Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2772 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Magellan
• Model: Magellan Maestro 4350
• Released on: 2008-10-10
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 2.10" h x 9.75" w x 5.13" l, 1.75 pounds
• Native resolution: 480 x 272
• Display size: 4.3

Features

• New 4.3-inch wide-screen, full-color, anti-glare touch display
• OneTouch User Interface: The fastest, easiest, and most personalized user interface available saves frequent POI and category searches by personalizing shortcuts to commonly used destinations and favorites such as coffee shops.
• Integrated Live Traffic Functionality: Includes a free 3-month traffic subscription, which provides real-time traffic updates and automatically reroutes drivers when an alternate route is available.
• Pre-loaded with maps of the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, all available in 2D, 3-D, and street-level
• 3D Landmarks: 3D versions of historic landmarks, including stadiums and bridges, in key U.S. metropolitan areas help drivers and pedestrians better orient themselves with their surroundings.

Amazon.com
Amazon.com Designed with the driver in mind, the Maestro 4350 features a 4.3-inch widescreen anti-glare touchscreen, Bluetooth, Real-Time Traffic updates, and 2-D and 3-D maps of the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, all packed into a streamlined design that will add a bit of flair to any interior. But good looks and basics you'd expect from any modern portable navigation aren't all this PND has to offer. Take advantage of the customizable OneTouch menu, or maximize your driving time with the media player and wireless FM transmitter. And talk about resourceful; the 4350 even has the power of AAA travel office pre-loaded into its 2GB of memory.

Customize the OneTouch menu for quick access to your favorite features. Click to enlarge.

3-D landmarks and buildings offer visual cues to your surroundings for improved guidance.Click to enlarge.

The Maestro 4350's large icons and easy-to-use menu makes accessing main features a snap. The OneTouch menu is always accessible in the top right corner.

OneTouch Interface
Customize the Maestro to work for you. Magellan's OneTouch interface puts you in control with a customizable quick-access menu for the Points-of-Interest (POIs) and categories you need most often. Make frequent trips into the city? Set up the OneTouch to give you easy access to parking locations, banks, ATMs and "home". Going on a road trip? Swap out your favorites for shortcuts to search for nearest ATMs, rest stops, and restaurants. All of your favorites are easily accessible with a quick finger-touch to the top right corner of the screen.

Mapping Made Easy
The 4350 comes pre-loaded with maps of the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, all available in 2D, 3-D, and street-level depending on how much detail you need for your drive. Lane guidance makes highway driving a breeze with arrow indicators directing you into the correct lane when approaching highway junctions, intersections, and exit ramps so you won't miss your turn. Even if you do miss your turn the 4350 offers re-route capability to get you back on track.

Improved street-level mapping with integrated 3-D landmarks and buildings translate what's on the screen with your actual surroundings. When the sun goes down, Maestro 4350 switches into night mode, with soft contrasting colors for better low-light visibility that's easy on the eyes. The 4350 even works on foot. Undock the unit from your car and take it with you. The built-in rechargeable battery offers three hours of portable pedestrian navigation.

Thanks to large icons and an intuitive interface, you can quickly search for destinations, specific intersections, or any of the six million points of interest, including restaurants, banks, parks, hotels, airports, and many more. A large enhanced on-screen keyboard makes destination entry and points-of-interest searches hassle-free, and QuickSpell intelligently searches and checks spelling while you enter addresses. In map mode, POIs are also displayed with interactive onscreen icons and a quick touch indicates name and address with an option to route to the location. Once a route has been calculated, the 4350 displays and continually updates distance to destination and estimated arrival time right on the screen.

Integrated Real-Time Traffic and SmartDetour
There's no need to worry about getting stuck in traffic because the Maestro 4350 has an integrated RDS traffic receiver that displays real-time traffic conditions with on-screen color-coding to indicate congestion levels. A free 3-month traffic service subscription is included and makes avoiding accidents, congestion, road closures, and severe weather a non-issue. The 4350 will recalculate your estimated time of arrival based on current road conditions and if an alternate route is available, SmartDetour kicks in and quickly offers an alternate route when available.

