It seems here recently there have been a few releases of products that offer a HUD (head-up display) that is reflected, or projected, on the windshield. The Garmin Head-Up Display is no different. It intends to reduce driver distraction by projecting GPS information onto the windshield and in the line of sight. Setup is largely automated and painless. Garmin gives two methods as options of viewing the display.
To get the cons out of the way, only one reflective film is included in the box, the installation of which is easy to mess up. The HUD also requires a $50 app to function.
On to the pros! Having the display, although it doesn’t take you to another dimension of reality, does add a little bit of drama, and more importantly safety, to the driving experience. By putting speed, navigation, and turn information in the driver’s line of sight, the Garmin HUD allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road.
Now for the nitty-gritty details. The dashboard unit measures 4.25×3.46 inches and is 0.73 inch deep. It has a monochromatic LED text display with two-color illumination that is mostly green with a spot of red. The power cable’s 12-volt connector also features a 2.1A-powered USB port to keep your smartphone (or even an iPad, if you wanted) charged while you navigate. You have the choice of using the film, to be placed on the windshield, or the lens, which attaches directly to the device, making it easier to move from one car to the other.
The Garmin HUD is one of the first of its kind so, as always, there is plenty of room for improvement. Overall, it is still a good product that boosts safety and helps keep eyes on the road, but the cost of entry will likely dissuade most drivers. Either way, who wouldn’t want to drive around as if looking through the eyes of one of those robots that assesses all objects and people in front of him? Isn’t there always “something else that comes along” to make things not so great? Ah, the circle of life in technology!
