This article reviews the Navman N40i GPS navigation system. I’ve tested a couple of Navman systems before which have been disappointing so I was interested to see if the N40i would fare any better. The N40i does have one trick up its sleeve, a built-in camera so you can navigate to photos you’ve taken elsewhere.
This is what you get in the box.
Box Contents
- Navman N40i GPS with built-in camera
- In-car windscreen mount
- 12V DC in-car power charger
- 100/240V AC adapter
- USB cable
- Protective soft cloth carry case for your Navman
- Documentation pack
Key Features
- Integrated NavPix camera
- Navigate to pictures
- Pre-installed safety camera data
- Nearest parking and petrol buttons
- Real-time traffic information (optional requiring subscription fee)
- POI (Points of Interest)
Mapping Data
- 2006 Tele Atlas map data
- SmartST 2006 SE (Second Edition)
- Local maps loaded to flash memory
- European street level maps included on 3 CDs
Technical Specifications
- Weight: 200g
- Size: 81mm (H) x 118mm (W) x 22.5mm (D)
- 3.5 inch (8.9cm) touch colour screen
- 1.3 megapixel camera
- Photo import/export by USB
- 64MB SDRAM, 256/512MB or 2GB flash memory depending on region
- SiRFstarIII Generation 2 GPS receiver
- SD/MMC slot
- Samsung 2440-400 Mhz processor
- Rechargeable battery 1200mAh 4-5hrs life (depending on usage)
- USB 1.1
First Thoughts
The Navman N40i looks of reasonable build quality. It is slim and compact fitting easily in a coat pocket if required.
The front of the device has several buttons for accessing commonly used features:
- Nearest petrol stations based on current location
- Nearest car parking areas based on current location
- Preferences button
- Navigate To button
- Screen toggle button to cycle through 3D map, 2D map, Next Turn and Turn-by-Turn screens
The on/off button is situated on the top of the device and there are volume control buttons on the side. Overall the button controls are well laid out and easy to access.
My only complaint is the position of the camera button. This is situated on top of the device next to the on/off switch. Whilst holding the Navman I found it too easy to accidentally press this button and activate the camera features. The camera button would have better placed either on the side or on the front of the device.
The Navman comes with a quick reference manual covering 30 pages. This provides ample information to get you started. There is a more detailed instruction manual on the provided CD if you need further information.
A soft cloth carry case is included which is a nice touch. This might not offer much protection if you drop the Navman, but it will offer protection against scratches.
GPS Signal
The GPS receiver on the Navman is excellent. As good as any GPS device I’ve tested so far. I had no problem establishing a GPS signal, even inside a building providing you are situated relatively close to a window.
The strong GPS signal can be useful for planning routes inside a building, but will also mean the GPS will draw more power from the batteries. An option to turn off the GPS receiver would have been useful.
Mapping Software
The Navman comes pre-installed with street level maps of the UK. There are also 3 CDs included which provide street level maps for several European countries. You can install any of these additional maps using the SmartST Desktop software that comes with the Navman installation CD. The free European maps are a welcome addition to the Navman, but it falls short of the coverage offered by the Garmin Nuvi 250W.
Despite the good map coverage the mapping software was not as accurate as other GPS systems I have tested . The Navman N40i is the first GPS system I’ve tested which mistakenly identified a major trunk road for another road a couple of miles away.
Another example was the voice instructions telling me to join a motorway but the road was a dual carriageway. The map on the screen showed the correct road so this must have been a blip with the voice instructions.
These examples are probably just minor faults in the mapping software but it was a bit disconcerting nonetheless. Hopefully a future update to the mapping software can correct these faults.
SmartST Desktop Software
The Navman comes with a CD containing the SmartST desktop software which I recommend you install. SmartST allows you to do the following:
- Keep your Navman software up-to-date
- Install additional maps
- Create custom POI (Points of Interest)
- Purchase additional subscriptions like safety camera updates
- Backup your Navman
I encountered no problems installing this software onto my computer. Updating to the latest Navman software is a simple process, you just click the “Check for updates” button within SmartST. You can also configure it to automatically check for updates each time SmartST is started.