AAA at Your Fingertips
With the use of an integrated AAA Tourbook Guide, you can locate and route to thousands of AAA-approved restaurants, lodging, and other approved AAA services. There's even a database of AAA-approved member discount locations - a perfect companion for road trips. AAA members can even take advantage of the enhanced Member Roadside Assistance. Should you run into trouble along your journey, the Maestro can provide exact location information and a phone number for the nearest service. Use the Maestro's built-Bluetooth with your mobile phone to quickly contact help.

Bluetooth Hands-Free Calling
Mobile phone hands-free laws are becoming more common every year, and it's quickly becoming illegal to use a mobile phone while driving without a hands-free or speakerphone kit. The Maestro 4350 features a built-in microphone, speaker, and Bluetooth capability, turning this powerful portable into a convenient speakerphone system for your car. Store or sync your contacts into the Maestro's memory for quick access and make or receive phone calls easily via the touchscreen interface.

See the Difference in the Details
The 4350 also offers a media player and SD card reader. Load up an SD card with your favorite music, audiobooks, or images to make your time on the road more enjoyable. The Maestro's built-in speaker is more than adequate for most, but the 4350 also features a built-in FM transmitter that can stream your audio and route directions right into your vehicle's radio for convenience.

What's in the Box
Magellan Maestro 4350 GPS, AC power adapter, 12-volt vehicle power adapter, windshield mount, RDS traffic antenna, USB data cable, adhesive disc, protective carry pouch, basic cradle, quick-reference guide, and CD-ROM manual

Customer Reviews

Magellan 4350 - Excellent GPS features (long review)
As this is a lengthy review, those not wanting to wade through the entire text can find a summary under the 'Conclusions' heading.

Test Conditions:
All tests were conducted in the Northeast U.S. Although I don't own another portable GPS, I do have a factory installed navigation unit in my 2006 Audi which I've utilized for several side-by-side comparisons (the Magellan is actually for my wife's car).

Updates to the 4350's operating system and navigational firmware are available at no-cost from Magellan's website. These significantly improve the functionality and stability of the unit and if you own one you'd be making a mistake not to install them. The procedure is made relativity easy by the CD based instruction manual that comes with the unit. It took me about fifteen minutes to bring my unit up to date and in a month of testing since, it has never crashed, frozen, or seriously misbehaved. All findings posted here are based on a unit updated to the following: OS Version 00.42.01.0919 and Navigation Version 8.3.2.64084. As the 4350's were just released in September 2008 there are no map updates available or required.


Startup:
If powered by an ignition controlled power source the 4350 turns on/off with the car. Otherwise pressing the power button for about two seconds turns it on.
Acquiring satellites happens very quickly - we're talking seconds, not minutes. Only once, inside my house during a very heavy snowstorm, did it take longer (about two minutes) to lock.


Display Screen:
The display is plenty bright and the touch screen feature is very sensitive (sometimes too much so). An optional power-saver feature dims the screen somewhat between turns when using the built-in battery. I found this very useful as besides saving the battery it tends to catch your eye when it 'wakes up' to normal brightness. Since that happens about five seconds before the first spoken notification regarding the next turn it gives you a visual heads-up that a verbal instruction is imminent (so if you happen to be blaring Hendrix on the car stereo you have time to lower the volume a bit). Touching any part of the screen will also restore it to full brightness.
The menu system is well organized and intuitive. There are a few things I'd change but overall it's very good.


Audio Quality and the MP3/Photo/Video Player:
The audio is loud and clear even with the volume all the way up, which was never necessary for me. There's a male or female voice option for each available language (English, Spanish, and French).
Like most units in this price range the 4350 announces the actual street names along with the turning instructions. The pronunciations are occasionally off but they get the point across. One odd thing was although the male voice pronounced 'county' properly the female would say 'count'. I.E... "In one quarter mile turn right onto count route 513".
The built-in MP3 player and the photo viewer are nice enough and get the job done. The video player only handles Xvid .avi files, which limits its usefulness, but I believe this is the only GPS to have a video player so you probably can't do better elsewhere.

