New Garmin XT2 on the horizon

[JohnnyBoxer]

Looks like the original XT will become obsolete and maybe MRA will be redundant


https://youtu.be/4wo_6CFCXVE



Brighter and bigger screen, better features and route planning via Tread on the hoof (will you ever need MRA again)

 

[Wapping]

Garmin are going down a rabbit hole of putting more and more ‘stuff’ onto their devices.

It used to be so simple: Create a route in MapSource or BaseCamp, send it to the Garmin device and ride it. It worked perfectly. Then MyRoute got smarter than Garmin, developing a web based route plotting app, broadly similar to MapSource / BaseCamp. MyRoute’s routes work seamlessly with Garmin devices, with the added advantage that, for devices such as the XT, routes can be transferred via Bluetooth.

In my view, Garmin, instead of adding ‘stuff’ and making screens ever bigger, need to look to the basics.

 

[team duvet]

Garmin are going down a rabbit hole of putting more and more ‘stuff’ onto their devices.

It used to be so simple: Create a route in MapSource or BaseCamp, send it to the Garmin device and ride it. It worked perfectly. Then MyRoute got smarter than Garmin, developing a web based route plotting app, broadly similar to MapSource / BaseCamp. MyRoute’s routes work seamlessly with Garmin devices, with the added advantage that, for devices such as the XT, routes can be transferred via Bluetooth.

In my view, Garmin, instead of adding ‘stuff’ and making screens ever bigger, need to look to the basics.

In one

 

[er-minio]

Garmin (consumer) needs to sort out their software.

 

[Wapping]

I very rarely now turn on my Mac, as I can (very easily) create pretty complex routes in MyRoute on my iPad or iPhone and send them to either my XT via Garmin Drive or to my 1600 via BMW Connect. I have no great need or interest in weather (I know when it’s raining, hot or cold), where my friends * are, 3D views of streets or what the topography of the countryside looks like. Similarly, music, phone calls, on the move texts, how often the bike leaned over and when it’s due for its next service are of no interest either. I am not so idle that I demand a dumb device to tell me ‘Twisty roads, mate’ based on some routing algorithm or other. Similarly. I am not so stupid as to be unable to avoid a motorway between A and B, nor reliant on a device to do it for me.


* Riding buddies, to use the vernacular.


PS Bods who do a lot of pure off-road route creation may differ. Indeed, that is perhaps somewhere where Garmin could usefully spend some time, developing a robust, simple device and some half-decent route creation software, before someone beats them to it, if they haven’t already.

 

[John Armstrong]

IMO they're trying to out do smartphones with the apps they offer, when they've forgotten that the whole point of a GPS navigation device is to navigate using sensible logics.

 

[grantmac]

Garmin are going down a rabbit hole of putting more and more ‘stuff’ onto their devices.

It used to be so simple: Create a route in MapSource or BaseCamp, send it to the Garmin device and ride it. It worked perfectly. Then MyRoute got smarter than Garmin, developing a web based route plotting app, broadly similar to MapSource / BaseCamp. MyRoute’s routes work seamlessly with Garmin devices, with the added advantage that, for devices such as the XT, routes can be transferred via Bluetooth.

In my view, Garmin, instead of adding ‘stuff’ and making screens ever bigger, need to look to the basics.

Exactly!!
So next question what is BMW doing? Nav 6 seems to be the last model so whats next? I guess integrated TFT / NAV as in the new generation GS / K / RT models. Or iPhone in holder.
Or just keep the old Nav 5/6.

 

[Wapping]

I take part in the Beta testing of the BMW Connect app, all be it I now get someone to fill in the dreadful ‘report’ page for me. As far as I can see, BMW are sticking with it, using their modern bike’s TFT screen to display routes. It seems to be still be strongly ‘on road’ focussed and of course still requires a phone to drive the app.

Now that BMW have just about fixed (all be it not completely) the EMF leakages from the large TFT screen on my 2022 K1600, I must say BMW Connect is working pretty well, as a simple display of a route, originally created in MyRoute. Not least, the display on the TFT screen works well with the whirlywheel thing.