Upgrading to the latest software went smoothly. Once the latest software has been downloaded onto your PC the SmartST application then transfers it to your Navman. This transfer process can take up to an hour so you have to be patient.
Preferences
The preferences screen allows you to customise various aspects of the Navman.
Routing Options
The typical features you would expect from a GPS system are supported such as planning routes by the fastest time or shortest distance. If you want to avoid motorways, toll roads, unsurfaced roads or ferry routes this can be set too.
There is also a driver alert feature which will alert you when you exceed a certain speed. You can configure this to whatever speed you like. By default this option is turned off.
This screen also allows you to turn on/off the demonstration feature. With the feature turned on the Navman can demonstrate a route for you without a GPS signal. This feature hasn’t been well designed though. Whilst demonstrating a route the Navman travels at a speed of 29mph which is fixed. There is no way to speed up or slow down the demonstration. This makes demonstrating a long journey completely impractical.
System Options
This screen provides access to various system settings. These include a GPS Status screen which shows satellite signal strengths. A power screen showing battery status and options to conserve power such as turning off the Navman automatically after a set period of time. You can configure this to whatever time you like.
A language screen allows you to select from Danish, German, English (AUS, UK or US), Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Swedish. The voice guidance instructions can be set to either a female or male voice.
The Saved Info screen allows you to quickly erase all saved data, such as recent locations and favourite destinations.
Display Options
This screen allows you to adjust the screen brightness. I recommend you keep this on the maximum setting. There is also an option to change the map colour scheme if you wish. The Navman will automatically change the map display between day and night mode, you can switch off this feature if required.
The time format can be set between 12 and 24 hour mode. Distance units can be set to either metric – kilometres, Imperial – fractional miles or Imperial – miles and yards.
Navigation
Many GPS systems allow you to set the navigation mode, such as pedestrian or bicycle. The Navman N40i does not support these different modes. It assumes the vehicle being used is always a car. For most people this is probably not an issue but bear this in mind before purchasing.
Full 8 digit UK postcode entry is supported but there is no way to navigate to a house number in this mode. This is a shame as it prevents navigating to a precise point. House numbers are only supported when entering the city and street details manually.
Via points are supported if you want to create a route with several stops. This can be quite useful if you want break up a long journey into several smaller ones.
If you take a detour or wrong turn whilst travelling then the Navman will recalculate the route and get you back on track. I tested this feature several times and it worked fine. Initially the Navman will instruct you to perform a U-Turn but if you continue driving it will calculate a new route.
I found the maps clear and easy to read, showing a good amount of detail for the current location. At the top of the screen is a bar which shows the next instruction for your route. Directly below this is a small box showing the distance and direction of the next turn.
At the bottom is a status bar showing either the current road, speed warnings or active POIs. At the top right is an information box which you can toggle to show either current speed, current time, time to destination, distance to destination or estimated time of arrival.
There is also a zoom icon which allows you to zoom in or out to show more or less detail. Finally in the bottom right is a GPS signal indicator.
A toggle button on the front of the Navman allows you to easily cycle through the following screens:
- 2D map
- 3D map
- Next Turn screen (which displays information just about the next turn)
- Turn by Turn screen (which displays information about the next 4 turns). There is also a scrollbar which enables you to view all turns in the journey.
I found this button very useful allowing me to quickly toggle through the various screens. This is what the turn screen looks like for example.
The voice instructions I found clear and easy to understand. The voice instructions also include the name of motorway road names whilst driving, for example – “take the 3rd exit onto the M4”, although this feature does not extend to non-Motorways roads. It would be nice to see this feature extended to ‘A’ roads too.
Despite the small glitches in the mapping software mentioned earlier in this review, the Navman had no problems navigating to a destination.
Camera
The Navman N40i includes a built-in 1.3 megapixel camera. When using this camera the Navman will record the GPS co-ordinates of each photo taken (providing a GPS signal is available).
