Magellan Maestro 4050 Review

Magellan is one of the first companies to pioneer GPS devices. They have a wide range of products that form a class of their own. There are basically three series of Magellan in-car navigation devices. They are:

The Maestro Series
The Road Mate Series
The Magellan Crossover Series

Here we will focus on the product review of a specific model of the Magellan Maestro series and that is the Maestro 4050. There are several models of the Magellan Maestro series but in recent times, it has been observed that the Magellan Maestro 4050 has topped the list of Magellan Maestro products as far as consumer preference is concerned.

Magellan Maestro 4050 GPS Navigator

Product Overview

The Maestro 4050 is one among the first Magellan GPS devices that can detect voice commands and work accordingly. Of course, the commands are restricted not only because it is a new milestone in the area of GPS technology but also because of noises in your immediate surroundings which come in the way of voice clarity therefore restricting the gadget to receive clear instructions. However, it is definitely an excellent device to be able to work on voice commands.

Like all other Maestros, it also comes with 3-hour battery span, SiRFstarIII chipset, and NAVTEQ maps. Maestro 4050 also comes with some additional features like slim profile, 4.3” screen, and voice recognition feature unlike other Magellan GPS navigation devices.

Another very interesting feature of Maestro 4050 is that it has an incorporated traffic receiver in it. As it can immediately detect and alert you of the traffic conditions of the roads you are driving on or approaching. These navigators cost way more than Maestro 4040 because of their two specific features- Voice Command detection and integrated traffic receiver.

Design

Magellan maestro 4050 is probably the best looking GPS navigator that we have in the market today. Unlike other navigators, it has a sleek look and has compact dimensions. Another interesting feature of the device is that it is not loaded with external buttons. It comes with a touch screen, a power button, a reset button, an USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack and a power connector on the right side of the gadget.
The display of the maestro 4050 is quite satisfactory. Although the resolution isn’t that sharp but it does not stop its users from using that gadget. The maps are distinct, colorful and bright, it also has a night mode and a dark light adjuster. The screen also has an anti-glare coating that helps in keeping the display readable for its users in various lighting conditions.

Magellan Maestro 4050 comes with a vehicle mount, an AC adapter, a car charger, a protective pouch and an USB cable.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

4.3” touch screen
Quick and easy text entry
Multi-segment Routing
Real-time traffic detection
Bluetooth
Improved Interface
AAA tour Book
Uses SiRFstar III GPS chip
Updated NAVTEQ maps
Loudspeaker volume

Cons:

As I mentioned earlier, although the voice recognition technology sounds quite interesting but many users are of the opinion that this particular feature doesn’t do them much good as they work on limited commands and give efficient performance in only quiet places. The ambient noises like engine noise, passenger and drive conversation, the car radio etc. come in the way of competent working of the navigator.

Review Highlights

The voice recognition of the Maestro 4050 has received much attention but it is seen that it doesn’t offer a huge amount of practicality in real world usage due to its restricted commands and has failed to meet the high expectations of people. However, reviewers commonly agree to the idea that this technology might be put into use in a better way for future Magellan products but what we have today isn’t very useful for its users. Maestro 4050 is the second generation of the GPS Magellan with AAA Tour Book. While Magellan considers Maestro 4050 to be their top of the line product but reviewers rank the 4050s in the middle slot among all GPS portable navigators.

Technical Features

Turn-by-turn: Yes
3D View: Yes
Display Type: Touch
Dimensions: 5.12 x 3.35 x 0.96 inches
Hard Drive: No
Flash Memory Type: SD/MMC
Preloaded maps: Yes
Waterproof: No
Speakers Included: built-in
Power: Adapter, Battery
Supports MP3: No
Multi Segment Routing: Yes

Average User Rating :

• "This is a very handy little gadget. I have had many uses for it already. The amopunt of information contained in this little unit is amazing! Well worth the money" - W.Damewood, (NV USA)

• "After researching GPS products for 4 days, I decided on the Magellan Maestro 4040. It served my needs, plus. The features are amazing and more than I expected. I especially like the fact the street names, freeway entrance and exits, ect. are spoken to you. I love this feature. It keeps you from having to look at your GPS for the street names. It's quick and accurate." - L.Ashe (CA,USA)