Now to one of the two big gripes I have with this unit...
There's no headphone/line-out jack! What good is an MP3 player without one??? This restricts you to listening through the single (mono) speaker or using the FM transmitter to send the signal to your car stereo (more on that later).


POI's (Points of Interest) and AAA:
Magellan claims 6 million POI's reside in the 4350's database (my Audi only has about 1.7 million). Locating one couldn't be easier. You can search by name, category, and/or area. In addition to this is a listing of all facilities reviewed by the AAA, complete with descriptions, ratings and member discounts. AAA members also get an additional year of warranty coverage and one-button access to local certified garages. Although it's not mentioned in the rather sparse instruction manual, you can import your own POI's as Google .kml or .kmz files. To do this you'll need Magellan's 'Content Manager', a free download, which if you updated your firmware you'll already have.


Route Selection:
Planning a route is extremely easy, as is adding interim stops (something you still can't do with many GPS models). The keyboard can be configured as QWERTY or ABC and it gray's out irrelevant letters as you type - a nice feature.
Once you've selected your destination the 4350 calculates four possible routes: Fastest, Shortest, Most Economical, and Simplest. The fastest route is chosen by default but you can examine the relative times and distances or see the routes compared visually on the map before selecting the best one for you. Some or all of these routes may be the same as multiple criteria are often met by the same route. I found the [post-upgrade] route selections to be very good, certainly on a par with my Audi's unit.
A 'One-Touch' menu allows you to store your favorite destinations as icons on a single menu. 'Home', 'Previous', 'SOS' (emergency), and AAA 'Service' icons are there by default. You can add five of your own which can point to specific addresses or POI lists. I.E... A list of all Starbucks in the current area.
Finally, being a portable device you can select your type of 'vehicle' from: Car, Bus, Emergency, Bicycle, or Pedestrian. In another undocumented feature, when switching to pedestrian mode you'll be asked if you'd like the unit to remember your car's location. Garmin makes a big deal of this feature; you'd think Magellan would at least mention they have it too. Go figure...


Guidance - On the Road:
On the road is where this unit really shines. The 4.3" screen packs in a surprising amount of map detail without looking cluttered. Maps can be displayed in 2D or 3D (I prefer the 3D view which my Audi doesn't have). Landmark buildings can also rise from the map in three dimensions but in my rural area I've yet to see this in action. Information regarding the next turn is displayed across the top of the screen and I especially like how the names of cross streets appear as I approach them, then disappear. You can select which POI categories appear on the map - I chose restaurants and gas stations. Unlike some other units this feature works in 2D or 3D mode. For major chains (BP, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, etc) the generic symbols are replaced by the company logos, allowing you to see at a glance what type of establishment is coming up.
An optional warning displays the speed limit on the left side of the map when you approach or exceed it by a percentage you preset from 70 to 130%. You can also set an audible alert for this if you wish (I have a wife who performs that function). Although I don't consider this an important feature, those who do should know that in my area it only worked on the interstates.
A new feature called 'Lane Guidance' is one of the primary reasons I choose this unit over the Garmin 760. At complicated interstate exits it displays a visual representation of the overhead highway signs to show you which lane you need to be in for an upcoming maneuver. The Garmin models with a similar feature called 'Lane Assist' are far more expensive. The only other GPS to offer lane guidance near this price range is Navigon's 7200T but its POI database is small and its search features are reportedly poor.
The verbal directions are extremely clear and precise. It always beat my Audi in giving me a heads-up regarding the next turn and was usually more specific as to what I needed to do.
Besides the detailed spoken instructions the 4350 also produces a 'doorbell like' chime at the point you should be turning. It even chimes differently for left, right, and U turns. This is a feature that several prior Magellan owners have mentioned missing after switching to another brand. For some reason Magellan initially omitted it from this model but the firmware update restores it along with another enhancement that tells you which side of the street your destination is on.
Lastly, recalculations (required if you go off the designated route) were very fast, taking about the same amount of time as my Audi's unit and often producing a better result.