The Navman on screen photo browser allows you to view each photo, view the photo position on a map, or navigate to a photo position.
The installation CD-ROM includes NavAlbum which you can install onto your PC. This allows you to manage your photos, as well as import/export photos from the Navman to your PC. You can also upload photos to the NavPix online web site to share with other users. Alternatively you can email these photos to other Navman users.
NavAlbum can be useful if you want to import photos with no GPS co-ordinates, such as those taken with another camera. Using NavAlbum you can input the GPS co-ordinates for the photo, and then import to your Navman.
I had no problems managing my photos using NavAlbum. The software is easy to use and both import and export worked fine.
Screen
The touch screen controls are on the whole well laid out and easy to use. I had no problems navigating around the system to access the various screens.
Some GPS systems use an on screen keyboard with buttons so small they are fiddly to use, even with a stylus. I’m not a fan of GPS systems that require you to use a stylus so I was pleased to see the Navman N40i not going down that route.
The size of the Navman on-screen keyboard buttons are hampered slightly by the screen size. A bigger screen would have allowed more area for the keyboard. The keys are just about large enough to use with your fingers, although a couple of times I found myself pressing the wrong key.
Volume
The volume levels can be adjusted on the side of the device. The volume control will not automatically adjust depending on the speed you’re travelling. This means if you set the volume level to an acceptable level for motorway driving you may find the volume too loud when driving on slower roads.
Safety Cameras
The Navman N40i comes with safety camera warnings out-of-the box. When approaching a safety camera an audible warning sounds. The map on screen will show the location and distance of the speed camera.
The safety camera database installed on the Navman only covers fixed safety camera. It does not cover mobile cameras (such as those in roadworks), red light cameras or average speed cameras.
In my tests the Navman had no problem detecting fixed safety camera locations.
If you want to include red light cameras then consider the Navman speed camera plugin. This plugin does not support mobile or average speed cameras though.
You can also consider buying a subscription from Navman, but that will only cover fixed safety cameras.
Points of Interest (POI)
The Navman has a reasonable POI (Points of Interest) database although not as good as the Garmin Nuvi 250W. Based on my current location it did a pretty good job of finding nearby restaurants, hotels and petrol stations.
The following POI features can be customised:
- Alerts – this screen allows you to enable/disable the safety camera warnings. When enabled you can specify whether you want an audible alert, a visual alert or both. You can also specify at what distance the alert first appears, such as 60 yards, 0.3 miles, 0.6 miles, etc.
- Enable POIs – this screen allows you to specify which POIs are enabled, such as airports, restaurants, cinemas, etc. If you’re only interested in specific POIs then you can specify those preferences here.
You can navigate to a POI using either of these methods:
- Search by Name allows you to search for a POI by specifying the name
- Search Nearby allows you to search nearby POI based on your current location.
Once you have selected a POI you can view the position on the map or get further details such as address, phone number and GPS co-ordinates.
You can also specify your own custom POI using the POI editor from within the SmartST desktop software. Custom POI can either be downloaded from 3rd party web sites, for example safety camera locations, or you can create your own POI.
Summary
The N40i is a welcome improvement over the Navman Pin 570 but it still falls short in a few areas. If Navman could iron out these issues then it would be a more impressive device.
I’d like to see more accurate mapping software, the ability to enter a house number when navigating to a postcode and a more intuitive demonstration mode. A higher specification camera rather than the 1.3 megapixels currently on offer would also raise the Navman’s appeal, allowing it to double up as a standalone camera.
The price tag currently I consider a little high. If Navman could improve on some of the items mentioned above then it would offer better value for money.
I’m still deciding whether the NavPix is a useful feature or just a gimmick. If you like the idea of navigating to pictures then give it a go.
Pros
- Built-in camera
- Navigate to pictures
- Excellent GPS signal
- Well laid out easy to use controls
- Free European street level maps
Cons
- Cannot navigate to a house number when entering a postcode
- Mapping software inaccurate
- Volume does not automatically adjust to the speed of your vehicle
- Demonstration mode impractical for viewing long routes
Where to buy
Buy the Navman N40i from Lemon Digital. Quote “Technical Itch” when ordering to receive a special discount.
