Overall design features

The C725 can't be described as an “attractive” product, from the point of view of the design. It's relatively carefully crafted, the quality of the plastic finishing and of the materials used being slightly above average. However, when I first looked at it, I thought “Man, that's a big Moov,” which translates into the fact that, albeit elegant, this PND doesn't really offer anything extraordinary, as far as its looks are concerned (it also reminded me of a digital photo frame I once had, but that's probably due to its size).
Speaking of size, it's interesting to mention that the C725 is 182 mm wide, 123 mm high and has a thickness of solely 23 mm. Plus, it's pretty light weight, given its very large size, having a total weight of around 380 grams, so it will be quite easy to carry around (especially since it's accompanied by its own leather carry case, but we'll talk about that a bit later).
Aside from the plastic case, the device also sports two metallic bands, one across the rear side, the other in the top side, just in front of the control buttons. Actually, the color contrast between the chrome-like aspect of these bands and the black of the case is what provides the “stylish” or “elegant” feeling one might get when first taking a look at the C725.

Slot and button placement

Fortunately, the designers from Mio have managed to keep the number of buttons on the C725 at a minimum. Thus, the PND sports just three such buttons, all of which are located right on its top and are used for switching on the device (Power), switching between TV and GPS functionality (GPS/TV switch, the one in the middle) and for muting the navigator's speakers (Mute). Speaking of which, it's also interesting to note that the PND sports two built-in speakers, located on the back, on both sides of the car mounting system slot.
As in the case of any other product of this type, users can also reset the device by inserting a very thin object (usually a needle) into the clearly marked “Reset” slot, which can also be found on the back. The PND sports a memory card slot located right on top of the C725, whose purpose is to accommodate SD/MMC cards. There are other interfaces on the side, but we'll talk about those in the next chapter of our review.

Connectivity options

Given the fact that it can provide extensive multimedia functions, the Mio C725 obviously sports more interfaces than average PNDs. For example, besides the SD/MMC port mentioned earlier, the navigator has also been equipped with miniUSB and standard USB 2.0 ports, located in the lower, right-hand side of device and well hidden (well, yes, protected) behind a plastic cap.

Since the C725 also doubles as a mini portable TV set, it has been equipped with an AV In connector, which can be used for connecting the device to a video signal source, be it a camcorder, car video player, etc. This interface is located directly above the two USB interfaces mentioned above, and it's also protected by a plastic cap. In its immediate vicinity (in the area underneath the same cap), we can find the line-in/out jack as well, used for connecting either a pair of headphones or a microphone to the navigator.

There's an antenna connector located on the backside (left, upper corner), underneath yet another cap. The last connector in the list, used for powering the device, is located on the left side of the PND, in the lower corner.
Unfortunately, there are no “hidden” connectivity options to talk about here, since the C725 doesn't support either Bluetooth or WiFi. This is a big minus, in my opinion, because this PND could have easily become the center of one's car infotainment system had it provided a mobile phone pairing option.

Accessories

Writing a special sub-chapter just about the accessories of the C725 might seem unnecessary for some of you, but I consider it quite important, especially since there are things worth mentioning here.

First of all, there's the carry case. For practical purposes, the C725's sales package includes a very elegant leather carry case, which can be used to “dress-up” the PND, thus protecting it against various environment factors and the effects of excessive usage. The case even sports a few spaces for storing business cards or other stationery accessories, which could really come in handy in certain situations.

Another very interesting accessory is the power adapter (no, not the car power adapter, which is pretty standard, but the AC charger). This adapter sports a removable part, exactly the “prongs” inserted in the power socket. This way, users can very easily change between two and three-pronged systems, thus ensuring the fact that they'll be able to charge their C725 just about everywhere they might be around the world.

Also included in the package are a USB-to-miniUSB cable, plus an AV cable and the windshield mounting system.