After updating my Nuvi 3590LMT to v6.2 and upgrading my Smartphone Link for Android app, I set out to determine whether the problems have been solved. Tonight I report that I think that most of the issues are resolved. I say that I think they are resolved because there is one little nuance that I observed that I am not entirely sure how to interpret. In addition there remains one issue that appears to still be unresolved. Here we go...
I began this test with Smartphone Link connected and the Nuvi connected to a non-traffic-receiver DC power source. As expected, traffic was received without issue through Smartphone Link.
 |
| Smartphone Link connected, GTM-60 disconnected. |
I then turned off my smartphone's bluetooth service and turned off the Nuvi. I turned the Nuvi back on with the non-traffic-receiver DC power source to ensure that all knowledge of any traffic detail was gone. I confirmed this by attempting to go to the traffic screen. I was shown this screen:
 |
| Bluetooth off / Smartphone Link disconnected / GTM-60 disconnected |
Next, I connected the GTM-60 while bluetooth was still turned off (thus Smartphone Link disconnected). The Nuvi began to acquire traffic from the GTM-60 as shown in the following screen:
 |
| Bluetooth off / Smartphone Link disconnected / Obtaining traffic signal from the GTM-60 |
Once the GTM-60 successfully connected to the traffic service, I obtained traffic content. Bluetooth and Smartphone Link are still disconnected. You can be assured that the traffic being received comes from the GTM-60 because of the green signal strength bars at the top of the screen below. These are not present when using Smartphone Link as your traffic source.
 |
| Bluetooth off / Smartphone Link disconnected / GTM-60 connected |
So far, everything works as expected. But it worked like this up to this point two months ago too. Now is the step that will test if anything has been fixed from two months ago. With the GTM-60 connected, I will now enable bluetooth and connect Smartphone Link.
 |
| Smartphone Link connected / GTM-60 connected |
Yeah! Unlike what happened two months ago, I received a Traffic Up To Date message from Smartphone Link while the GTM-60 is connected. The traffic incident shown above was short lived and within a couple seconds of seeing this screen, the screen changed to this:
 |
| Smartphone Link connected / GTM-60 connected |
This is still a positive sign. The GTM-60 is connected. Smartphone Link is connected. I am seeing messages that reinforce that this is working as it should. It is reporting Traffic Up To Date and No Traffic In Area. This reinforces that a signal is being received from Smartphone Link and the content of that traffic signal is no traffic content. However, while observing this screen I find that this screen only lasts a matter of seconds. The screen then switches to the screen below for a significant amount of time (several minutes). The switching from the screen above to the screen below is what makes me unsure that this is working exactly as I'd expect it to be.
 |
| Smartphone Link connected / GTM-60 connected |
This screen is what makes me unsure about whether this is really fixed or not. This screen is only seen when BOTH Smartphone Link and the GTM-60 are connected. You never see this screen when using only Smartphone Link or only the GTM-60. Garmin needs to be consistent about the messages it presents to the user so that confidence is instilled in the user that the service is working as it should be.
I must presume how this should be working because Garmin doesn't document the specifics. I presume that there are two aspects of receiving traffic data on this unit. First, you must have a data connection to the traffic server. Garmin has provided us two ways to make this data connection, either using HD Radio through the GTM-60, or using bluetooth through Smartphone Link. Once this data connection is made to the traffic server, then we obtain traffic CONTENT from it.
When only the GTM-60 is used, Garmin nicely presents the status of the traffic CONNECTION by showing the green signal strength bars at the top of the screen. However, when the Smartphone Link app is used, there is NO confirmation provided to the user that there is a traffic CONNECTION being made. All we know is that there is a bluetooth connection to our phone. That is not the equivalent of the green signal strength bars when the GTM-60 is used. Bluetooth can be connected without there being a connection to the traffic server.
Therefore, when Garmin shows the message above "Waiting for Traffic Data" it leads the user to say "Why?" Why are you waiting for the traffic data? Do you not have communication with the traffic server? Or is this simply the dormant period while the Nuvi waits 2 minutes (or whatever the time is) before it checks for the next traffic message and everything is operating as expected? There is no way for the user to know this.
One thing left unresolved is the intelligent switching between Smartphone Link and the GTM-60 for users on a 3G CDMA network (Verizon, Sprint and others). On a 3G CDMA network there is no data connection while on a voice call. But when in a voice call, the Nuvi screen shown above never changes. This perpetuates the confusion. When on a phone call on a 3G CDMA network there is no way that the Nuvi will receive traffic data but it continues to say "Waiting for Traffic Data." There is no data connection available on the smartphone. The Nuvi should be intelligent enough to detect the loss of connection to the traffic server from the smartphone and switch to the GTM-60. Instead, the Nuvi sits there "Waiting for Traffic Data" when there is no chance of receiving it until the phone call is over.
This perpetuates the confusion of the "Waiting for Traffic Data" message when not on a call. Since it has been shown that this message is displayed while on a phone call when there is no possibility that it could be connected to the traffic server, it gives me no confidence as to whether I am actively connected to the traffic server or not.
The user should be shown the connection status to the traffic server, the signal strength of that connection (GTM-60 only) and the content of the traffic message. Those three pieces of information permit users to know what is happening with their traffic service at all times.
One other annoyance remains not addressed in this update. This issue involves Garmin's use of the green traffic icon on the main map display. Consider the following example: you are driving on the freeway between two major cities. You are using the GTM-60 traffic receiver. As you travel between major cities, somewhere in the middle you will be well beyond the reception range of the GTM-60. You are therefore not receiving any traffic content at all. However, because the GTM-60 is simply physically connected to the Nuvi, Garmin displays a green traffic icon on the map. This is inaccurate. A green traffic icon indicates that traffic is clear. The Nuvi doesn't know this however, because it doesn't have a traffic signal at all. The icon should be a gray or similar color to indicate a lack of a traffic signal. Visually, Garmin should not be presenting "No Traffic in Area" the exact same way as not having a traffic signal at all. It is inaccurate and misleading.
Bottom line - it appears that the traffic problems when using both Smartphone Link and the GTM-60 are resolved. However, there is much work that could be done to improve the presentation of this information to the user. And there is an unresolved problem for 3G CDMA users that still needs to be addressed. The majority of CDMA users will not be using 4G (which does allow simultaneous voice & data) until well after the 34xx and 35xx series devices will likely be discontinued. Garmin should fix this 3G CDMA oversight.
