Navman MY30 GPS unit

Navman's MY30 GPS unit may be the entry-level satnav in the MY range, but lane guidance and 3D junction views are included

Good Gear Guide

  • Review
  • Specs
  • Images
  • User Reviews
  • Where to Buy (1)

Navman's MY30 GPS unit is the entry-level satnav in the MY range, but lane guidance and 3D junction views make a surprise appearance. Overzealous school zone warnings and a small display are issues, but given its reasonable price, the Navman MY30 represents decent value.

Pros

  • Decent value, choice between glide or tap UI, lane guidance and 3D junction views included, search method

Cons

  • Screen has poor viewing angles, overzealous school zone warnings, Navteq maps miss some red light cameras and 'no right turns', screen transitions are a little sluggish, unit is chunkier models with larger screens

Bottom Line

There are no advanced features like Bluetooth and live traffic updates, but Navman's MY30 still manages to include lane guidance and 3D landmarks. Overzealous school zone alerts, an inconsistent map and an average screen will disappoint.

Would you buy this?

  • Where to buy

    Selling at 1 store

The Navman MY30 GPS unit has a similar design to larger units in the MY range, including the MY50T. Glossy black plastic surrounds the screen, and the unit has a silver back. Despite the MY30 possessing a much smaller 3.5in display compared with the MY50T's 4.7in screen, the MY30 is actually a little thicker. The touch-sensitive menu button has been moved to the bottom left of the screen, and it's often unresponsive. The power switch on top enables you to put the unit to sleep when it's not in use, but the MY30 is rather slow to power up after doing so.

The Navman MY30's 3.5in touch screen is resistive rather than capacitive, but it's responsive. The matte finish makes it easy to see in direct sunlight, but viewing angles could be improved; the display is washed out when viewed from slight angles. Navman has given users the choice of disabling its glide UI system in favour of a regular tapping interface like those on most other GPS units. Some screen transitions feel a little sluggish, but the MY30 is intuitive to use and menus look appealing despite the small screen size.

Navman has tweaked the search method on the new MY range, with a single find menu and the ability to search via keywords, postcodes or by picking an area on the map screen. Instead of address entry being a three-stage process (city, street, then house number), you type the full address in one screen and the MY30 will present a list of options. This is much faster than having to browse through multiple screens.

The Navman MY30's map screen remains intuitive despite the smaller display real estate. Street names are clear and a small yellow arrow points to each street to minimise confusion. Tapping the arrow on the left edge of the screen brings up a scrollable options menu. While you’re on a route, this can display a list of all the turns, a complete overview of the route and information including distance to go, ETA and average speed.

The MY30's performs as well as more expensive models in the range, but the quirks of Navteq's maps remain. School zone warnings are overzealous and always seem to appear on roads that aren't even school zones. The maps also have a tendency to miss a number of 'no right turns', and didn't warn of some red light cameras that we passed. Thankfully the speed cameras, railway crossings and accident black spots worked without issue. The MY30 doesn’t come standard with the SUNA Traffic Channel but traffic functionality is available as an optional extra for $149.

Voice guidance is clear and comprehensive and the MY30 deals with Australian pronunciation quite well. Audio is loud, but you need to delve into the settings menu to adjust it; you can only mute or un-mute audio from the map screen once a route is selected. Traffic light locations are incorporated into the voice guidance (for example "turn left at the traffic light"), which is handy for keeping your eyes on the road. One feature that's missing is a speed sign alert — this function is only available on the more expensive MY models.

Despite its entry-level status, the Navman MY30 GPS unit comes standard with lane guidance and 3D junction views, though 3D landmarks are not offered. Though the lane guidance and 3D junction views are only really useful for freeways and motorways, we're still glad they're included.

Navman claims the MY30 GPS unit lasts up to three hours, but we only managed to run it for about two hours and 40 minutes before it needed a recharge. This is below average and means you'll need the in-car charger more often than not. Tellingly, the Navman MY30 uses a 720mAh battery, whereas the more expensive MY55T and MY500XT models use 1100mAh batteries.

Follow GoodGearGuide on Twitter: @Goodgearguide

Keep up with the latest tech news, reviews and previews by subscribing to the PC World newsletter.

Retros

1

Nice little unit for the price I like the size it can be a pocket gps or in the car the mount makes ir so portable .

Post new comment

Users posting comments agree to the PC World comments policy.

Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.

Most Popular

What's the difference between an Intel Core i3, i5 and i7?
Samsung’s 2013 Smart TVs: everything you need to know
Laser vs. inkjet printers: which is better?
How do I connect my TV to the Internet?
Windows 7 Home Premium vs. Windows 7 Professional

Best Deals on PCWorld

GPS & Car EntertainmentView all »
Mobile PhonesView all »
TabletsView all »
Software and ServicesView all »
Broadband View all »
Powered by