I have taken up using the display option of having the TFT screen split 2/3 rev counter 1/3 route display. This gives a view of the route that is really not much larger than the old Garmin 550 but I like the simplicity of it.

As with many devices and app’s it does have its quirks, so it is worthwhile taking a bit of time finding out how it works. That of course applies just as much to the XT, of course.

 

[Arsey]

Looks like the original XT will become obsolete and maybe MRA will be redundant

Brighter and bigger screen, better features and route planning via Tread on the hoof (will you ever need MRA again)

Why would MRA become redundant ?
As Wapping says, Garmin have been caught napping and the XT2 is too little too late.

Garmin are going down a rabbit hole of putting more and more ‘stuff’ onto their devices.

It used to be so simple: Create a route in MapSource or BaseCamp, send it to the Garmin device and ride it. It worked perfectly. Then MyRoute got smarter than Garmin, developing a web based route plotting app, broadly similar to MapSource / BaseCamp. MyRoute’s routes work seamlessly with Garmin devices, with the added advantage that, for devices such as the XT, routes can be transferred via Bluetooth.

In my view, Garmin, instead of adding ‘stuff’ and making screens ever bigger, need to look to the basics.

I gave my XT away when I sold my 1290R.

On my last two week trip I too planned the routes on my ipad using MRA then sent them to my XT.They worked faultlessly.
BUT, on a few days I mirrored the XT by using the MRA app on my phone and that was just as good.
So now I just use my phone.

My phone display is 1cm narrower than the XT2, but slightly longer and only one third the depth !!!

The XT2 has a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels.
My phone has 2796x1290 so MUCH better.

And using the genius Peak Design vibration damped mount its so easy to use.

I can’t see Garmin making many more sat navs the way they are going.

 

[Wapping]

IMO they're trying to out do smartphones with the apps they offer, when they've forgotten that the whole point of a GPS navigation device is to navigate using sensible logics.

I think you are right.

I guess that they, maybe too late, have twigged that lots of bods are using their phones. Garmin run the danger of becoming the BlackBerry of the 21st century. That they totally screwed up the Navigator VI did not help but that, by and large, only affected riders of BMW bikes, who chose the device as it integrates really well with the whirlywheel.

 

[Arsey]

I think you are right.

I guess that they, maybe too late, have twigged that lots of bods are using their phones. Garmin run the danger of becoming the BlackBerry of the 21st century. That they totally screwed up the Navigator VI did not help but that, by and large, only affected riders of BMW bikes, who chose the device as it integrates really well with the whirlywheel.

There will always be a limited market for a few that live oop norf and cant get MRA to work on their Nokia 3310s.

 

[MartinK]

Garmin (consumer) needs to sort out their software.

Yep. Mine. This morning. Says "reconnect device to continue". It IS connected. You can see the green dot at the top, saying connected, and I can "see" it from File Manager too. Poor software...

 

[MartinK]

IMO they're trying to out do smartphones with the apps they offer, when they've forgotten that the whole point of a GPS navigation device is to navigate using sensible logics.

I agree in part at least. The problem they have is they need to stay relevant, and overcome the manufacturers (like BMW and Triumph) offering a nav facility on the TFT using your phone. I guess they are after a slice of the Sena/Cardo pie too.

They can't stand still or they'll go under

 

[Wapping]

I gave my XT away when I sold my 1290R.

On my last two week trip I too planned the routes on my ipad using MRA then sent them to my XT.They worked faultlessly.
BUT, on a few days I mirrored the XT by using the MRA app on my phone and that was just as good.
So now I just use my phone.

My phone display is 1cm narrower than the XT2, but slightly longer and only one third the depth !!!

The XT2 has a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels.
My phone has 2796x1290 so MUCH better.

And using the genius Peak Design vibration damped mount its so easy to use.

I am running the XT and BMW Connect on my 1600, not least as it is useful to have a back-up should a Beta version of the Connected app not function.

I do though quite often just turn the XT off whilst I ride along, reasonably happy that the BMW Connect app is doings its thing. I also have the ability to mount my phone on a Quad Lock mount on my 1600 but the sun plays havoc with it. For all its size, there are not many places to mount a phone on the 1600, especially if you have a tank bag (though it’s a small one) and have an XT mounted on the steering stem.

