Garmin Nuvi 650 Review

Yet another device in Garmin’s Nuvi 600 Series is the Nuvi 650. It’s a little larger than others in the series, but still weighing only 6.2 ounces, it is a very light and compact unit. This one is also pretty much ready straight from the box. On average, users have it up and running within 15 minutes. It features a super bright 4.3 inch widescreen display, and good contrasting colors on the control buttons and icons. It does come preloaded with City Navigator® NT street maps, and a points of interest database that includes restaurants, hotels, etc. And you can program it to warn you of certain points of interest, such as speed zones and safety cameras.

Navigation is easy and reliable. Simply enter your destination, and you’ll get your directions in 2D or 3D maps, with voice instructed turn by turn. You can choose your voice directions to be male or female, and the voice sounds are very clear and concise. The satellite connection is quick, and dependable. You may even pick it up inside a building. And the re-navigation for missed turns, etc., is also quick. No worries about turning down the wrong street, the 650 will have you back on track quickly.

Other features include an MP3 player and JPEG picture viewer. The device also has wonderful hardware and software stability.

It’s powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery that will hold charge for up to 7 hours. And the unit powers on or off automatically with the vehicle, if it is plugged into the 12 volt receptable.


Some gliches are that the map starts to rotate when you approach an intersection, even if you haven’t turned. It may be difficult to re-align it for straight ahead. Also, you can only choose one stop point when planning a route. If you’re planning to select more than one final destination, then this may pose a problem.

Overall, most users are highly satisfied with the Nuvi 650, even without the Bluetooth technology capability that is included in Garmin’s other models. It still has the slim design and widescreen, and it’s user compatible. So you won’t be reading the instructions for hours before you can figure it out. It is a simple to navigate device, and if you’re looking for the quickest and easiest way to find the route that you need, you just may find the Garmin Nuvi 650 is what you’ve been looking for.

Product Description

Get widescreen navigation at a price that won’t break your budget with nüvi 650. This affordable personal travel assistant comes with many of the popular features found in the nüvi 660 minus Bluetooth® wireless technology, an integrated traffic receiver and FM transmitter — perfect for everyday navigation.

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nüvi 650 features a super-bright 4.3″ widescreen display for improved map viewing, POI lookup and MP3/audio book playback. This landscape display has white backlight and a touchscreen for easy use.

Navigate With Ease

nüvi 650 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the sunlight-readable color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. In addition, nüvi 650 accepts custom points of interest, such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs. The European version even includes a preloaded safety camera database containing locations of safety cameras for parts of Europe.

Take It With You

Like the rest of the nüvi series, nüvi 650 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.

Go Beyond Navigation

Navigation is just the beginning. nüvi 650 includes many “must have” entertainment and travel tools including MP3 player, audio book player (subscription to Audible.com required), JPEG picture viewer, currency converters and more. It also comes with optional FM traffic alerts, Garmin Lock™ (an anti-theft feature) and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map. Optional software on plug-and-play SD cards for language translation, detailed travel guide and savings program allows you to customize your nüvi for your travel needs.

Physical & Performance: 
Unit dimensions, WxHxD:4.9″W x 2.9″H x .9″D (12.4 x 7.4 x 2.3 cm)
Display size, WxH:3.81″W x 2.25″H (9.7 x 5.7 cm); 4.3″ diag (10.9 cm)
Display resolution, WxH:480 x 272 pixels
Display type:WQVGA color TFT with white backlight
Weight:6.2 ounces (190 g)
Battery:rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery life:up to 7 hours
Waterproof:no
High-sensitivity receiver:yes
RoHS version available:yes
Maps & Memory: 
Basemap:yes
Preloaded maps:yes
Ability to add maps:yes
Built-in memory:internal solid state
Accepts data cards:SD card (not included)
Waypoints:500
Routes:0
Features: 
Voice prompts (e.g. “Turn right in 500 ft.”):yes (internal speaker)
Speaks street names (e.g. “Turn right ON ELM STREET in 500 ft.”) :yes
3D map view:yes
Auto sort multiple destinations (provides most direct route):no
Auto re-route (fast off-route and detour recalculation):yes
Choice of route setup (faster time, shorter distance, off road):yes
Route avoidance (avoid highways, tolls etc.):yes
Custom POIs (ability to add additional points of interest):yes
Hands-free calling with Bluetooth® wireless technology:no
FM traffic compatible:yes
XM Navtraffic (includes basic weather) & Radio for U.S. compatible:no
MSN® Direct for U.S. compatible:no
MP3 player:yes
Audio book player:yes
Picture viewer:yes
Configurable vehicle icons (select car-shaped icons for map navigation):yes
World travel clock, currency & measurement converter, calculator:yes
Touchscreen:yes
Remote control:no
FM transmitter:no
Headphone jack/audio line-out:yes
Dead reckoning:no
Garmin Lock™ (anti-theft feature):yes
Motorcycle-friendly:no
Additional:This USB Mass Storage device is compatible with Windows® 2000 or later and Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

What’s in the Box: 

  • nüvi 650
  • Preloaded City Navigator® NT for North America or Europe (full coverage)
  • Vehicle suction cup mount
  • Vehicle power cable
  • Dashboard disk
  • USB cable
  • Quick reference guide

*Notice to Drivers in California and Minnesota

Package contents may vary per version. See your local dealer for more information.

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