Garmin nüvi 1250T 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic

by Garmin

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 3.7 x 2.9 inches ; 4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B002JKEM58
• Item model number: 010-00783-26
• Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,328 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The nüvi 1250T GPS navigator features an ultra-slim design that fits easily in your pocket (approximately 25% thinner than previous models), enhanced user interface, ecoRoute, public transit mode, and text-to-speech. The nüvi 1200 series also are the first nüvi devices to offer pedestrian navigation capability enabled through optional CityXplorer maps, which are available for select tourist destinations in North America and Europe and can easily be downloaded directly to the nüvi. The nüvi's enhanced user interface features improved graphics and a new slide control for menu operation, while ecoRoute suggests fuel-efficient routes to save drivers money and fuel. Also, Garmin's new public transit mode allows you to navigate using buses, tramway, metro, and suburban rail systems. Pre-loaded with City Navigator North America NT.

An ultra-thin GPS navigator with great Garmin features like CityXplorer and ecoRoute. Click to enlarge.

Just over a half-inch thick. Click to enlarge.

Easy-to-use touchscreen interface. Click to enlarge.

Garmin greets you with two simple questions: "Where to?" and "View Map." This screen is central to every navigation function and route-planning tool. Simply plug and play. Click to enlarge.

The device announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. Click to enlarge.

Thin New Design
The nüvi units are just over a half-inch thick and weigh only 4 ounces, which means they'll fit easily into your pocket and can be taken just about anywhere.

See More
With nüvi 1250T's display, you'll always get the big picture. View map detail, driving directions, photos, and more in bright, brilliant color. Its sunlight-readable, bright 3.5-inch diagonal color display with white backlight is easy to read--from any direction.

Easy-to-Use Touchscreen Interface
One of Garmin's core beliefs is to continually enhance the simplicity of the user experience. The nüvi on-screen menus are logically arranged, with clearly labeled, colorful icons, making it easy to enter data and get to the information you need quickly.

Navigate with Ease
The nüvi 1250T comes ready to go right out of the box, with pre-loaded City Navigator North America NT street maps and millions of points of interest (POIs), such as hotels, restaurants, fuel stations, ATMs, and more, with map data provided by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping. Enter a destination on the touchscreen, and nüvi takes you there with 2-D or 3-D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. Text to speech enhances standard sat-nav voice guidance by speaking the names of places and roads. It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. In addition, nüvi 1250T accepts custom points of interest, such as school zones and safety cameras, and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.

Travel North America
With nearly 6 million points of interest and detailed road coverage for the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, City Navigator North America NT delivers all the data you need to navigate North America.

• Displays nearly 6 million points of interest--hotels, restaurants, parking, entertainment, fuel, shopping, and more.
• Includes highways, interstates, business, and residential roads in metropolitan and rural areas.
• Includes such detailed information as turn restrictions, roundabout guidance, speed categories, and other navigation features.
• Gives turn-by-turn directions on your compatible Garmin device.
• Includes postal code support for Canada.
• Contains traffic data for compatible Garmin devices that use traffic receivers.
• Enhances pronunciation data for compatible Garmin devices that speak street names (example: "Turn right on Main Street").

Pedestrian Navigation
With the Public Transit feature, you can navigate using buses, tramway, metro, and suburban rail systems with optional CityXplorer content. Downloadable CityXplorer data and city guides are available for purchase and download from garmin.com for many cities.

Where Am I?
Keep track of yourself and your car with nüvi 1250T. Just tap "Where Am I?" to find the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address, and intersection. Also see your exact latitude and longitude coordinates. The nüvi 1250T even remembers where you parked. It automatically marks your position when you remove it from the windshield mount, so you can navigate with nüvi on foot and find your way back to your vehicle. Perfect for unfamiliar spots and crowded lots, such as amusement parks, stadiums, and malls.

