Mio C520 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
Mio C520 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
Enjoy a widescreen view of the world. The Mio C520 is based around its 4.3″ widescreen. The screen size makes it easier to use than ever.You’ll quickly learn to rely on your Mio C520 for everything from location finding and route planning to looking up essential services as well as leisure or entertainment sites when you’re in unfamiliar places.Perfect for any road trip, the Mio Digiwalker C520 Portable Car Navigation System is an easy-to-use, portable GPS navigator. Both affordable and stylish, the Mio C520 makes it easier than ever to get where you are going, even when you aren’t quite sure where that might be. Boasting fast and accurate GPS reception, top-notch mapping, and a comprehensive POI (Points of Interest) database, this GPS navigator helps make sure that every journey you take is a good one.
Ready to go virtually straight out of the box, the Digiwalker C520 comes complete with full TeleAtlas maps of the US so you don’t need to make any additional purchases to get out on the road. All you have to do is power the navigator on, insert the SD card, clip it on to the included car mount and you are ready to go anywhere. Larger menu icons combine with a brighter user-friendly wide-screen display to make navigating the intuitive user interface a breeze. Intelligently designed, the wide-screen display has a split-screen function that lets you see the full map view on one side, and a selection of route information on the other, so you don’t have to quit the navigation screen to make changes. Clear voice instructions are provided in up to 16 languages including English, French and Spanish, giving you turn-by-turn guidance so you can keep your eyes on the road while you drive. For added safety, the C520 also enables hands-free calling when used with a Bluetooth-enabled phone.
Designed to be completely portable, the C520 easily travels from car to car, pocket to bag, or suitcase to briefcase. For this purpose, this unit is constructed with an internal GPS antenna that will not catch or snag, and has a semi-gloss finish that resists wear so your navigator stays looking as good as it performs. Containing over 3.5-million POIs such as restaurants, hotels, gas stations and more, you are never more than a few keystrokes away from your destination. Simply select the category of your desired location, make your choice from the provided list, and you are ready to find just about anything you are looking for, giving you a local expert as a traveling companion. As an added convenience, the Mio C520 tells you the likely locations of fixed safety cameras and mobile traps, and includes free safety-camera updates from Mio’s website for a full year from the time you register. More than just a navigator, this unit lets you listen to your favorite digital music or to have a look through your latest digital photos as well. When the MP3 player and photo viewer is used with the SD/MMC memory card slot, you can play all your stored music and look at your favorite snapshots, or show them to other people, all while on the road.
The Mio Digiwalker C520 utilizes a 4.3-inch transreflective LCD touch-screen display with full color and 480 x 272 pixels of resolution for easy at-a-glance information. This unit includes 64 MB of on-board SDRAM, with 1 GB of memory built in, and infinitely expandable memory via the built-in SD/MMC card slot. The GPS receiver is a high-sensitivity, 20-channel SiRFstar III with complete accuracy and quick refresh times. The C520 includes a USB 2.0 connector, a built-in speaker, a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, and an internal rechargeable 1,300 mAh lithium-ion battery. The included cradle doesn’t just hold your navigator, but will also charge the battery while you drive when connected to the power cable. Combined with the windshield mount, this cradle forms a very solid device holder, providing investment security and preventing vibrations. The Mio Digiwalker C520 portable car navigator weighs 6.7 ounces, measures 4.9 x 3.2 x 0.78 inches (W x H x D), and is backed by a manufacturer’s one-year warranty.
What’s in the Box
Mio Digiwalker C520 portable navigator, device holder, windshield mount, AC power adapter, DC in-vehicle power adapter, USB cable, CD/DVD with MioMap, CD/DVD with user’s manual, SD card with complete US map, license agreement, information booklet, mount installation guide, quick start guide and warranty information.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Best GPS after I bought Garmin 755T
I had been using C520 for years, but new Garmin 755T brought so many notice so I think maybe Garmin is indeed the No.1 . I should replace C520 with Garmin.
However after heavily tried Garmin 755T, I thought MIO C520 is still a masterpiece on GPS market. Garmin is good, but does not match the name it should if compared with MIO C520.
Garmin might have latest maps and less inaccuracy than the MIO old map. 755T has fancy lane assisance which shines it than other models, however, compared with MIO C520 powerful function and most excellent UI, the advantage of this new feature is so weak than MIO C520’s clear and intuitive UI. The map drag on Garmin is so ..so clumsy and slo…w, the drag function is almost useless. If you carefully dig out MIO C520, you will find how flexible and powerful the MIO drag is!!!!! IT is almost like Window Appplication.
MIO has all the road details, while Garmin hides some of lanes ,this makes user uneasy to get a reference, even if set the most detail view on Garmin, some details could not be seen at all. So when you try to match the lane you see with the GPS , you will feel lost!
In summary, Garmin is more like to be used with simple function especially the person who is not tech skilled. But for MIO C520….., it is so….so nice, it fits all level of people, for less skilled, only set the simple function is good enough. The clear fast UI of MIO C520 will beat any current GPSs, regardless the new Garmin has lane assistance which appears to be so so than C520 UI.
1 Stars MITAC MIO c520 GPS
This GPS unit is not bad if you only use it in the USA. However, you cannot purchase and use mapsets from any other country.
In my mind, this is a planned obsolescence design, and not acceptable.
