April 08, 2007

Magellan Maestro 4040 review

Magellanmaestro4040

UPDATE: There is a new line of thinner and lighter Magellan Maestros being introduced.

The Magellan Maestro 4040 is part of Magellan's newest lineup -- the Maestro series. Like all members of the Maestro family, the 4040 has a wide 4.3" screen, voice-prompted directions, AAA travel information and a SiRFstarIII chipset. The 4040 also has preloaded maps of the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, 4.5 million points of interest (POIs), and Bluetooth for hands free cell phone use. Additionally, it will call out the street names for upcoming turns.

The model below this, the Maestro 4000, has a rather anemic 1.5 million POIs, maps of the 48 contiguous United States, and it loses the Bluetooth. The top of the line Maestro 4050 adds voice recognition commands and live traffic, though Magellan says that you can upgrade the 4040 to include these features by the summer of 2007.

Compare prices on the Magellan Maestro 4040


To see how the 4040 stacks up against other units, check out my Magellan auto GPS comparison chart.

Before we hear from other reviewers, here's a brief excerpt from Amazon's Magellan Maestro 4040 review:

"The Maestro 4040's Bluetooth wireless technology lets you make hands-free phone calls with your Bluetooth-enabled phone. You can also store or sync numbers and contact information through the easy-to-use touch screen and make calls via the Maestro 4040's integrated microphone and speakers. Add the optional Magellan TrafficKit™ to this device and you'll be equipped with live traffic incident reports, so you'll never get stuck on the freeway." 

More Magellan Maestro 4040 reviews

I'll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some other helpful resources:

Compare prices on the Magellan Maestro 4040 at these merchants:

From the official Magellan Maestro web page:

Elegance, simplicity and advanced features designed to save you time and effort on the road. Magellan® Maestro™ 4040 makes driving more pleasurable and less stressful.

Enter virtually any address on the freshly-designed graphical touch screen, or select from 4.5 million preprogrammed points of interest to get turn-by-turn voice guidance to anywhere in the United States , Canada, and Puerto Rico. SayWhere™ text-to-speech tells you the street name for each maneuver, so you can focus on driving. Smart buttons and Magellan's unique QuickSpell™ function enables error free spelling to minimize steps so you get a customized route to your destination with just a few touches of the screen.

Plus, built-in AAA TourBook® Guide travel information gives you instant access to service details and Diamond ratings from the world's leading travel expert. Quickly find AAA approved lodgings and restaurants, AAA Roadside Assistance details1, and discounts available through the AAA Show Your Card & Save® program1.

Touch the tow truck icon to quickly connect to AAA member Roadside Assistance1 using your compatible Bluetooth® phone. The screen tells you where you are to quickly direct reliable AAA help to your location.

Bluetooth wireless technology enables hands-free phone calls with your Bluetooth-enabled phone. Store or sync numbers and contact information for clear communication through the integrated microphone and speakers. Easily add LIVE traffic incident reports2 and Voice Command3 control.

Years of experience providing the best in GPS navigation and feedback from among the over 400,000 users of the Magellan RoadMate and Hertz NeverLost systems enables Maestro to deliver the most satisfying navigation experience. From Magellan; the first name in navigation™.

1Requires AAA Membership. Click here to join today.

2Available Spring 2007, Additional fee required

3Available Summer 2007

Feature list:Maestro_menu

  • Sophisticated and simple - Bold, streamlined touch-screen buttons minimize steps to locate a destination for stress-free navigation

  • Sleek Design - Integrated GPS antenna can't break off and provides excellent satellite reception in a slim and compact design

  • Turn-by-turn voice and visual guidance - Enter virtually any address or point of interest to BE THERE™ quickly and safely

  • Precision navigation - SiRFstar III chipset and integrated multidirectional antennae offer superior GPS accuracy using the Wide Area Augmentation System

  • Graphical interactive maps - Maps and destinations for the entire continental U.S. are built-in so you can travel the country and always know where you are and where you're going

  • AAA TourBook® travel information - Integrated travel information from AAA TourBook makes it easy to locate AAA approved and rated lodgings and restaurants, recommended attractions, and places to save money.

  • AAA member Roadside Assistance details - Touch the tow truck icon to quickly connect to AAA Roadside Assistance1 using your compatible Bluetooth® phone. The screen tells you where you are to quickly direct reliable AAA help to your location.

  • SayWhere™ text-to-speech - Hear when to make each turn, including the street name

  • Hands-free phone calls - Bluetooth® wireless technology and built-in microphone let you make hands-free phone calls using your compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone

  • Traffic-enabled - Add the Magellan TrafficKit™ to your Maestro 4040 to get live traffic incident reports Activation and subscription fees apply.  Available Spring 2007

  • Voice Command-enabled - Add Voice Command control for hand's-free operation with a simple upgrade from www.MagellanGPS.com (Activation fee applies). Available Summer 2007

  • Birds eye 3D view - Clearly see your surroundings in 2D or 3D

  • Rechargeable battery - Navigate when you don't have access to power

  • Multi-destination Routing - Select up to 20 destinations and choose the order that best fits your needs

  • SmartDetour - Automatically prompts you to route around sudden slow freeway traffic (no fee or subscription required)

  • Auto Re-route - Never miss a turn and quickly get back on track whenever you take a detour

  • Auto night view - Adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing

  • QuickSpell™ - Easily enter addresses with unique auto-complete feature that even corrects spelling

  • Complete mobility - Transfer to any vehicle with no installation

  • 4.5 million points of interest (POI) - Optimized database of gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, and more with smart location search by name, category and region. We even added a Coffee category so you can quickly find caffeine whenever you need it.

  • Interactive POI icons - Touch an onscreen icon for a nearby destination; see name and address and get an instant route

  • Customizable route method - Fastest time, shortest distance, least use or most use of freeways, avoid toll roads

  • Route exclusion - Select streets and freeways to avoid so you can BE THERE™ your way

  • 4 easy views - Map View, 3D map, TrueView™ 3D split screen and Maneuver List

  • Address Book - Create and store personal points of interest for easy reoccurring trips

  • Instant locate - One touch shows your location; quickly advise roadside assistance or emergency services
Related posts:

Apr 8, 2007 10:18:08 AM | GPS Reviews, Hardware, Magellan

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