Up until now, you've read about the main design and hardware issues of the C725, and now, it's time to take a look at just how this thing behaved in some real-life situations. Unfortunately, since I don't own an SUV, I can't really describe just how one of these things might look or “behave” in a larger car. During the tests, I used the same car as in the case of the Mio Moov 330, and while that particular model felt right at home in a smaller vehicle, things were very different with the C725.

Car setup

Installing the C725 within any car is not exactly a very difficult process. Practically, all the users have to do is first slide the adapter provided in the package in the corresponding slots located on the backside, and then firmly attach it to the windshield mount. Similar to most other mounts, this one also attaches to the windshield via a suction cup, which provides quite a good level of stability.

The second step in this process is to insert the car adapter's tip into the corresponding connector. While in the case of the Moov 330, the connector was located on the lower side, C725's is on the lateral side, which means that the wires will be quite visible when installed. Not a big minus, but rather a slight aesthetic “no-no.”

This pretty much completes the basic setup. Of course, if you happen to be the owner of a larger car fitted with all sorts of extras and perks, you might also consider connecting your A/V receiver to the C725, or perhaps the external antenna in order to watch TV programs.

Navigation

Despite the numerous additional features it provides, the Mio C725 is, after all, a GPS navigation device, so the way it's able to accomplish this task is very important. The device has been tested both in and outside major cities, and it behaves equally well within the urban “jungle” or in the middle of nowhere. Plus, the satellite signal acquisition time is relatively short (typically, under 1 minute), while the signal strength remains strong throughout the whole journey (in other words, the 20-channel SiRF Star III receiver does it job quite well, as expected).

The C725 runs the same navigation software as the Moov 330 (MioMap2008). I won't go into too many details regarding this issue, since its been covered quite in detail in the respective device's review. However, to sum things up, I'll just tell you that it uses the same map (Europe Full 2008.04), supports NavPix navigation, provides the same destination search options as the 330 and its database of POIs is quite extensive.

What's really interesting to mention here is the POI region lookup option. Thus, this particular function allows users to search for all specific POIs from a certain region selected by the user, something that can prove to be quite useful when traveling to an unknown area (for example, for finding all the hotels or gas stations in the specific selected region, NOT on the entire map).

Music playback

As mentioned right from the start, one of the main selling points of the Mio C725 is represented by its extensive multimedia playback features, including here the music playback function.

Music playback is done via an included Audio Player application, which provides quite an impressive level of functionality. The music can be stored either in the device's internal memory, or, more likely, on SD/MMC cards, whose contents can be very easily browsed by the player.

Moreover, users can very easily control the playback volume and mode (repeat, shuffle, etc.), and the player even sports an equalizer, so users can either customize their audio or choose from one of the available presets. Plus, the device can even display the song's lyrics, if prompted to, and even sports a power-saving feature, which slightly improves the battery life.


Video playback

The video playback application is far less complicated then the audio player. Practically, it allows users to choose the video (also stored either in the internal memory or on an external card) and then play it, with all the playback options you might normally require (pause, stop, etc.).



Photo viewing

The photo viewing function provided by the C725 is quite well-designed and developed. First of all, it allows users to view photos stored either in the PND's own memory, but also on memory cards inserted in the corresponding slot or on USB flash drives. The photo viewer lets users see photos in galleries, individually or in slideshow mode. In the individual mode, users can move through the photos or zoom onto them, and if they happen to get bored with some or all of the pictures, they can simply and easily delete them.



Video mode

As mentioned right from the start, the device can also be used for viewing TV programs, should the user have the appropriate receiver.



Customization options and device settings

Beside the various customization options provided by the navigation software (language, display brightness, audio, guiding voice, measurement units, etc.), the C725 also allows users to tweak some of the settings right from the UI.

Thus, they can modify the backlight level, audio volume, GUI language, check the battery stats and adjust the power settings accordingly or re-align the touchscreen, if they feel like the level of sensitivity is not exactly OK. Plus, they can also modify the time/date, while the file browser button, when pressed, will send them right into the Windows interface, in the core of the C725.


FM Transmitter

Beside all of the features mentioned above, the device also packs a built-in FM transmitter, which could really come in handy if you want to route the navigation guidance system through the car's own speaker system. The process is a very fast and easy one, users being able to choose one of the available frequencies and then store it for future use.