Do You Still Need a Garmin? Why CarPlay Is Replacing Dedicated Motorcycle GPS

The moment I realized I hadn't touched my dedicated GPS in six months was somewhere on a winding road, glancing at my phone mirrored on a handlebar display. The Waze reroute happened automatically, the music kept playing, and a call came through without me touching a single button. That ride settled something I'd been quietly debating for years.

The question "do I still need a Garmin?" isn't really about Garmin anymore. It's about whether dedicated GPS devices have a future at all on motorcycles. The shift from standalone GPS to smartphone-mirrored displays is happening faster than most gear reviewers are willing to say out loud.

That moment you realize your motorcycle GPS hasn’t been used in six months because your phone already does everything.

This isn't an argument against Garmin specifically. It's an honest look at where motorcycle navigation is heading and what that means for your next purchase.

The Dedicated GPS Was Built for a Different Era

When Garmin launched its first motorcycle-specific GPS units in the early 2000s, smartphones didn't exist. A rugged, weatherproof device with preloaded maps that didn't rely on a cellular signal was genuinely the best option available. It was the right tool for the technology of the time.

The Garmin Zumo XT2, the company's current flagship, retails at $599.99 and comes with a 6-inch glove-friendly touchscreen, IPX7 waterproofing, and preloaded topographic maps with Garmin Adventurous Routing. These are genuinely useful features, but they're no longer unique.

Dedicated motorcycle GPS once ruled the road. Today, smartphones and CarPlay are changing how riders navigate.

The smartphone in your pocket already does most of this better, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have made it accessible on a proper motorcycle-grade screen.

Your smartphone already does most of this better it just needs a proper display at speed. Here’s why riders stopped handlebar phone mounts and what they use instead.

What CarPlay Actually Brings to the Handlebar

The real reason riders are switching isn't just better maps. It's that CarPlay puts your entire phone life on the screen in front of you. Waze reroutes around a wreck in real time, Spotify lets you switch playlists mid-corner with a glove tap, iMessage reads your texts aloud through your helmet speakers, and Google Maps shows you live fuel prices at the next exit. A Garmin Zumo XT2 does exactly one of those things.

Every app already on your phone: Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, WhatsApp, Google Maps, Waze, Gaia GPS, and onX Offroad, works through CarPlay without any additional subscriptions or setup. The Zumo XT2 requires a paired smartphone for live traffic anyway, meaning you're already carrying the phone regardless. CarPlay stops treating the phone as a peripheral and makes it the engine of the whole system.

Offering virtually the same CarPlay interface as an automobile system does, it's actually more useful on a bike.

Garmin charges separately for map updates that still don't match what Waze community reporting delivers for free. Every Apple or Google update makes your display smarter overnight at no cost.

CarPlay runs Spotify, Waze, Google Maps, Gaia GPS. We compared Calimoto, Maps, and Waze on a CHIGEE screen.

Why Younger Riders Are Skipping Garmin Entirely

Riders who got their licenses after 2015 grew up with Google Maps, Spotify, and iMessage as baseline infrastructure, not premium features. The idea of paying $400 to $550 for a device that handles navigation but goes silent the moment you want to change a song genuinely doesn't make sense from their perspective.

Garmin's Tread app attempts to replicate group tracking, but it requires every rider in your group to own Garmin hardware. CarPlay-compatible apps work across any phone, any brand, and any riding group without a shared device ecosystem.

Riders are switching to CarPlay because it turns your phone into a full cockpit: live traffic, music, messages, and maps better than a Garmin.

Most riders under 35 are already paying for the apps that make CarPlay compelling. There's nothing new to subscribe to.

Where Dedicated GPS Still Has an Edge

Garmin's preloaded topographic maps work in areas with zero cellular coverage: deep backcountry, international border crossings, and remote desert routes where a data-dependent display goes blank. The Zumo XT2's offline routing is genuinely superior for riders planning technical overlanding in the American Southwest or Alaska.

These are edge cases, and important ones at that. The average commuter, weekend warrior, or sport-touring rider on paved roads rarely encounters a scenario where dedicated GPS outperforms a well-mounted phone running CarPlay.

Garmin excels in remote or extreme conditions, but for most riders, a phone with CarPlay handles everyday roads just fine.

Dedicated GPS units also offer better durability for extreme riding conditions. Devices like the Garmin Zumo XT2 are built to handle vibration, rain, dust, and heat better than most smartphones. For harsh environments, that reliability still matters.

The Display Is the Missing Piece

The reason so many riders stuck with dedicated GPS for so long had more to do with the lack of a proper motorcycle-grade screen to run CarPlay on than the GPS itself. A quality motorcycle display solves that while adding features: integrated dashcams, blind spot detection (BSD), TPMS, and OBD monitoring that no dedicated GPS offers. 