Buy the Navman N40i from Amazon.
Enjoyed reading this review?
If so consider receiving our FREE newsletter. Each review will be posted direct to your email inbox as soon as it is published. Your privacy is respected and you can unsubscribe at any time.
- Leave a comment
- Subscribe
- FREE Newsletter
- del.icio.us
- Stumble it!
- Digg It
70 responses so far ↓
1 lemon digital // Oct 18, 2007 at 10:44 am
There is a T1 TMC Traffic Module available for this system which includes free lifetime subscription for just £29.99 – The RRP is £89.99. Please view here for more details if interested.
2 MrWright // Oct 19, 2007 at 3:59 pm
I can’t believe they’re making GPS devices with cameras now! What will they com up with next? So you found the mapping data inaccurate? Did you have the latest maps loaded on the device? I’ve used a couple of different devices with Tele Atlas maps and I’ve always found them to be very reliable. Good review!
3 Dean // Oct 19, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Thanks for your comments. I did try the latest maps but no luck. I’m sure it is just a few minor blips that a future map release will fix.
I’ve got a Navman Pin 570 that showed the same problem so I will try updating the maps on that and see if it fixes it.
4 colin // Dec 16, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Just bought one after using a novogo!!!! such a vast difference more so as the write up says the signal even inside a building is very good, had problems b4 on other machine even outside. Will post further info when I use it on the road.
5 Abdulla // Jan 8, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Dear
I’m trying to contact you since long time
I have NavMan 40i, including only the Europe maps, but am looking for the Middle East Map
could you please inform me how can I get the Middle East Maps
or if you don’t have … is there any other software can do the same
please am waiting for your replay on my email abdulla.mayoof@reynaers.com
Best regards,
Abdulla Mayoof
6 Dean // Jan 8, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Unfortunately there are no middle eastern maps available for this product. Maps are available for the following regions: North America, Australasia, Western Europe and Eastern Europe.
7 Richard // Feb 11, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Hi have been using n40i for 5 months in my taxi and found it no good at all, i go to the same place in peterborough 5 days a week ,took a navpix at the front of the complex as the post code was taking me to back door which you can not drive too, in the 5 months it has taken me 7 different ways to the same place,on the same settings,contacted navman to inform them of the problem 2 months ago with no responce,other taxi drivers on our firm have reported the same problems going to different places than me, some of the p.o.i’s also will not take you to the venue saying no route found but if you put in post code it will take you to it,
SO I THINK THE N40I IS A WAIST OF MONEY
8 Mike Walker // Jun 22, 2008 at 1:20 am
Have a Navman 40i and the time is an hour behind the time I’m on. Is this a daylight savings problem or what? How can I get the correct time for Indianapolis, IN USA ?
Thanks!
mgreklaw@hrtc.net
9 Dean // Jun 22, 2008 at 9:14 am
Mike,
I found this on the Navman support site. It applies to the ‘F’ series but it may work for the N40i too.
“If the unit is an hour ahead or behind it is in Daylight Saving mode.
To turn this off go to:
Preferences>Localize>Time>Daylight Saving> Select off and tap the green tick
Also ensure that the correct time zone is selected”
10 Patricia T // Jul 10, 2008 at 2:10 pm
My husband purchased Navman GPS n787 yesterday and accidently lost the instructional manual. The GPS starts with another language and we cant understand it to change the language to Spanish. Can you please email me basic instructions in English to change the language setting to Spanish? Your help is much appreciated. Thank you!!
11 Dean // Jul 10, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Patricia,
Can you confirm which Navman model you have. I’ve never heard of the n787.
12 Lucy // Jul 12, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Hi, I found this very interesting – I have had mine for a while now. However I need to add the european maps – and I’ve lost my USB cable – Do you know where I can get a replacement ASAP. (I bought online and cannot find a ref of from where?!)
