 You Get What You Pay For Strengths: Inexpensive, SIRFstar III receiver, intuitive GUI, front speaker
Weaknesses: Limited POI database which cannot be customized, no PC connectivity, battery life, screen loses contrast in sunlight
Summary: I really wanted this unit to be great, but it lacked in measuring up (other than the price of $309 after rebate). Overall, it's a basic unit that's easy to use and gets you where you need to go as long as you know the address. For some, the price can easily make up for some of its shortfalls.
First, the advertisement from Averatec stated the unit had mini-USB connectivity. After much consternation and several phone calls to customer support, I finally learned that the port on the bottom of the unit was accessible via a proprietary cable that Averatec's engineers use. They had not yet decided whether to make it available to customers or sell updates via SD card.
Next, I thought the 1.6 million POIs advertised would cover everything I needed, but after not being able to find Lowe's, Home Depot, or even Sears in two states, I admitted that Garmin's 6 million POIs was probably what I needed. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any editor or vendor which offers the ability to add customized or downloadable POI files. Garmin shines in this category.
Averatec advertises a battery life of up to 4 hours. The only way I got the battery to last over 2 hours was to turn the contrast way down. This would work at night, but not during a bright sunny day.
The unit's software appears to be a version of IntelliNav similar to iNav's iGuidance. As far as I could tell, it appears to be an up to date version similar to iGuidance v3, but shows as version 1.00.03 when the application starts. Since there is no PC connectivity, if the software on the SD card gets corrupted there's no way to re-install. This is just as well since the unit doesn't come with a CD or DVD, just what's loaded on the SD card. Although it does not have full text-to-speech, the directions are clear on the screen and easy to understand and follow.
The hardware is decent and rugged. The sensitive GPS receiver is as good as any I've seen and locks on quickly. Aside from the screen which loses contrast in sunlight, the chassis is solid and performs well. The buttons are a bit small and not intuitive, but once you learn the functionality, they're fine. The antenna which protrudes from the top is awkward, but the unit still fits into a pocket.
In summary, the Voya 350 is a good system for those on a budget, but lacks PC connectivity and an exhaustive POI database compared to other more expensive units. Although more expensive, my next navigation system will be a Garmin because I've found that you get what you pay for.
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