Regardless of whether you are going on a long trip or just decided to visit an unfamiliar city, you will probably have to use a GPS navigator. In this matter, the most important thing is to make the right choice, because a poor-quality device with outdated cards or an ill-conceived interface can lead to a lot of problems. An excellent choice may be a gadget called LEXAND SA5 HD.
Device Options
The LEXAND SA5 navigator comes in a rather large box in which the device itself and all the necessary components are stored. These include:
- Adapter for cigarette lighter.
- Mount (mini-bracket).
- USB cable
- Stylus.
- Instruction
- Warranty.
All components are rather solidly assembled, high-quality materials are used, soft-touch coating. The mounting mechanism is no different, quite massive and uncomfortable, is attached with a suction cup to the windshield.
Design
LEXAND SA5 HD is quite large and thick, but only slightly larger than other navigators with the same display diagonal, its weight is 175 grams. The main material of the case is plastic, which looks rather reliable and not too easily soiled. In general, the appearance is very decent, not too expensive, but also not akin to cheap fakes.
On the device’s body there is a headphone jack, a separate tray for memory cards, an input for connecting a rear view camera.
On the rear panel there is a camera that allows you to use the navigator as a DVR, for the same reason there was a place in it for an additional memory card.
Display
The screen is far from the most impressive, with a diagonal of 5 inches, a weak LCD matrix with a resolution of 800 by 480 pixels is used. Watching movies and reading books on such a screen is not very comfortable, especially in comparison with other devices that are not focused on navigation. Still, this is not about a tablet computer, but about a navigator, so you should forgive not the highest quality picture. But the device boasts good viewing angles, which is much more important on the road.
Specifications
CPU | Mstar MSB 2531 |
Memory | 128 megabytes of operational and 4 gigabytes of primary |
Camera | 1 megapixel |
Battery | 1100 milliampere lithium polymer battery |
GPS module | SiRF Atalas-V, 64 channels |
Of the features, we can distinguish the presence of an FM receiver and an audio file player, which will allow you to use the device as a radio.
The chip built into the navigator copes with its main task without any problems, the clock frequency of 0.8 GHz allows it to instantly route without brakes and failures. The developers promised a performance increase of up to 25% compared to previous models in the series.
The main memory can be expanded using memory cards, if necessary. Additional gigabytes can be used to download media content (movies, music).
The GPS module is very responsive, it takes less than a minute to start up after turning on the device.
Software
The software base for LEXAND SA5 HD is the Windows CE 6.0 operating system. On top of the OS installed shell and navigation services. This navigator uses the Navitel application, complete maps include a number of countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Finland, Sweden and others. Maps can be updated absolutely free.
The manufacturer claims that this is the first navigator based on Windows CE in Russia, which is able to access the network using a 3G modem and by connecting to the phone via Bluetooth. This allows you to build routes on the road, taking into account traffic accidents and traffic jams, thereby saving you time by laying a route through empty sections, as well as maintaining the current version of maps.
In addition to functionality, the device also provides other features. Of the useful ones, one can single out the ability to use the built-in camera as a DVR. Other functions, such as watching videos, reading books or listening to music, will not bring much benefit, but they will brighten up hours of traffic jams and parking. It is also possible to install simple games, only before that you need to get a memory card, since the main one will go for cards and firmware.
A DVR from this gadget is also not worth doing. The installed 1 megapixel camera barely copes with this function and produces an extremely poor quality image, the picture is grainy, it’s hard to make out anything, and the viewing angle is far from ideal, but nevertheless, it may come in handy if necessary. The presence of this feature can be considered a plus.
LEXAND SA5: reviews
Instead of reading announcements and press releases, it will be much more useful to learn about the capabilities of the navigator firsthand, namely from users who have already had the opportunity to fully appreciate the device.
The main advantage that all users without exception highlight is a good connection. According to them, the LEXAND SA5 GPS navigator very confidently holds the signal from the satellite, not turning off halfway, as often happens with less high-quality models.
Many liked the low price and the ability to download complete Navitel maps (their users especially appreciate it). The people praised the navigator interface and its multimedia capabilities.
Of course, there was a lot of criticism of the device. The holder, which seemed to many to be weak and uncomfortable, fell under the distribution, someone rejected the display, saying that it was not at all responsive and strongly reflects (even though it has an anti-reflective coating).
Of the specific disadvantages, one can single out the absence of a SIM card slot (apparently, not everyone wants to use modems or connect via Bluetooth).
conclusions
LEXAND SA5 is the average device in the world of navigators, which has the same pros and cons as most other models in its price category. The manufacturer focused on the navigation component of the gadget, partially sacrificing multimedia functions, which allowed to improve the quality of communication and maps. And in this direction, this device is all right, and poor technical equipment is the scourge of all portable navigation systems.