garmen user
I'm on my third GPS from Garmen. All three have diappointed me and I really don't know why I keep giving them a try. My latest model is 1690 and the 12 volt power cord doesn't work. I can't find a place to get a new cord. All I can find are accessories on the web site, nothing for replacement parts. I can't find out about warrenty work either. This service needs to be made more clearly available to the customer.
Garmin 1690
The Nuvi 1690 from Garmin is one of the worst investments I have ever made. I was use to a Iway 650, I have tried to use this unit a few times and it will get you there. But it will take you places you have never seen before. I was coming from New York, Manhattan last night to Pennsylvania and it wanted to take me I would never go. So I pulled over and tried several different ways to calculate the route not even close. I am very disappointed with this unit. The Garmin NuLink doesn't work to often, The lane assist only worked 2 time in about 2000 miles. Screen is a good size ED
It's Worth the Extra Money
I purchased a Nuvi 660 when they first appeared on the market and I still use it. On first look at the Nuvi 1690 (online) I didn't feel the newer model had any significant benefits or reasons for me to upgrade. Over a period of two weeks I read product reviews such as this one and researched the competitors to Garmin. The Nuvi 1690's two features that had me doing specific research was it's ability to provide gas prices along major roadways and it's ability to provide weather and road conditions. (I guess that's three features). I found just enough online reviews that made me believe that if these features worked as advertised it would be worth it. I travel alot and I have had to guess when I needed fuel if I was getting the cheapest gas prices when I stopped for refueling. It was not unusual for me to fill up at one station, get back on the highway, and see gas prices 20 cents/gallon cheaper as I flew past the next station. So if the gas station prices displayed in the Nuvi were current and accurate it might help me save gas money. I purchased the 1690 in Florida and two days later left for my home in Michigan. At the time I left there were severe snow storms sweeping the Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and northern Alabama area so weather reports would be an important safety concern for me. The gas price alerts and weather information worked perfectly...when it worked. Near as I can tell it seemed when I was under thick cloud cover, I went long periods without access to the information. When the sun was shining or when I had a clear night I had access to current fuel prices, weather reports, and motel accommodations. In fact, on our first day on the road I had hoped to drive to Louisville, Kentucky but a big farm machinery convention had every hotel room within 35 miles booked. Using the "Lodging" feature on the GPS I called ahead to a Seymour, Indiana motel and reserved my room for the night. So I am impressed with those features on the 1690 and feel my money to upgrade was worth the price. A suggestion though for buyers of the 1690 - I had a nasty time of using the keypad to insert addresses into the data base for driving directions. I had to touch a letter or number one digit removed from the one I wanted to touch. I finally found the "touch sensitivity adjustment" and re-calibrated the Nuvi's touch pad after which it worked flawlessly. It would have been helpful for Garmin to suggest that procedure in a note for new users in the startup instructions. I also purchase the "lifetime map update" features for an additional $95.00 at Amazon. That price is slightly more than the price of a single update, and it allows four map updates per year for the life of the Nuvi. Other features I enjoy inluide the "junction view" which is extremely helpful when approaching a mega-intersection with multiple lane exits and entrances; the speed limit indicator which matches the changing speed limits with uncanny accuracy; the "Bluetooth" feature which allows me to have handsfree access to my cell phone; the ability to use my index finger to scroll the map to view what is coming up ahead; and the most important reason for buying a gps - the accuracy of it's map database. Before purchase I had read some reviews that complained about the "ads" that appear on the gps display when the car is stopped. Quite honestly, not only did I not find these distracting, I actually found them helpful - I clicked on two of them on two different occasions and found good motel rates. In my opinion the Nuvi 1690 is the best gps Garmin has made and this is my fourth Garmin gps.
Love the device, some technical glitches
I purchased this device through Car Toys in late January, an upgrade from the Nuvi 660. On the whole, I like it quite a bit and was pleased with the ability to send locations wirelessly from my computer. The unit freezes a lot, although until recently, soft resets got it back functioning again. Garmin has some very useful software you can download for free on their website, including a program called Roadtrip which saves your favorites. I was able to transfer all of my favorites from the old GPS to the new one. I don't find the ads distracting-- they are very small and appear only when the GPS is not actively in use. Unfortunately, about 3 days after the return period elapsed, my unit developed problems. Suddenly, I was not able to send locations through my usb cable, even though the computer and device still recognize each other. Wireless still works. Three days ago, the unit suddenly stopped allowing me to enter addresses and intersections manually. I would get as far as the "city" menu for an address and the unit would freeze. After resetting, I would get to the same spot, same problem. After troubleshooting, I found that otherwise the unit seems to function well-- Google searches still work, favorites intact, etc. A call to Garmin, and 25 minutes on hold. I reached a very pleasant tech support representative who walked me through some diagnostics, then told me to send the unit back for replacement. I will have to wait 10-12 days during which I will be back to my old 660 with its malfunctioning traffic transponder. I do hope my new unit is trouble-free, as this is a great GPS when it works.
Great when it actually works
This GPS has some great features, but I am sadly very disappointed. I do not know how Garmin can let such a buggy version into the market. While the device worked well out of the box, it more or less developed all the problems other reviewers mention here soon after. Cons: 1) Freezing interface that requires annoying resets 2) Freezing interface that doesn't get rectified even after resetting a few times, making the GPS out of commission for a few weeks 3) Nulink services are hit and miss. The device just refuses to connect to the cell phone network 50% of the time and this is not due to my location. So, no traffic, no Google Local, no white pages. (Many other reviews talk about the lack of coverage or accuracy of the traffic services. For me, connecting to the network itself is such a big deal that I can not comment much about accuracy). 4) Sound volume does not adjust to ambient noise levels or to the speed. Also, it is not easy to change the volume easily like in some of the older models 5) Does not have a scale on the map. So, it is hard to figure out how far things are and what level of zoom you are currently at 6) The cell phone circuit of the GPS interferes with the speaker system of the GPS, causing annoying noises. This would have been okay in the year 2000, but it is 2010 now. 7) Nulink does not work in Puerto Rico Pros: 1) Acquires the satellites fast 2) Good voice quality 3) Fast calculation of routes and recalculation of necessary 4) Tells you which side of the road the destination is, as opposed to TomTom. 5) Eco mode and route calculation based on fuel cost are interesting 6) Auto-zoom is useful and intuitive 7) Has speed limit information displayed for most roads that automatically turns red if you are speeding 8) Redraws quickly enough 9) White pages feature is great when it works - basically, if you enter somebody's name or landline phone number, the GPS automatically routes you there I would have been willing to live with the cons if I paid only $150 for this GPS. But, given the high premium paid for the 1690 as compared to its substitutes, this performance is unacceptable.
