Binatone Carrera X350 Review

Binatone has offices across most of the Northern hemisphere with headquarters in Hong Kong and they have been providing electronic solutions and gadgets for over 50 years.

The Binatone Carrera X350 is really just a smaller version of the X430 with a 3.5 inch screen instead of the 4.3. If you look at the specifications as provided by Binatone you will see almost no difference between the two models yet one is priced more than 50% higher than the other - is this purely the screen?

Searching and routing options are satisfactory, not top of the range, but acceptable. The screen is small but clear and still able to be prodded with a finger instead of a stylus that can easily be misplaced, and the maps are easily viewed both in 2D and 3D format.

Routing features include options for fastest or shortest route and there are hundreds and thousands of points of interest (POIs) already plumbed in. The speed / safety camera database is provided free of charge for six months (after that you will need to pay) and although the unit does not come inclusive of traffic alerts it is hardware configured to take a TMC aerial so you can receive information over FM if you add that option.

Voice instructions are clear (and human) and the visual directions are also very apparent and uncluttered. The main menu on the screen is concise and simple meaning no steep learning curve is needed here. Data input, however, is not its best feature. Switching from alpha keyboard to numeric, although not too problematic with an address, is rather cumbersome when entering a postcode.

This unit is very compact and like its big brother has a rubberized coating to protect from all but the most vicious bangs. It weighs only 150 grams and is 100 mm wide, 85 high and only 17 mm thick so it is incredibly portable. A carrying case is not included in the basic package, which is a shame as it is so easy to walk with, and the AC adapter is also an optional extra. There is the option to switch to pedestrian or cycling mode which is great, but without those travel accessories it does not really warrant taking away from its car power source so it rather defeats its own objectives there.

As a budget starter pack style of sat nav it is definitely worth considering. No frills but no fuss either. Unfortunately I have read many user reviews where the navigation, its raison d'etre, has been less than perfect (that is a subtle understatement actually), but as with any electronic gizmo, we can all end up with a lemon sometimes and customers are always quicker to condemn than condone. Perhaps this is too close to a Pollyanna view point, but it would be a great shame if you wrote this off out of hand - it is so well priced as to be almost irresistible.