PS Running the BMW Connect app on my 1600 did require me buying a secondhand Samsung S10, as my preference for an iPhone proved to be unreliable. Though I do understand the connection problems have now been mended.

 

[Berin]

I very rarely now turn on my Mac, as I can (very easily) create pretty complex routes in MyRoute on my iPad or iPhone and send them to either my XT via Garmin Drive or to my 1600 via BMW Connect. I have no great need or interest in weather (I know when it’s raining, hot or cold), where my friends * are, 3D views of streets or what the topography of the countryside looks like. Similarly, music, phone calls, on the move texts, how often the bike leaned over and when it’s due for its next service are of no interest either. I am not so idle that I demand a dumb device to tell me ‘Twisty roads, mate’ based on some routing algorithm or other. Similarly. I am not so stupid as to be unable to avoid a motorway between A and B, nor reliant on a device to do it for me.


* Riding buddies, to use the vernacular.


PS Bods who do a lot of pure off-road route creation may differ. Indeed, that is perhaps somewhere where Garmin could usefully spend some time, developing a robust, simple device and some half-decent route creation software, before someone beats them to it, if they haven’t already.

True reference the off road (or unsurfaced road) stuff. However, I appreciate that's a very difficult task since those routes can change even season to season.

I use the Montana 700i for its ability to handle tracks, but its worst feature is a requirement to use the useless Explore app to get routes into the device if away from a PC/Mac. It's quite easy to create a track on many apps on an iPad, but there's no feature on the Montana to get that track easily from the iPad into the Montana.

The flow is: track creation app (wiki logs, outdoor active, Google Earth, Gaia, Maps Me, TET website etc. etc.)> create track>share. Ideally, this would open a basic Garmin app like Drive, but the Montana isn't compatible with Drive. So the only option is to export to Explore. The app on your phone then syncs with the Explore website. The track must end up in the folder on in Explore that syncs with Montana. Once the track is in the right folder, it needs to sync. to the Montana, which can take ages, and is sketchy to say the least - I managed to somehow delete all the TET tracks that I was navigating from the Montana, which then led me to a world of pain.

It's not hard to see how this could be made better.

Anyway - as Wapping said, I don't care about any of the new XT2 things, I just want to get a track or route easily into the device from a tablet or phone.

 

[Berin]

Yep. Mine. This morning. Says "reconnect device to continue". It IS connected. You can see the green dot at the top, saying connected, and I can "see" it from File Manager too. Poor software...

Yes - confusing. What it doesn't tell you is the you need to disconnect the device, then switch it on to complete the update.Then plug it back in. Sometimes the updates are sequential, i.e. it needs to do one before it can do the next.

 

[GrinningGSer]

Well , bigger screen , more nits , ‘Group ride’ so you can see where others are. Easier route planning . Comms with your mates , which could solve Cardo / Senna incompatibilities . Uses the same mount as the XT . Same price as a Nav VI. What’s not to like?

 

[Stephen H]

GrinningGser are you sure it uses the same mount. I’m sure the XT2 has one more connection point than the XT

 

[jefformston]

Well , bigger screen , more nits , ‘Group ride’ so you can see where others are. Easier route planning . Comms with your mates , which could solve Cardo / Senna incompatibilities . Uses the same mount as the XT . Same price as a Nav VI. What’s not to like?

If you want the group ride / comms function have to get the expensive version which is considerably more than a Nav 6.

 

[Arsey]

If you want the group ride / comms function have to get the expensive version which is considerably more than a Nav 6.

And comparing it to the Nav 6 is damning the XT2 with faint praise .
Isn’t the Nav 6 based on a Garmin 660 ? Then BMW slap on £200 to the asking price.

Well , bigger screen , more nits , ‘Group ride’ so you can see where others are. Easier route planning . Comms with your mates , which could solve Cardo / Senna incompatibilities . Uses the same mount as the XT . Same price as a Nav VI. What’s not to like?

If you have to consult a GPS device to see where your mates have fucked off to, it won’t be much of a group ride.

More nits indeed