13 Dean // Jul 12, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Lucy,
Any USB cable will do. For example I often use the USB cable from my digital camera when connecting my sat nav to the computer. Do you have any other USB cables you can use?
14 lucy wilcox // Jul 15, 2008 at 9:59 am
Hi Dean, Thanks for your feedback – Am i being a bit silly here? I have plenty of USB cables but the end that connects to the sat nav isn’t the correct size – I think i need one which is specifically for it. I understand the usb end is universal – but what about the one that plugs into the Navman?
15 Dean // Jul 15, 2008 at 10:39 am
It sounds like the other USB cables you have may be proprietary ones that don’t fit the Navman. I’m lucky, my camera USB cable fits a number of devices I have at home.
I found this on Amazon that should be OK:
Navman USB cable
16 lucy wilcox // Jul 15, 2008 at 10:55 am
Thank you, that is perfect. Have ordered one! You’ve been a great help.
17 dan // Jul 28, 2008 at 9:30 pm
My Navman N40I fails to turn on…ive tried everything, my insurance cover has now passed. Does anyone know where i can get it looked at?
18 Ken Barkla // Aug 17, 2008 at 7:21 am
I cannot get my n40i navman out of demo mode
19 Dean // Aug 17, 2008 at 8:30 am
Ken,
You should be able to switch demo mode off by pressing the preferences button (the one with four small circles printed on it), then select Route Options, then tap the right arrow button until you get to page 4 which is the Demonstration and Logging screen. Then untick the SmartST shop demonstration box.
If that doesn’t work you could try doing a factory reset.
20 David // Aug 18, 2008 at 1:00 pm
It is not a comprehensive GPS as it doesn’t cover Asia. Hope to have improvement on the maps
21 jason // Oct 7, 2008 at 10:22 am
hi there all just wondering if anyone knows how to adjust the time as i need to change it for daylight saving in nsw australia
thnx for your help
22 Dean // Oct 7, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Jason,
Have a look at comment #9 above and see if it helps at all.
If that is no help then wait a couple of weeks and see if the time corrects itself. It’s possible the software has got the daylight saving dates wrong.
23 John // Oct 31, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I have just bought a new Navman S30 but the language is Dutch. How can I change it to English?
24 Dean // Oct 31, 2008 at 2:08 pm
John,
From the Main menu select Preferences and then Language.
25 Garry // Nov 30, 2008 at 9:59 am
my navman n40i wont hold its battery charge how do i put a new battery in it
26 Dean // Nov 30, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Garry,
I’ve seen replacement batteries available on eBay for £15 although no idea how good they’re. I don’t have any instructions on how to replace the battery though. I can send you the eBay link if it is of any interest.
27 Garry // Dec 2, 2008 at 5:00 am
do you know where i can get the info on how to replace the battery.?
and thanks for your last lot of info
28 Dean // Dec 2, 2008 at 8:56 am
Sorry, I don’t have any info on replacing the battery. You could try contacting Navman directly. Also, if you search on Google for “Navman n40i battery” you might find a couple of retailers selling batteries who might be able to help.
29 mju77 // Jan 2, 2009 at 9:09 pm
hi, i purchased a ex display n40i from halfords which came with nothing, i.e no box, case, chargers or any set up or map disc’s. how can i update it without the set up disc? ive tried online via navman etc but got no responce to my email or couldnt update online as once again got no smartST software? any idea’s or help would be gratefully received. thanks.
30 Dean // Jan 2, 2009 at 10:16 pm
You can visit the Navman Customer Support site. Then click on the UK Technical Support link, then click on the in-car link and then scroll down and select the N40i. That will take you to a page where you can download the SmartST software.
The N40i is a few years old but it is still supported by Navman. I’m not sure if there are any map updates available.
Hope this helps.
