Every Garmin I've had and have need(ed) a computer. And they have shat themselves whilst on a trip. The Garmin's that run android are basically evolving on the same path the phones have, starting with a GPS instead of a GSM, but over a decade behind the curve.

I don't buy the redundancy argument. Most (not all) people that travel with one, can't navigate without a GPS. Often relying on turn-by-turn navigation, relying on often old maps. Most times you only need to know in what valley you are. If there is a trail infront of your front wheel pointing in the direction you want to go, you're doing ok.
Unless you ride a 300 kg GS and you want a highway.

Back before openstreetmap and google maps Garmin was useful because they were pretty much the only source of trackable maps. But only in developed countries. On my trip through South America in 2005 it was absolutely useless. The one before that I had an etrex and only used it once in Mongolia to check if I was roughly going the into the right valley chasing fuel. Map screen version were too expensive.

So if you are going to use openstreetmap, and you have an android device that you just upgraded (as I said, most people are not on their first android smartphone) that you already use in day to day life, why buy another that does exactly the same thing?

This thread is to try offer an alternative view and help new bike travelers save some money from buying another item they really don't need. Just like other thread provide an alternative view to set fire to that Touratech catalog. A dedicated GPS is a luxury item, and a redundant one at that. Not a must have. If your phone does the same thing, that'll do just fine.

As was said. