For many years, I’ve used a Garmin handheld as my go-to device for getting around. I use it for biking, for hiking, and even for navigating around cities in both the US and abroad when I can’t get a cell phone signal. My GPS of choice has been the Garmin Oregon 650t with a great touchscreen. So I was pretty jazzed to see the latest addition to the line, the Oregon 750t. While the form factor has remained exactly the same, the innards are much improved. Of course, just like with the older models, there are almost countless points of interest and you can create and store thousands of trips and store thousands of waypoints.
Let’s start off with the major differences between the 600 series and the new 700 series. My favorite is the new home screen. Turn it on, and the 700 immediately gives you a choice of activity profiles: Tour Cycle, Mountain Bike, Hunt, Fish, Climb, Hike, and Geocache (a sort of GPS based scavenger hunt). A touch of the screen immediately starts the activity, showing the map, tracking and recording data.
If you prefer Garmin’s classic dashboard, you can set that as your home screen as well. The new models have a redesigned GPS antenna for better reception and performance. All models feature a worldwide basemap. The new 700 series boasts the Active Weather feature for up-to-date forecasts and animated weather radar. If you are into geocaching, these devices work wirelessly with Geocaching.com.
In addition to mapping, all of the new handhelds have built-in ABC sensors: the altimeter provides elevation data, the barometer can be used to predict weather changes, and the 3-axis electronic compass helps users keep their bearings.
In addition to Active Weather and Geocaching Live, the Oregon 700 series has a variety of new connected features. These are the first GPS handhelds to be compatible with the Garmin Connect IQ platform, which was previously only available for Garmin wearables. With Connect IQ, 
Oregon 700 series users can customize their device with more data fields, widgets, and apps to fit their individual lifestyles. Users can also pair their handhelds with their compatible smartphone for call, text, and email notifications right on the device, as well as wireless software downloads and automatic data uploads to the Garmin Connect online community.
Featuring a 3-inch sunlight-readable touchscreen display with dual orientation capabilities, these devices have a rugged design with an IPX7 water rating to withstand the elements. These units also have a dual battery system, with either AA batteries or an NiMH rechargeable battery pack. The new handhelds can get up to 16 hours of battery life using either option.
As to differences among the 700 models, the Oregon 700 doesn’t have a camera while both the The Oregon 750 and 750t have a built-in 8MP camera with flash capabilities for geotagged photos. The Oregon 750t also comes preloaded with TOPO US 100K maps.
The Garmin Oregon 750t has a suggested retail price of $549.99. Clearly that’s not cheap, but if my experience owning the previous version 650t for several years is indicative, you’ll get years of use from this GPS.
There are a boatload of videos out there about various features of the Oregon 700 series. Here’s one that focuses on the navigation features, which we think is the main reason to carry a GPS in the first place:
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