![]() With many smartphones now equipped with at least one map function, a GPS unit isn’t a modern day essential, but considering how quickly using Maps on your phone can drain your phone’s battery, forking out for a GPS unit likely wouldn’t be the worst idea you’ve had. With the decline of the humble street directory that your parents swore by, GPS units are a common sight in store as well as out on the roads, with industries such as hire car providers offering them as an additional extra.īut with many cities seemingly always under construction, and the itch to jump behind the wheel for a spur-of-the-moment weekend drive always in the back of our minds, a GPS unit can be a useful back-up option if you’re not 100% sure where you’re going, or want to avoid embarrassing yourself in front of the locals if you’re visiting a new city. While reassuring to have, the question of whether or not you need a GPS unit will come down to your sense of direction, and where you’re going. First launched into space in 1978, there are currently 24 satellites operating as part of the global system, transmitting on multiple frequencies, including Civilian GPS, which is what you’ll likely experience when you jump in the driver’s seat. This essentially allows you to track where you, or others are. What is GPS?Īn abbreviation for Global Positioning System, GPS is a satellite-based navigation system that provides geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver. If you’re in the market for a GPS unit, read on to find out what’s available and what you should be keeping an eye out for. Overall the HUDWAY Cast is what the Glass should have been and although it’s not perfect and doesn’t come cheap it’s certainly worth our Golden Award.There’s plenty to be aware of when you get in the driver’s seat of your car, particularly if you’re heading somewhere you’ve never been before! Whether it’s your first time in a new city, you’re trying a new restaurant or you’re just looking for a quicker route home, GPS units and sat-navs have become a useful addition to vehicles, particularly if you can’t tell your East from your West.īut with so many brands and models available, which one you decide to take as your co-pilot can be a tough choice, particularly as the wrong choice could send you on a wild goose chase, or up a one-way street. That being said if you don’t really have much use for a HUD device just yet we do recommend waiting for the more advanced (and probably more expensive) Drive model which offers the same features as the Cast and much more. ![]() Still with a current price tag set at USD199 ( directly from HUDWAY’s product page) the Cast is actually not a very expensive piece of equipment (early Kickstarter backers however got it at a bargain price of USD159). Unlike the HUDWAY Glass which was always ment to be an entry-level HUD solution the Cast is a complete HUD solution for your car and that means it doesn’t come cheap. ![]() Finally we did encounter some disconnections when using the Cast with Android smartphones but that might easily be some incompatibility with the models we have here. The Navigation app may be quite good but due to some delays in sending info to the Cast and lack of features compared to Google Maps. Still like we said it’s not perfect so leaving out its rather bulky size (which means you can’t use it in some cars like roadsters) you will also have to route its power cable and that may not look very nice (professional installation is recommended for a more “permanent” result). The HUDWAY Cast can also be powered by an optional OBD-II cable which enables it to display speed and RPM without being connected with your smartphone (unfortunately HUDWAY did not provide us with that cable so we can’t really comment on its usage). That’s not all however since it can also be used as a speakerphone and to read and even help reply to text messages. Sure it's not as advanced as the upcoming HUDWAY Drive model (lacks several useful features but the Drive is still a long way from reaching retail) but it does exactly what people will want it for and that’s to project the navigation screen of your phone onto its acrylic screen. The HUDWAY Cast may not be perfect either but not only does it resolve several of the issues we found with the Glass (for example it can be dismounted and has a far larger and flexible base which can be used virtually with any dashboard) it’s a much more complete solution for people who want more from a car HUD. ![]() Sure back then it was something new and its price was pretty much on the spot (still a tad more than what we had hoped) but due to the issues we even pointed out in this review it was far from perfect. When we reviewed the HUDWAY Glass back in 2016 i can't say that we were that much impressed with it.
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