Digital Trends

TeleNav Shotgun December 31st, 2008 | by John Brandon

Features and Design

The Shotgun will be immediately familiar to anyone who has used a Verizon phone with built-in VZ Navigator software (which is created by TeleNav), or the TeleNav GPS Navigator software found on many BlackBerry phones with built-in GPS. Yes, even the turn-by-turn voice directions are exactly the same, and if familiarity normally breeds contempt, here it breeds contentedness, as you can put down your BlackBerry Curve (and use it when you are not in the car, thank you) and still rely on accurate directions.

The Shotgun is a slim and portable device not unlike a smartphone, measuring 4.9L x 3.1W x 0.75H inches and weighing just .27 pounds. The 4.3-inch display (measured diagonally) has a sharp and clear resolution of 480x272 pixels, and it's a touch-screen with large, easy-to-find buttons. There's also a 3.5mm audio jack – for connecting the device to your car stereo, if you own a newer vehicle with an audio-in jack – and the system comes with a 12v charger and mounting bracket.

Speaking of mounting, that's where things get a little hairy at first. Unlike the Dash Express, which comes with a large suction cup for mounting the bracket to your windshield, the TeleNav Shotgun comes with a much smaller suction cup and a mounting bracket that is lighter but not as sturdy. Oddly, if you mount the Shotgun to your windshield and leave it there forever, it may stay adhered for a very long time. We used it for about a week without any problems – it never disengaged from the windshield. However, when we finally did remove it and tried the Shotgun in a different vehicle, the suction cup had lost its grip on reality and would just not stay in place. We even tried a little alcohol swab to clean the windshield thoroughly, but the bracket was almost useless. It's possible, for those who intend to re-mount the Shotgun a few times, that you could buy extra suction cups or mounting brackets.

Like many Navigon and TomTom devices, you can clip the Shotgun out of its holder and take it with you – say, for a walk about town. In terms of hardware-friendliness, whether mounted or not, the Shotgun is easy to use for touch-screen operation. There are hardly any hardware buttons to speak of, save for the power button. This presents only one serious problem: When you are driving in hectic traffic, and you want to mute the device or lower the volume so you can hear the guy screaming next to you that you have a flat tire, you have to push the Audio button with your finger and move a slider. The Dash Express has similar software-based audio controls, but they are much easier to find and use.

The burning question for potential Shotgun buyers: Will it help you in traffic? Well, if you can live with the minor hardware deficiencies, the TeleNav software – mirroring what you'll find on a BlackBerry – is exceptional. It just works. TeleNav has gone the opposite direction of Dash (who will now focus on software and hot hardware) by releasing a hardware product of solid quality.