We wanted to plan some trips through Europe, and thought it would be easy to purchase some maps for some European countries.
No can do. Even if you found them to purchase, they will not work with c520 units purchased in the USA with USA mapsets on them.
Here is the conversion from the MIO website regarding this subject:
Mio Agent (1:22:47 AM): In order to quickly solve your problems, please provide your model name, S/N, if any.
To purchase additional accessories, [...]
Thank you for choosing Mio! How can we help you?
Eugene (1:23:19 AM): I have a c520 GPS, we are travelling to Italy this spring, how can I purchase the map set to use in Italy/Western Europe?
Mio Agent (1:23:40 AM): We are sorry that no information is available at this time. We will send your inquiry as a feedback to our product team for future planning. We appreciate your patience and please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience.
Eugene (1:24:09 AM): Do you have any other reference sources I can check with?
Mio Agent (1:24:25 AM): No sir.
Eugene (1:25:25 AM): So…..either there is nowhere to purchase a Europe mapset, for the c520, or the c520 purchased in the USA will not work with a Europe mapset?
Mio Agent (1:26:45 AM): We do apologize but we do not have additional country maps for our devices.
Eugene (1:27:29 AM): If I did find a Western Europe mapset for the c520, purchased in the USA, would it work with my unit?
Mio Agent (1:28:13 AM): No sir.
Eugene (1:28:42 AM): Do you sell refurb c520 units, with Europe mapsets installed, instead of US mapsets installed?
Mio Agent (1:29:12 AM): No sir.
Eugene (1:31:51 AM): Thanx for the answers, basically, this unit is only operational with the USA mapsets. Will share this with as many people as possible. For obvious reasons, and though no fault of your own, we will not be purchasing any MIO products in the future.
1 Stars Very poor customer service
You have to pay $60 plus shipping of the unit to Mio to have your GPS updated by them. My advice to any of you is to NOT PURCHASE a Mio GPS. Look for a company that has actual customer service. I’ve had my Mio for two years and it has cost me more to update it than the original purchase price. Product support at Mio is non-existent…buyer beware.
You have to send them the GPS unit at your expense plus $60 for a C series update. Outrageous! There’s nobody in charge! And this is after I paid $82 to upgrade my maps in 2008.
1 Stars Love the Mio C520 - Very Disappointed with Mio Service!
I do! I love the Mio C520 for all of the reasons that each of the ‘good’ reviews state - and because I have access to the software application and can (at least I plan to one day) customize the interface myself.
However, as good as the C520 may be, the service provided by Mio is directly inproportional. There is a documented issue with the battery provided with the C520. Mio itself states that the batteries are faulty. In particular they state that if the unit will not power on when disconnected from a power source and the power charging light changes immediately from orange to green when plugged in, the battery must be replaced and they will issue an RMA for the service. Inconvenient but, so far, so good.
What they state when you apply for the RMA is that there is a charge of $80 (USD) plus shipping for this service. O.K., I understand nothing is for free. Yes, Mio should be compensated for their services, the talent of their employees, the shipping costs, and the parts and materials, etc. However, the battery cost is $10 retail (from several Internet vendors). The time and effort to replace the battery is minor - 15 minutes at most; unplug and plug in three wires - even for a technician earning $40/hour this is a $10 task. So, at the very most, Mio should charge $30 for the service (yes, plus shipping) - $10 for materials, $10 for labor, $10 for profit (usury but reasonable). So why are they earning $60 in profit? This is unfair, unreasonable, and almost enough of a reason to chuck the C520 in the waste basket and spend the $80 twice to buy a product from a different company (yea, out of the frying pan and into the proverbial fire - but I’m frustrated).
Thanks for listening.
2 Stars Mio Digiwalker C520 Portable - Good on features, Poor Support
Mio Digiwalker C520 Portable - Good on features, Poor Support
I purchased this exact model from ShopNBC a few years ago because of the advertised advanced navigation features, a large screen features and the ability to synchronize my Microsoft Outlook contacts with the unit.
The synchronization created multiple contacts (2x, 3x, 4x, etc.) on each synch despite the settings. I have multiple other products that synchronizing perfectly with my outlook and this is the only unit that has this issue. Called support and they gave me the run around from incorrect software version to bad cable. They even wanted to remove my Microsoft Office 2007 and install Office 2000, which is the unit’s supported version. Declined that I rather live with the prospect of not doing any future Microsoft Outlook synchronization with this unit. I have been using my SmartPhone to synchronize with Microsoft Outlook contacts.
The map directions were very outdated and the unit often gave incorrect directions that sent you out of your way…even down a one-way street. I understand that for all GPS units, the map updates are usually 1 year behind. However, MIO wants you to purchase an outdated update that is about 3 years behind because this updates are no longer being produced for this model. Please Google Mio 520 and read all of the issues (inclusive of customer support) before purchasing this model or from this company. Also, if you are purchasing one of the newer models from this company, please check ensure that they have updates available before purchasing.
I have gotten so frustrated with my Mio 520 that I am shipping this piece of junk back to Mio. Currently looking at the Garmin nuvi 265WT 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Integrated Traffic Receiver. The reviews have been excellent.
PROS:
Features
CONS
Reliability
Map updates lacking
Extremely poor Support
Filed under: Portable GPS Ratings