Garmin Speak Plus With Amazon Alexa Review

The Garmin Speak Plus ($199.99) is a dash cam, a GPS device, and a smart speaker all rolled into one.

An update to the Garmin Speak GPS device, the Speak Plus adds dash cam functionality, and both have built-in Amazon Alexa functionality.

What sets the Speak Plus apart from other GPS devices is that it responds only to voice commands, lacking a conventional display.

In addition to getting directions and recording the road ahead, you can use the Speak Plus to play tunes from your Amazon Music collection or ask Alexa to find a station for you, such as '90s music.

It can also control Alexa-enabled smart home devices, such as lights or a thermostat.

The tiny device does its job, as long as you don't need to see onscreen maps as you navigate.

Interface and Setup

Setup and installation are a breeze.

You'll need to download the Garmin Speak and Alexa apps if you haven't already, sign into your Amazon account, and start pairing.

The device uses a sticker mount that attaches via magnet.

(Just be aware that the sticker can be hard to remove from your windshield once you've attached it.) It comes with an 8GB microSD card, but no card adapter. The Speak Plus can also manage your media and phone calls via Bluetooth.

Note that using Alexa functions eats up your mobile data.

The Garmin Speak Plus is the same size as its predecessor, at 1.4 inches in diameter and 1.4 inches in depth, and weighs a scant 1.3 ounces.

It also has the same size display (0.68 by 0.38 inches) with a resolution of 114 by 64 pixels.

On the unit are a voice command activation key, a mute button, and dual microphones.

It comes with a 12-volt power cord that can be tucked between the windshield and dashboard trim, but you might need tape or some clips to keep it in place, depending on your vehicle's setup.

The screen, as I mentioned, doesn't display maps or menus, only navigation directions represented by directional arrows and the number of feet.

The device has a color-coded LED ring around the display that shows device status: animated amber for pairing mode, solid red for a muted microphone, animated blue and cyan while processing an Alexa request, solid green when you reach a turn during navigation and flashing magenta for incoming calls.

The screen also displays warnings for lane departure and front-side collision, if it senses you're too close to the car in front of you.

There is also a "go" alert that lets you know when traffic ahead of you is moving.

You can turn off any of these alerts using the Garmin Speak app.

The app also includes navigation preferences (avoid highways, etc.), audio options (use Speak Plus for phone call audio, music playback, etc.) and camera settings (resolution, audio recording on/off, camera position, and vehicle height).

Adding your home and work address and other frequented destinations to the app allows you to say "Alexa, ask Garmin to take me home." You can also request points of interest; if more than one match, Alexa lists them in order of closest distance, which worked well when I requested Fairway in Harlem, and the navigation was spot-on.

On the way home, it even recommended a shortcut to get to my part of the neighborhood.

Directions were spoken loud and clear—I found I didn't need to look at the screen.

It also wasn't as intrusive as some other GPS devices that get too repetitive and frequently interrupt your music and conversation.

To activate the dash cam, you say "Alexa, ask Garmin to start recording." There are also commands to adjust the volume and play and stop music.

(In addition to Amazon Music, other compatible services include Pandora, SiriusXM, and iHeartRadio, with Spotify joining that lot down the road, the company says.) You can ask Alexa about the weather, what's in the news, check your calendar, add items to your Amazon shopping cart, and access the virtual assistant's sense of humor.

I asked her to tell me jokes, share a limerick, and whether she likes Google Assistant.

(As it turns out, "she" likes all AI.)

As I mentioned, if you have Alexa-compatible smart home devices, you can perform tasks from your car such as unlock the front door and turn on the lights as you pull in the driveway.

Finally, you can also say "Where am I?" or "What's the next turn?" or "When will I arrive?" The Speak Plus also tells you the travel duration information at the beginning of your trip.

Features and Video Quality

To review video, you remove the memory card and attach it to a computer or connect your device to the Garmin VIRB app.

However, the app kept crashing in our tests whenever I tried to launch it.

Video quality looked good, and I could read signs and license plates from a short distance, though it was impossible to discern whether traffic lights were red, green, or yellow.

I was able to capture the action at a particularly chaotic (and entertaining) intersection in uptown Manhattan.

The field of view is somewhat narrow though (82 degrees), so you can't see much peripherally, such as cars going the opposite direction in the next lane.

By default, video records on a loop in 60-second segments.

Once the card is full, the camera will overwrite old video.

It also has a G-sensor to automatically detect and record events such as collisions; these incident recordings are not automatically overwritten in case you need them as evidence.

You can also take still photos by saying "Alexa, ask Garmin to take a picture," or by selecting Take a Snapshot in the Garmin Speak app.

Discreet Watchdog and Navigator

GPS devices and dash cams can be distracting and none-too-discreet.

The Garmin Speak Plus, like its predecessor, is smaller than most.

For a decent price, you get a GPS device, dash cam, and Alexa voice control.

The only downside is that it lacks onscreen maps and preview footage.

If that's your priority, you should consider a standalone GPS device or a dash cam with a traditional screen, such as the Owl Car Cam or ROAV Anker Dash Cam C1.

However, if you can navigate by ear and with minimal visual cues, the Speak Plus is a great choice.