HotFix Satellite Prediction
Garmin's HotFix capability automatically calculates and stores satellite locations, greatly reducing satellite acquisition time so that you can turn the unit on and get going. With HotFix, your nüvi remembers the position of all satellites it is tracking when you turn it off, and calculates their movements in order to predict where they should be the next time you turn it on. HotFix can predict satellite positions for up to three days after the device was last turned off.

ecoRoute
With this feature, drivers can view suggestions for fuel-efficient navigation, conserving both money and fuel:

• Save Gas and Money--Now more than ever, we're all looking for ways to conserve both money and fuel. Whether we're taking fewer trips or carpooling with family and friends, saving resources is a top priority. It was that thinking that led to the creation of ecoRoute--Garmin's free software update for compatible nüvi products that allows you to find more fuel-efficient routes when navigating and even track their fuel usage. With ecoRoute, you may be able to save gas and money by adopting smarter driving habits.
  
• Select Fuel-efficient Routes--With ecoRoute, you have a "less fuel" option as a routing preference. When selected, nüvi will determine if more fuel-efficient routes exist based upon road speed data and vehicle acceleration data for a given route.
  
• Get Fuel and Mileage Reports--Through ecoRoute's Fuel Report and Mileage Report, you can focus on your habits even when you're not behind the wheel. Fuel Report tracks fuel usage over time, and Mileage Report monitors mileage and fuel usage on a per-trip basis. In addition, Mileage Report makes it easy for business travelers to keep track of distance traveled for company reimbursements. You'll have a detailed report for each trip and the miles driven. You also can customize your nüvi by entering your car's fuel economy and the current price of gas.

Avoid Traffic Tie-ups with the GTM 25
The GTM 25 provides North America traffic information to compatible Garmin GPS navigators. Using this data, your device alerts you to local traffic tie-ups and displays current traffic levels. The receiver also acts as an in-vehicle power charger. Traffic provided by NAVTEQ Traffic.

Navigate by Photo with Garmin Connect Photos.

Search for locations on Google Maps or Mapquest, then transfer the addresses directly to your Garmin GPS navigator.

Navigate by Photo with Garmin Connect Photos
Using Garmin's Connect Photos Web site, you can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google's Panoramio photo-sharing community and download them to the nüvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.

• Choose from Panoramio's collection of photos from around the world.
• Easy-to-use interface displays photos on Google Maps.
• Search for photos by location name or map area boundary.
• Transfer photos directly from Garmin Connect to device with the Garmin Communicator.
• View photos in Google Earth.
• Supports Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox 2+, and Safari 3+ on Windows and Mac.

Take It with You
The nüvi 1250T sports a sleek, slim design and fits comfortably in your pocket or purse. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or foot.

Additional Features

• Speed limit indicator--unit displays speed limits for most major roads
• DEM maps show you shaded terrain contours at zoom levels of five miles and above.
• Auto time zone automatically adjusts your time zone while navigating.
• Trip computer records mileage, max speed, total time, and more.
• Built-in travel kit includes such features as picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converters, and calculator.
• microSD memory card expansion slot allows for optional mapping and data storage.
• Includes Garmin Lock anti-theft feature.
• Configurable vehicle icons allows users to select fun, customized car-shaped icons; download additional choices from www.garmingarage.com.
• Offers a 3-D mapping perspective or 2-D overhead view.
• Unit dimensions: 3.7 x 2.9 x 0.6 inches (W x H x D); Weight: 4 ounces
• Built-in lithium-ion battery lasts up to four hours, depending on usage.
• Includes sturdy suction cup mount that allows for easy adjustment and quick release.
• Simplified PC connectivity, using USB mass storage, access either the microSD card slot or the unit's internal memory directly from your PC desktop.
• POI loader program lets you set up proximity alerts for school zones, create custom POIs, and more.

What's in the Box
nüvi 1250T preloaded with City Navigator North America NT, Vehicle suction cup mount, Traffic receiver (GTM 25) with lifetime traffic,Vehicle power cable, Dashboard disc and Quick start manual

Which nüvi is Best for You?

Note: All nüvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.