Bluetooth, FM Transmitter, and Traffic Info:
At first the 4350 refused to find my Blackberry Curve but after doing a hard reset (as suggested by Magellan's website) the units paired right up. Bluetooth connectivity has been fine since then but all is not well... When making/receiving a hands-free call I found the audio on my end to be satisfactory but I had to shout at a distance of two feet from the unit in order to be heard faintly at the other end. In actuality I had to speak 1 to 3 inches from the built-in microphone in order to be heard properly. Compounding this issue is the fact that there's no external microphone jack like on some other brands. This was the most disappointing aspect of this test. Even though I don't use this feature, some of the people I gave these to might want to. Therefore if you need Bluetooth capability I must recommend you look elsewhere.

In my initial review I stated that the FM transmitter (which sends all sound from the 4350 to the car's audio system) worked like a charm in my Audi but didn't perform so well in my wife's Sable Wagon. I attributed this to the Sable's rear mounted antenna and the fact that the U.S. severely limits the transmitter strength of these units. However, further tests have resulted in excellent results with both cars. One thing I did notice is that the DC power cord seems to act like an antenna so if you're having reception problems plug the power cord into the 4350 (this seems to work even if you don't plug it into the cigarette lighter). My MP3's played back with FM quality and were automatically muted during turn instructions. As this feature draws universal complaints from Garmin users, I wasn't expecting much from Magellan but I'm pleasantly surprised by how useable it is. With that said, the volume from the 4350's built-in speaker is more than adequate for most applications.

The 4350 comes with a three month trial for a real-time traffic avoidance system but the service doesn't extend to my area (coverage areas are shown on Magellan's website) so I haven't seen it in action. According to Magellan's website a yearly subscription costs $39.95. Some competing GPS's come with free lifetime traffic alerts but be aware that those contain commercials.


Conclusions:
The best things about the 4350 are all to do with its core functionality - it gets you from one place to another with clear maps and explicit verbal instructions given in a timely manner. My Audi's navigation system sometimes fails to provide all pertinent information regarding an upcoming turn, or it alerts me too late to react when driving in heavy traffic. The Magellan unit never faltered in that regard. In fact some may consider the 4350's guidance to be too chatty but I like to feel confident that I'm prepared for the next move, even in traffic, and this unit gave me that feeling.

Magellan has produced a full featured unit with superior performance at a very competitive [street] price. This was why, despite the missing headphone jack, I gave it five stars. Had I discovered then that the built-in microphone was so lacking that it made the hands-free feature useless, I might have gone to four stars. Still, it's a great choice for anyone who doesn't need the Bluetooth capabilities.

Pros:
Brand new full featured model.
Excellent volume and audio quality on navigational prompts.
Highly detailed display with 3D maps.
Lane Guidance feature and informative audio prompts.
All accessories included (case, AC & DC cords, USB cable, sturdy mount, owners manual on CD).
2200 ma heavy duty battery.
Great value due to low street price.

Cons:
Terrible built-in mic and no external mic jack renders the Bluetooth hands-free feature worthless.
No headphone jack!(What's with Magellan and a few five cent jacks?).
Must update the firmware to have a ready-for-prime-time unit.
Power and traffic cables plug into the unit (instead of the mount).

Excellent GPS, Poor Customer Service
It's been few days since I bought the Magellan 4350. It is an excellent piece of art. It's ready out of the box. Although I had little difficulty connecting it to my smart phone (8125), it worked very well after that. The FM transmitter is a nice feature where you use the car audio system to listen to GPS directions, MP3 and make your own phone conversations with good quality sound. The Magellan 4350 price is not even comparable to the premium price paid for the GPS option built in new vehicle.

