50 Words or Less
The Bushnell Wingman View GPS Speaker is a substantial upgrade over the original thanks to the LCD screen. Requires connection to Bushnell app to provide distances. Good sound quality.
Introduction
Music is becoming a staple on the golf course for many players. One of the most popular ways to bring your tunes to the course is the Bushnell Wingman GPS Speaker [review HERE]. New for 2023, Bushnell has upgraded the Wingman with an LCD screen. Is the Bushnell Wingman View the new standard for putting the fun in function? Let’s discuss.
Set Up & Ease of Use
When you unbox the Bushnell Wingman View, you get the speaker, the remote, a charging cable, and a quick start guide. The guide gives you QR codes for downloading the Bushnell app (this is necessary) and acquiring the full user’s manual. The quick start guide is focused on the functions of the buttons and is good to keep handy. With regular use, I’m sure all the functions become second nature, but several of the features are not accessed in an obvious way.
Pairing your Wingman View with your phone is done through the Bushnell app. It’s easy and takes only a minute. Once your device is paired, you can start using it as a speaker right away.
To use the Wingman View on the course, turn on the device and open the Bushnell app. Make sure your device is actively paired and then use the app to select your course. The yardages from the app will appear on the screen of the Wingman View, and you can use any music app to play songs through the speaker. To reiterate: the Wingman View will not provide yardages without the Bushnell app.
Accuracy & Performance
The yardages that the Bushnell app provides are good and update with reasonable speed. If you’re in a cart, you may have to wait a couple seconds for the Wingman View to show the correct distances. Comparing the yardages from the Wingman View to those marked on the course and the cart’s built-in GPS, the difference was never more than a couple yards.
While this is a review of the Bushnell Wingman View, I do want to say again how good the Bushnell Golf app is. It’s one of the better golf GPS apps I’ve used. The images are very clear, and navigating the app is intuitive. You may find yourself leaning on the app even when you don’t bring the Wingman View to the course.
Returning to the device, the Bushnell Wingman View has Bushnell’s BITE magnet so that you can mount it on your cart, as seen above. The display will change depending on the orientation of the device, so you can mount or place it however you like. The addition of the LCD screen is a major upgrade on the original Wingman. I know that audio GPS devices have a devoted following, but I want to see the number, not wait for it to be spoken aloud. Also, if I’m playing music, I don’t want to break up the tunes to hear the distance.
For those that do use the audio yardages, the remote is a critical part of the Wingman View. It’s small and weighs less than an ounce, so you can keep it in your pocket easily. With it, you can modify the volume, get the yardages, control the music, or play one of two custom sound bites. As someone who typically plays solo, these sound bites don’t get any use, but I can see them being fun to heckle someone in your regular group.
Finally, the Bushnell Wingman View can act as a portable charger for your other devices. The USB-A port on the bottom of the device is a power output (you charge the Wingman View through the USB-C port). The Wingman View claims to have a battery life of 10 hours, so you can easily play a round while also charging your phone or other device.
Value
The Bushnell Wingman View GPS Speaker retails for $199. Please consider supporting Plugged In Golf by buying it HERE.
When I reviewed the original Wingman, I said that the value was hard to judge because it had no direct competitor. That remains true with the Wingman View. What I can say is that I think the additional $50 for the LCD screen is money well spent if you’re interested in the Wingman concept.
Conclusion
If the number of comments on the original review is any indication, music on the golf course will continue to be a divisive issue in golf. What’s inarguable, however, is that the Bushnell Wingman View is a substantial upgrade over the original. The addition of the LCD screen makes this a better, more versatile device. If you want to bring your tunes to the course, this is worth a look.
Buy the Bushnell Wingman View HERE
Visit Bushnell Golf HERE
Matt Saternus
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The Bushnell Wingman is a very good product. The original version lasted 3 years with weekly use before the charging port broke. However, once the app was updated to this new version, it became a battery hog and rapidly drained my phone battery. Since I walk 99% of my rounds, this was a problem and required a portable charger as well (I’ve found the new GHIN version has the same issue, and it is not the end of the world, but another device required). This isn’t a problem for those that ride in carts with USB power but walkers should be aware.
I just received the wingman view as a present, and my only complaint is regarding the app, not the speaker.
The app does not allow you to track scores of your group, it only allows you to track your own score. That is just stupid, by nature golf is a social game. They might as well provided earplugs to Blick out the rest of your group.from.the music as well.