The nüvi 1690 heralds Garmin’s live connected nüLink! services. There are various new features: real time traffic info, Google Local search, weather, fuel pricing, plane times and so on. All this represents an alternative to TomTom’s LIVE services, which already have a big headstart.

Hardware: the essential is there

The 4.3 inch matte screen (10.9 cm) offers decent legibility, even in full sunlight. The 480 x 272 pixel definition is sufficient. On the left side, a microSD memory card reader allows you to add route maps or photos to the GPS. A standard SD card adaptor will be useful here (for use directly in your digital camera with a microSD), so you don’t have to use your computer to transfer from one card to another.


The suction pad has been improved from models lower down the range. The pad itself is the same but the satnav fixture is better with a cigarette lighter connection built directly in.

You can also recharge your satnav using the mini USB port situated on the lower edge.

Design and build: clear and effective, in spite of problems entering addresses

The Garmin nüvi 1690 is relatively compact, though it’s bigger than the 1390T and 1490T. 19 mm thick and weighing in at 176 g, it will still be easy enough to carry around, though it is quite big compared to a mobile phone.
The plastics are good quality and the back of the device is soft to the touch. Although the glossy black plastic façade is nice to look at, it scratches easily and tends to get dirty quite quickly.

It starts up in 25 seconds and the GSM network kicks in a few seconds after that. Satellites are also quickly linked up. Generally responsiveness is good, in contrast to what we’ve seen with the Garmin nüvi 860 and 865T.

The predictive text feature unfortunately leaves something to be desired and only lists places by alphabetical order when few other choices are possible (you’ve already written out most of the address by then!). The addresses are not recognised while you’re entering them.

No voice recognition on this model either, in contrast to old high-end models. This means you always have to use the keypad. Thankfully typing is rapid. The auto-fill only appears if you’ve already entered the destination at least once before. Otherwise the satnav offers a list of possible choices once only a few possibilities are left. This means you often have to write the name of a town entirely and not only the meaningful bit, which can be frustrating.


Overall the build and design isn’t bad but it’s far from perfect. This is a bit of a shame as the menus are well conceived and beginners wont have any difficulty navigating them.
The volume setting isn’t very practical as you have to go through two operations to get to the setting, then two others to get back to navigation. We would have liked to be able to set this straight from the navigation screen, or with a physical button on the side.

Route guidance: thorough though a few more features would make the difference

The Garmin nüvi 1690’s route guidance features are thorough. There’s Lane Assist, speed limit alerts, display of signs with the direction to follow and text-to-speech. Unfortunately there isn’t an option for setting journeys anymore (motorways and so on). Improved traffic management and journey calculation features that take account of the day and time would also be welcome.

The innovations on this model are the connected services that give real time traffic info and speed camera alerts, which are updated without you having to link up to a computer. This is practical but problematic if you decide not to subscribe after the free trial period (see inset). The speed camera database is unfortunately not a patch on Coyote services (on the latest TomTom GOs and the Goodkap satnav for example), which have very succinct management of mobile speed cameras. Traffic info works well, even if we would have liked to see more possibilities. Here you can change your route when the device tells you about incidents on your current journey.

The ecoRoute feature is present and guides you via routes that mean you don’t have to accelerate too often. This sometimes lengthens your route but generally makes it more pleasant and saves on petrol. Something to go for if you’re not in too much of a hurry and/or you want to reduce petrol consumption (economy and ecology).

The GPS voice is better than on previous models (860T and 865T). It still sounds a bit artificial but you no longer have the impression of getting your directions from Super Nanny. You can no longer listen to the voice while you’re going through the menus, for those who like to be able to make their choice there. The vocal summary is a nice feature in Junction View and helps when you’re working out which road to turn onto at intersections and roundabouts in large towns and so on.

Extra features: still with sound and connected services have been enriched

Route guidance on the nüvi 1690 has been improved with the Bluetooth hands-free kit that works very well (tested with an iPhone 3G), a camera reader and PIN code Garmin Lock protection (the same as you get on mobile phones). We regret the absence of an MP3 player with FM transmitter that would have meant you could transfer the device’s audio to the vehicle speakers while listening to music stored on the microSD memory card.



A "Where am I?" mode that allows you to localise your position and rapidly contact hospitals, police stations, fuel stations and road assistance. Very useful in emergencies.

The weather is also accessible, with 5-day forecasts for your current position, or elsewhere. There’s also a currency converter.

Plane times are given, which will be good for those who travel a lot, practical for finding out when there are delays.

The "Ciao! FriendFinder" mode allows you to find out where your friends are, which is useful (as long as they also have a Garmin).

The pedestrian mode (cityXplorer) is simple and effective. There should also be a public transport feature soon (not tested).

The fuel pricing feature is practical in these times of fluctuating petrol costs and tells you where the cheapest station is near where you are. It also displays service stations on your itinerary.

Lastly Google Local searches is very useful for looking for points of interest.

All these connected features are included as part of the nüLink! Services, free for the first year and then £69.99 a year (all-included, with traffic info and speed camera alerts).