31 andrius // Jan 27, 2009 at 1:11 am
sweikas turiu navman s-30 bet niekur negaunu uz dyka parsisiust europos zemelapio gal gali patart kur dekui
32 Garry // Apr 7, 2009 at 8:56 am
i Have a Navman N40i that is about 3 years old can i update the maps on it if so where do i get them and how much r they
33 Garry // Apr 7, 2009 at 9:04 am
if i know someone that has just got a new naveman can i up date my navman off his discs that came with it
34 Dean // Apr 7, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Garry,
Try the Navman map updates page. The maps are £70 but it says out of stock currently.
I doubt you can use your friend’s discs. I would imagine the maps are locked to a single device otherwise everyone would be copying maps for their mates and Navman would lose money
35 sean // Jul 4, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Hi there,
I have added some custom POI’s, mainly updates to speed camera locations but when I try to add a custom icon it doesn’t display correctly.
Does anyone know what format the icon needs to be in?
i.e pixel size and colour options.
Thanks
Sean
36 Toni B // Jul 8, 2009 at 9:01 am
Hi
I was wondering if you know of any free sites where i can update the n40i? i need an up to date map of the uk.
37 Chris Goddard // Jul 30, 2009 at 10:21 am
I have just arrived at this from a Google Search. Agree with the point about the camera button and the fact it sees dual carriageways as motorways! BUT the navigation is FAR and away superior in France at least to ANY other GPS owned by anyone I know! It WILL find individual addresses and even local one way streets which no other GPS units will find! So sorry to say if it is to find a French address you will not spend your money more wisely! (2007 maps used!)
Chris
38 Dean // Jul 30, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Excellent, glad it worked well for you
39 Ken // Aug 3, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Today is August 3rd 2009. I am trying to look for software updates for my Navman n40i and I have no success. I followed all of your instructions but it seems like navman isn’t supporting this gps anymore. Do you know where I can find the most recent updates?
40 Dean // Aug 3, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Ken,
The n40i is certainly one of the older products from Navman, now listed on their web site under the title “Previous Products”. I’m not sure what the situation is with regards to updates, might be worth phoning Navman direct if you haven’t done so already.
41 Chris Goddard // Aug 4, 2009 at 9:45 am
Hi, may I be of assistance? I too wanted to update the software on my N40i and simply googled the unit and went to the Navman site and then chose the country I wish to use (UK) and then the options presented to me? http://www.navman.com/in-car/europe/uk/Products/66739/47198/ Is the page url.
From this I can find stores that supply items and I can also access the Navman Store too. Maps are available at a cost of around £80 as are Traffic add on modules. HOPE you can find what you need? If not get in touch with me and I’ll try and do some more digging?
terminal.tackleatgmaildotcom
42 Jeff Jeff // Sep 1, 2009 at 4:29 pm
AVOID NAVMANS !!!!!!!!!!!! ,The Navman N40i must be the worst Sat Nav in the world, their cute customer services are not much better either, when I contacted them to help with updating the mapping system, they accused my wife of purchasing an old sat nav which “…must have been cheap” and I needed to spend another £70+ in order to update this product, I was astonished at their attitude. On top of that they said the updates were still being prepared for the market and it would be a few months before they reached the shops??
The unit was brand new at the time and I was extremely offended by their abrupt, unhelpful and offensive comments. There have been so many times I have been led astray by poor directional mapping, the last straw was when I was a few hundred yards away from crossing the Forth Road Bridge and the unit told me to turn left towards Stirling which is miles in the wrong direction, so many roads are not on it and it even had me going up wrong ways streets in Glasgow, I’ve passed the stage of using the unit as its so unreliable. My advice would be try another Sat Nav manufacturer unless you want to throw away your money, My mate bought one too and its now u/s, boy is he too is hacked off. I’m astonished they are still in business with that sort of behaviour. I wonder if their MD is aware of what good customer service actually is?
43 Chris Goddard // Sep 1, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Tell you what and this goes for ANYONE out there NOT happy with there N40i I will quite happily buy it from you!! And in Jeff Jeff’s case I would think if it is THAT bad you would be quite HAPPY to give it away?
I would donate all rewards to a local facility for children with a Learning Difficulty.
E-Mail is renaze.peche at gmail.com please feel free to ask for an address to post to.
