Purchase [Garmin nüvi 1690 4.3-Inch Portable Bluetooth Navigator with nüLink! Services] at Amazon.

Click HERE for an advanced demo provided by Garmin.

Garmin is pushing ‘up’ the grade on the portable navigation device (PND) by a few notches with its new Nuvi 1690. It is way more advanced than its earlier PND – the Nuvi 880, as it makes a firm statement in being Garmin’s first-ever Internet-connected PND, while also featuring a Garmin-branded data service called NuLink. The Nuvi 1690 comes loaded with a slew of services that include Google local search, traffic data, live fuel prices, white page telephone listings and local events.

The physical attributes of the Nuvi 1690 doesn’t differ much from the standard PNDs. It is 4.9 inches wide, 3.1 inches long, and 0.75 inches deep. The 4.3-inch touch screen with 480 x 272 pixel resolution is surrounded by a gloss-black frame with chrome trim to impart some new striking looks. Also, the standard SD card slot of Nuvi has been shrunk to fit micro SD’s in order to free some internal space.

A simple button replaces the power slider for locking mode. A tap on the power button brings up an onscreen menu with an option for screen brightness, power and screen lock. Pressing the button will lock and further unlock the screen. Also, holding the power button for 3 seconds will boot or shutdown the unit. The back panel consists of a single speaker that runs along its lower edge and a 10-pin connector interfacing with the suction cup cradle. It is also finely equipped with a Mini-USB port with the 12-V car charger connectivity which facilitates one-hand usage as well as cradle-less charging.

On the software part, there are some notable changes mainly with the menu. The icons have been refreshed with more reflection effects and colorful finer gradients. The main screen has a top status bar displaying status of GPS signal strength, Bluetooth connectivity, navigation mode, the current temperature, the current time, NuLink signal strength and the battery state. The map screen displays a decreased menu button labeled “Back” and positions itself at the low-left corner of the screen.

The things which make the Nuvi 1690 really admirable are the services offered, the main one being the NuLink data service. Garmin works in partnership with the AT&T which offers its EDGE network to facilitate this service. Its subscription is free for the first two years, after which users need to pay a $5 per month to use the service.

The NuLink service gives real-time access to traffic alerts so as to avoid road obstacles and any potential delays. To nullify any potential obstacles while driving, it even provide excellent rerouting features. The Garmin Nuvi 1690 gives information about the nearest gas stations to do any urgent re-fueling and also informs about nearby recreational activities like movies. Furthermore, one can get instantaneous and up to the minute information on weather, status of flights and even access a telephone directory using the myGarmin White Pages feature.

The Garmin Nuvi 1690 offers TTS turn by turn instructions and lane previews to ensure that you are always on track. It even offers map views in impressive sharp colors, access to various locations via photo navigation, EcoRoutes functionality and a glare resistant screen easily viewable in sunlight or bright backgrounds. The integration of Garmin’s “Where Am I” feature allows access to instant information about nearby police stations, gas stations and hospitals. It also keeps constant track of where one parked the vehicle as this device stores the last position of your vehicle.

The Garmin Nuvi 1690 can connect to Garmin’s exclusive Ciao! location-based social networking system that aggregates information from multiple networks into a single portal for Garmin users. Bluetooth wireless connectivity is embedded with a microphone and speaker to manage calls on-the-go with ease, allowing all the focus on the road. The Nuvi 1690 can be paired with the user’s phone using a four-digit PIN. Once synced, the user can access their phone’s voice-dialing function and dial from the contact book, the POI select screens or using a 10-key phone pad.

In addition, the Nuvi 1690 is also loaded with features to make it travel friendly such as the world travel clock, a currency converter, a calculator and a measurement converter. No let offs when it comes to its safety either, as it features Garmin Lock to ensure that the device will not be usable if stolen.

The Nuvi 1690 boots quickly, gets locked onto the satellite signals pretty fast and does quick Google POI searches too. However, it does waver in returning results when passing through long tunnels. The use of advanced GPS technologies like cellular triangulation and dead reckoning should do better tracking of the vehicle.

What makes the Garmin Nuvi 1690 stand out is its real-time data for a variety of services offering safety, convenience, and entertainment. At a price of $500, it is highly recommended.