Device	Screen Size inches (W x H)	Included Maps			Text-to-Speech (Directions in Real Street Names)	Traffic	Bluetooth	Media	FM Transmitter (audio through car stereo system)	Multi-Point Routing	Battery life (hours)
		Cont. U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico	AK and Canada	Europe
nüvi 205	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 205w	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 255	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 255w	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 260w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 265T	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 265WT	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 275T	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 285WT	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free);		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 465T	3.81 x 2.25					FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 755T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 760	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 765T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 775T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 780	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 785T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 850	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 855	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 885T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver included; 3 months free); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 1200	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1250	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1260T	2.8 x 2.1					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1300	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1350	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with optional receiver)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1350T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1370T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1390T	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1490T	4.4 x 2.5					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (receiver included; Lifetime Traffic)		Photos			up to 4
nüvi 1690	3.81 x 2.25					NAVTEQ Traffic, 2 years free (Garmin nüLink! service)		Photos			up to 4

Product Description

nÜvi® 1250T redefines portable, affordable navigation. This ultra-thin GPS has preloaded maps for North America or Europe, announces streets by name, offers pedestrian navigation options and calculates a more fuel-efficient route with ecoRoute™.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reduced driving stress, wish I had one years ago!, October 30, 2009

By 

Bibliophile - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Garmin nüvi 1250T 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)

I purchased this device because I have to travel from one city/job to another during rush hour on a daily basis. If I chose the 'right' route, and traffic was fine, I'd be on time. Otherwise... well, needless to say it was very stressful making the drive. Online traffic was obsolete within 15 minutes of getting out on the road.

This GPS is very easy to use. It checks the traffic very frequently (maybe constantly?). I haven't had it long but already it has sometimes directed me to get off the freeway and take an alternate route. Happily, it lets me know a change is needed before I am even aware that there is a problem up ahead. I no longer stress about traffic, straining to see what may lie ahead; I know I'm taking the best route available, so that's that!

The downsides- it automatically switches to a dimmer setting when it is night. It is too dim for me, and I have yet to figure out how I might stop it from doing that. I can change the brightness when it happens, but it's hard to do when I can hardly see the screen. In fairness, I have read NOTHING from the manual; just started using it out of the box, and this is the only problem I've had as far as working the device goes. It is very easy to use.

Occasionally, the device has lost satellite reception when there has been inclement weather. So far that has only affected reception for traffic, it has been very brief, and the map feature has still worked (the trip was already plotted). I still understand it as an indication that if I were to take a longer trip, it makes good sense to print a map from online (as a backup) before I go. For an extended trip, be aware that it gave a time of arrival, but not a day of arrival (unless I should have read the manual to learn to switch views or something).

Lastly, it does appear to consider the speed limit when calculating arrival time. However, I think that it does not consider traffic lights. Add in whatever minutes you anticipate needing for that purpose, as there seems to be a slight underestimation in travel time. It still gets me to work faster than I was getting there on my own, so overall I am THRILLED with this purchase. If anything happened to my Garmin, I'd purchase another one immediately. It has been well worth the price in stress reduction and making me look wonderful as the employee who is now always early!

UPDATE 2 months later: Well, the voice just went out on the unit. :( I finally opened the manual and it is under warranty for a year, through Garmin. I'm going to follow their directions to send it back, and I will update again here about what happens. I guess because the other reviewer had more problems, I won't be sad if I end up just getting a refund and getting a different Garmin unit, but the manual does state that it is the company's choice whether to fix it or send a refund.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Update software/maps for free on website FIRST, July 16, 2010

By 

Kerry "Kerry" (FL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Garmin nüvi 1250T 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)

The key to making sure you have a trouble free experience with this unit (or any other Garmin unit) is to purchase a USB linking cable such as the "Garmin USB Cable by Garmin" ( currently less than $5.00 on Amazon site) at the same time and as soon as you get the unit connect it to a computer USB port and let it charge up for at least 30 minutes. 30 minutes plugged into the port should make sure the battery is charged enough for updates since the unit will need to cycle off and back on under battery power when the GPS is updated.

Or, if desired, you can also purchased an A/C adaptor (not included in the box) and plug it into the wall for about an hour to charge the battery. The key is to make sure the battery is charged in some way BEFORE you do anything else. The only power cable in the box to operate/charge the Nuvi-1250t is a car adaptor!