44 Jeff Jeff // Sep 1, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Chris
Thank you for your kind offer.
With respect and provided you are UK based I’ve no problem in selling you
this N40i for £90 which includes postage
and thats substantially less than my wife paid for it.
I’ll make the choice and decide which and how much a local charity will
benefit from the sale.
So there you have it, all thats left is you to pass on your address and
its yours, its all there, discs, chargers, unit, instructions , manual,
original guarantee and even the protective packaging and original box it
came with!! what more could you ask for?.
45 neil // Sep 1, 2009 at 6:31 pm
That is a ridiculous price – we buy these NEW with full warranty for £45 – This is worth no more than £20 second hand.
46 Jeff Jeff // Sep 1, 2009 at 9:45 pm
NEW with a full warranty for £45?
So why are we being charged £80+ for the new mapping systems alone? Now is that itself not a ridiculous price?
So I understand this means you can supply the cost of a new map update to existing owners on its own for a significant lot less than £45 ? or am I missing something?
47 neil // Sep 2, 2009 at 5:49 am
Because software updates are always the price they are regardless of unit costs. When we can sell the latest s70 with 2009 maps for £99 then an N40 (which we were selling 3 years ago) with it’s old style maps, firmware, software and GPS receiver is quite worthless.
48 Chris Goddard // Sep 2, 2009 at 8:20 am
Jeff Jeff, I have replied and something along the lines of neil. Sorry I cannot be of more help to you! But I can assure you I am NOT in the habit of saying things just to impress people! I have converted people from Tom Tom units costing several hundreds of pounds to the N40i because they are such much better!
As to what Navman charge for the maps?? I recently bought an EU 2007 mpa from ebay for £10 inc. post. And YES it is a genuine item with licence and correct packaging too. I have also just trialled another interface at a cost of £20 and this is VERY promising too. So my offer stands as long as it has to and if this is as useless as you say…….
49 Amad // Oct 28, 2009 at 4:07 am
I think Navman is cheating its costomers by not providing a free dowload steet maps for N40i series. Just think how much we paid in Australia to buy this product 2.5 years ago and now they are asking us to pay extra $150 anytime you upgrade the maps! and more importantly, they are out of stocks for the last 4 months!!!
50 Chris Goddard // Oct 28, 2009 at 7:47 am
Amad, would YOU give something away that cost you thousands of $’s to build? Neither will Navman!
But why not try looking at the larger picture then? I have found a very good alternative for several people here in France who do not like the 2006 maps for France which are quite frankly not very good! I get them to use a third party application, cost is around €70 (you would have to check cost) and it gets VERY favourable results! Try Google?
Chris
51 Harvey Staples // Nov 21, 2009 at 12:21 pm
I am super “£%%^$ off with my N40i the. The 2 year warranty has just expired and now the startup splash screen just stays there and does not go any further. I have tried re-installing the firmware as per Navman’s instructions. Started to work again, turned the unit off, re-started same thing again just the startup screen. Now handy for a paperweight. Who want to buy it off me, cheap ?
Harvey.
ps My surname spelt wrong. One P
52 Chris Goddard // Nov 21, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Harvey, guess what?? I’ll have it NO bother mate!! Get back to me on “Renaze dot pecheatgmail.com and we’ll have a deal!!!
53 Harvey Staples // Nov 28, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Thanks for the offer, but I have since unlocked the unit and all seems to be fine, boots up fine everytime.
54 Chris Goddard // Nov 28, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Hey Harvey, as long as you are happy!! LOL
55 Danny // Dec 13, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I am looking for a free map updates for navman n40i.
Can anybody help ?
56 Chris Goddard // Dec 13, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Can but try Danny?
Chris
57 Martin // Apr 7, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Hello I’m trying to find a download for the SmartST Desktop software that comes with the Navman installation CD.I have lost my disc and need this so i can use the update tool.As my navman has problems locating places in london eg..Park lane hilton n40i can’t even find Park Lane????so i try Victoria station damn it can’t even find this..any help would be gladly welcome. even if u try a postcode it does not work.
thanks
58 Dean // Apr 7, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Martin,
Mio now support this product.