The AIO-6 LTE, priced at $560, adds a 4G SIM slot for live tracking, SOS emergency, and remote security monitoring independent of your phone's data connection. For a full feature-by-feature breakdown, the Garmin vs CHIGEE Comparison covers the specifications in detail.

Riders stuck with GPS for years due to lack of motorcycle-grade screens. CarPlay displays now add dashcams, BSD, TPMS, and more. Source

The CHIGEE AIO-6 Max, priced at $460, packages a 6-inch, 2,000-nit IPS display in an IP69-rated aluminum alloy housing with full CarPlay and Android Auto support.

A quality motorcycle display adds features no GPS offers. The AIO-6 review tests visibility, dashcam, and daily use for commuting and touring.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does CarPlay work without a cellular signal?

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mirror your phone's screen, so their offline capability depends entirely on what your phone has cached. If you pre-download map tiles through Google Maps or Apple Maps, navigation continues to function in areas without signal. Apps like Gaia GPS and onX Offroad are built specifically for offline use and integrate cleanly with CarPlay. A dedicated GPS's offline performance is still technically superior for truly remote routes, but for most riders the practical gap has narrowed considerably.

Is a dedicated GPS more reliable than CarPlay on a long trip?

Reliability depends heavily on your setup. A bare phone in a cheap mount is less reliable than a Garmin Zumo XT2. That's a fair comparison to make. A properly installed CarPlay display like the AIO-6 Max wired directly to the battery, housed in an IP69-rated aluminum shell, is arguably more reliable because there are fewer single points of failure. The phone itself can stay protected in a waterproof inner pocket while the display handles all rider interaction.

Can I use Siri or Google Assistant for voice commands while riding?

Yes, both work through CarPlay and Android Auto when your phone is mirrored to a motorcycle display. You can set a destination, make a call, send a message, or switch playlists entirely by voice without taking your hands off the bars. Garmin devices also support voice commands, but they're limited to Garmin-specific functions. With CarPlay, every app your phone's voice assistant supports becomes accessible hands-free on the bike.

What happens if my phone battery dies mid-ride?

This is the most-cited vulnerability of a CarPlay setup, and it's a legitimate concern worth planning around. The solution is a hardwired power cable running from the bike's battery through a fused circuit to the display, which keeps the phone charging continuously while riding. Most quality motorcycle displays, including the AIO-6 series, include wiring harnesses designed for exactly this kind of installation. A phone that's plugged in while running navigation, music, and CarPlay will typically maintain or gain charge rather than lose it.

Is CarPlay legal to use while riding in all U.S. states?

Distracted driving laws vary by state, but hands-free operation is generally permitted and glance-based navigation is treated similarly to checking a mirror. The key requirement is that the display is mounted in a fixed position within your line of sight, not handheld. Voice commands through Siri or Google Assistant keep most interaction hands-free. If you're riding in states with stricter statutes, check your local laws; most dedicated motorcycle CarPlay displays are designed to meet hands-free standards.

Does a CarPlay display replace a dashcam?

On a basic CarPlay display, the answer is no, but on a motorcycle-grade display like the CHIGEE AIO-6, yes. The AIO-6 integrates front and rear 1080P HDR dashcams directly into the unit, recording continuously to an SD card in the background while CarPlay navigation runs in the foreground. Dedicated GPS devices don't record video at all. If dashcam footage matters to you, and after any incident involving another vehicle it will, a CarPlay display with integrated cameras delivers stronger overall value than a GPS and separate dashcam purchased individually.

The Navigation Stack Is Shifting

Dedicated GPS devices are not disappearing overnight, but the gap has narrowed to the point where the premium is difficult to justify for most riders. The Garmin Zumo XT2 at $549.99 remains the right call for backcountry riders who regularly ride without cellular coverage.

For everyone else, the CHIGEE AIO-6 Series, starting at $460 for the Max and $560 for the LTE, combines CarPlay, dashcam recording, blind spot detection, and TPMS into one weatherproof unit. The AIO-6 Series Buyers Guide walks through which version fits your riding style. To connect with riders already running the setup, the CHIGEE Facebook Group is the fastest way to get real-world answers.

About the Author

Reuben Cabrera is a motorcycle gear correspondent and writer with over 60,000 km of riding experience across the Philippines. He tests gear in tropical conditions and contributes to its better On the road, and CHIGEE. He rides a 1990 Yamaha XJR 400 and runs phtoll.com, a motorcycle gear and bike review site based in the Philippines.