Then log onto the Garmin website and register your GPS. When you register it and follow the instructions to hook up your GPS, the computer will link with your unit and tell you there is a SOFTWARE update available for your GPS. Actually, there are probably several. Perform the software update first even though it should show a free map offer update also. This might take a while depending on your internet connection but it's FREE and it makes sure you should not have problems later. The website does not tell you how many updates you need, it just keeps checking with your unit and tells you there is an update available after each check. Each software update will end with telling you to unplug the GPS, allow it to cycle off then back on, then waiting 30 seconds after reconnecting to the computer and clicking "complete". After this is done the first time it will probably still show AN update for software is still available. My unit had about 5 updates before it said my software was current. Don't make the mistake of thinking the updates are not working just because it keeps telling you there is AN UPDATE available for your software. Each time you follow the on-line instructions another update will be downloaded to your GPS. Keep doing it until it shows your software is current with no more software updates avaialble.

Then you will be offered a FREE update of the latest MAPS for your unit. Updating the Maps can take at least an hour so be prepared to spend some time when you chioose to do this ... but do it because it's FREE and will make sure you start out your GPS experience with the most current maps. The unit will work okay after the SOFTWARE updates are done, so if you don't have the time or want to update the maps right away you can use your GPS but the maps won't be current until you do.

There are a lot of other neat things on the website you might want to use, or at least make note of, for future downloads ... but update your software before you ever use the unit and get your free map update when you have an hour or so to kill.

The unit itself is fantastic for the price. This is my second Garmin GPS (first was a Nuvi-350 which I paid $400 for) and as expected in the electronics world, this unit is much faster, much more accurate and should be more than adequate for anyone who is looking for a GPS with traffic, but doesn't need Blue-Tooth or voice activation.

One thing about ALL Garmin products is that you WILL NOT get a complete owners manual in the box ... ever!! You can view the entire manual on the Garmin Website and/or download it to your computer and print it out, but all that is in the box is a "quick start" pamphelet. The menus are pretty easy once you learn them but if you are new to the world of touch-screen GPS you will need to "read the instructions" on the website and maybe print it out if future internet access will not be easily available. Quite a lot of electronic products are going to on-line manuals only so a computer with internet will be a neccesity shortly.

The good news is that the A/C adaptor, USB computer cable and car adaptors seem to be universal, so they should fit any Garmin GPS should you decide to puchase another Garmin later. Most likely the trend to only provide a car adaptor/charger on some Garmin units will continue.

I highly recommend the Nuvi-1250t and Amazon has some pretty good GPS deals if you watch for them.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great GPS! Just do the online software updates first, March 6, 2010

By 

S. Owens - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Garmin nüvi 1250T 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)

I received this product as a Christmas gift. I had read the past reviews on Amazon about software problems and the screens going out so I was a little worried about using it.

Immediately after opening the box, before I even turned the unit on, I connected it to the computer, went straight to the Garmin website and downloaded all of the firmware and software updates (there were many) right to the unit. After doing that I downloaded the maps - give yourself plenty of time to get through all of this.

I have been using the device frequently over the past 3 months (and in many different states) and it has been extremely helpful and convenient. The device is very small and easy to carry, and I have not had a single glitch with the software or screen. I even downloaded extra voices and vehicles and such. Perhaps the other reviewers who had problems with their units didn't download the software/firmware updates right away, but I guess we can only speculate on that.

Just a few extra things about the device:
It takes a few uses to become familiar with the menus and navigating your way through all of the different options.
The directions have been accurate every time thus far.
The unit doesn't get a strong signal indoors, but outdoors it has been fine.
The speaker volume is sufficiently audible, except if I'm playing loud music.
The traffic device functions correctly, but I haven't run into a lot of bad traffic to see if it's accurate.

Regarding accessories - the portable friction mount is very useful if you don't want to deal with a windshield mount. I also suggest a screen protector.

Overall I am very satisfied with the product and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a GPS unit that works well and is compact.