Try looking here.
If that doesn’t work I’d give Mio a call.
59 martin // Apr 7, 2010 at 11:46 pm
cheers Dean will have a look.
60 Chris Goddard // Apr 11, 2010 at 8:36 am
I have a disc here which is surplus to MY requirements?? Get back to me at terminal dot tackle at gmail dot com
And I’ll send you it no cost Dean.
Chris
61 Chris Goddard // Apr 11, 2010 at 8:36 am
I have a disc here which is surplus to MY requirements?? Get back to me at terminal dot tackle at gmail dot com
And I’ll send you it no cost Martin.
Chris
62 Chris Goddard // Apr 11, 2010 at 8:38 am
Sorry! Stopped comment 60 but obviously too slow! Please disregard! The message is for Martin! (No problems Dean, but reckon you MAY already have one?)
Chris
63 martin // Apr 21, 2010 at 11:47 am
After speaking to you on the phone,I’ve still not received the disc…as it was a holiday you where going to post the next day????Is this still the case or do i need to look elsewhere???????????
64 Dean // Apr 21, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Martin,
I have no association with any of the sat nav companies, this is an independent web site. I don’t work for Navman or any other GPS company. Sounds like you spoke to someone at Navman.
65 martin // Apr 21, 2010 at 12:08 pm
I spoke to Chris Goddard who reply to my post here not intended for you dean.
66 martin // Apr 21, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Thank you Chris I have received 5 mins ago by post thank you so much and Cheers,will try install and update my unit once again thank you very much..
67 Chris Goddard // Apr 22, 2010 at 8:49 am
Champion!! Thanks for letting me know and best of luck Martin!
Chris
68 Andrew L // Apr 23, 2010 at 10:18 am
I am a repeat Navman customer but am beginning to question my sanity. I had an original Pin570 (from memory) cost couple of hundred pounds new then Navman could not supply European Maps but offered to trade it in for N40i (state of the art satnav) I took their £50 trade-in offer and spent another £200 + Traffic module at £70 + full EU maps (£70-80). Five years later – I can’t buy updated EU maps (again) because they have changed format AGAIN! I understand the devices go out of date and new features are added but WHY do they change the basic map data formats. Sorry Navman, twice bitten, thrice shy!
A £100 Nokia 5230 has full EU maps and lifetime updates for FREE… wake up Navman and treat existing customers fairly.
69 WAEL // Jun 21, 2010 at 11:34 pm
I have N40 i Navman which is coming to its 3rd year with out causing me any problems at all . Only a couple of weeks ago, and all of a sudden, it started displaying a message as if it’s suggesting that I connect it via usb to computer or mobile, which I tried with no success. Any suggestions?
Thank you very much
Wael
70 Chris Goddard // Jun 22, 2010 at 9:25 am
Wael, sounds to me like a software glitch to be honest which would mean a repair by Navman (Forget it!) since Garmin took over the customer service side has basically done one! So no help there.
The ONLY thing I can suggest myself is what I did after getting something similar?? I installed a different mapping system, one which DOES have help available!! And it does work! The maps I now use are “IGOAMIGO” (http://amigo.navngo.com/) and I bought my maps from ebay for £20! And yes it is an original copy with all the bells and whistles (I checked first) And it is better than Navman software (2007 mapping is NEARLY as good! But 2006 and before is rubbish!) as it does a lot more and give a lot more info. BUT you do lose the functionality of the navman unit. I.E. No Pictures and none of the buttons on the front work either. But the software does cover most of these in the interface anyway. It is a far superior system and would cost I think in the region of £70? BUT if like me you are a convert to this unit then it is the best way in my humble opinion to proceed.
IF you decide (As does anyone!) to sell your N40i to upgrade I have any number of people who will pay good money to own an N40i unit so please get in touch. I will buy your old unit, however I think anyone doing so will regret it!
Chris
Leave a Comment