I was just thinking about the devices that have all but vanished as a result of the massive growth of smartphones. At the top of the list is standalone GPS. For the life of me, I don’t understand why anyone would spend any amount of money when literately every smartphone on the planet has the ability to load an app that can give you highly accurate directions and determine the best routing based on current traffic patterns. Yet as I drive around town, I continue to see dedicated GPS devices stuck to the front windows of cars that I pass.

So I did a little research and found that newer models now utilize real-time traffic data to help define the most direct route, locate gas stations and repair shops, take actual dash cam video to help you gather evidence in case of an accident, and let you roam the rugged off-road environs that live just beyond the pavement and then let you share your journey via your preferred social media. Newer GPS’s can be voice-commanded, allowing you to add something to your Amazon list when you remember you’re out of paper towels, warn you of speed traps and upcoming exit speeds, or download reliable maps to cities throughout the world. Here, our favourite GPS systems on the market now.

Admittedly, all those functions are available on you everyday smartphone, but there is one thing that your GPS won’t do, and that receives a phone call, so if you an in-car gabber, and constantly having your display switch over to inbound calls or messages screens, and of course at the most complex part of the trip when you really need to know if that was a right or a left  you were supposed to be making, then perhaps a dedicated model is best.

Personally, I’m just as happy using my phone and keeping the $200 for a dedicated GPS in my pocket.  

Reporting for Computer Insider, I’m Bob Pritchard