On the other hand, Magellan customer service is very poor. Cannot even get through and talk to technical support for help. I was going to rate it at 4 stars, but because Magellan has many different GPS products with same weak customer service, I decided to fairly rate this unit (4350) with FIVE stars.

After using the unit several times, the GPS directions are clear and very helpful, for example, its instructions for the next turn are clear and helpful that you won't miss your next turn or exit (I ran through such problem with my old Garmin Street Pilot c340 where I missed my next turn/exit several times). Also, it's important to mention that Magellan 4350 recognizes "Michigan" U-turns very well. The FM transmitter is a nice feature, moreover, the unit interrupts the MP3 function and speaks the directions/warnings appropriately. The only thing I found that to be careful of is when using the unit's Bluetooth feature with the phone, the unit does not interrupt the phone conversation to speak directions; therefore at this point, you'd need to be aware of the directions and next turn, displayed on the unit screen, when making phone calls.

Hope this helps.

REPLACED MY MAGELLAN MAESTRO 4250 WITH THE 4350
I've had this Magellan Maestro 4350 for about two weeks. It replaced my Magellan 4250. At first,upon approaching an intersection or a road on which I was to turn, I was expecting the warning tone as I did with the 4250. I didn't receive one. However, this Magellan does give more descript directions such as: Turn right in 1000 ft. and it reminds you again as you get closer to your turn : Turn right in 400 ft., however, I don't think about if I am 400 ft away or ask myself how far is 1000 ft from where it gave me the directions. It is especially hard at night when on unfamiliar roads. I have passed up the road on which I was to turn for lack of good road lighting. The 4250 was better in that respect. This GPS is a litte more complicated to use. Also, it cannot be updated with maps of Europe, if you plan to travel over seas.

I did not have a problem with Customer Service either. I called to ask about the alarm feature and was told there was an update. Magellan forgot to include it with this model and the gentleman stayed on the phone with me during the entire update. At first, it wouldn't load. I uninstalled it and we began over again. I'll bet he stayed on the phone with me for over 2 hours just explaining the differences between the 4250 and the 4350. He was located in the Phillipines.

Also, the reference booklet is not included in the box. All of the information is included on a CD, which you have to read online. The booklet was included with the 4250.

The FM feature is great, too. Sometimes, the voice activated directions cannot be heard while others are talking in the car or you have turned on the radio. This way, you hear the directions clearly over your FM station and can increase the volume, if needed. This feature was also included with the 4250. The other thing about this model is that you cannot access your voice command. Magellan didn't include it with this model. In other words, you cannot call out, "MAGELLAN" and expect it to ask you for your next command, which could have been done with the 4250. This is good for when you're driving and you want to know where the next gas station or coffee shop is located, which is much better than trying to touch screen what you are searching for while driving. The 3D features don't interest me much. I got this one for the pedestrian mode. If on foot, it will take you to where you need to be. Now, if it could only keep my location and tell me where I left my car, this model would be awesome.

All in all, it is an okay model but aside from the pedestrian mode, the 4250 would have been just fine with me. Oh, the download for the update did restore the alert feature but sometimes you are right on top of the road to where you needed to turn and it doesn't always work. It's easy to pass your turn. I can't complain too much about that because the 4250 has done that a few times too.....gave the alert when you are right on top of your turn but the alert on the 4250 always worked. This model's voice features a man's voice which I found to be more audible than the woman's voice on the 4250.

The cost of this one began at almost $[...] but I found it on [...] which was shipped from Sixth Avenue Electronics. I then found it online for [...] and Sixth Avenue Electronics matched the lower price and credited my charge card with the difference. I saw the credit within 2 or 3 days. Currently the price for this model is [...]. I don't know if the shipping is free but it was from Sixth Avenue Electronics and I didn't have to pay tax either.

I would recommend this to friends if they wanted the MP3,Blue Tooth and 3D effects. I am technologically challenged but I will keep this one for now. Happy Shopping and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. :)