These are my initial observations about the Pioneer’s flagship F40BT unit (costing about 1,300 Euro) after some extended testing:
Initial install; as you wire the unit (per install manual) when you turn the headlights on unit enters night mode. In most UE countries headlights during the day are mandatory, so unit going to night mode in such manner is thoughtless. Every tinny mobile phone has a light sensor build in nowadays, why doesn’t this unit?
Unit is too bright in night mode, especially on dark roads - no adjustment possible. Map should be much darker grey! It’s fine for well-lit cities but overly bright for rural areas.
No direct speed dialling for 10 or so contacts!
No display (on main navigation screen, although ample space available) - miles/km to destination, just arrival time? Every 70$ Garmin portable navigation has this. It is useful info.
POI’s. As you purchase speed cameras POI’s, you get no warning about speed traps (black spots) if in follow map mode (no route set). So unless you set your route for every trip, every time, you will get no speed camera warnings (this is really annoying and ill thought).
Sometimes I wonder who are the geniuses who sit in the boardrooms at the design stage, advising about the unit? Clearly they never drove a car and have no idea of what are some basic requirements of a good navigation system!
Those things sorted, unit has a great potential.
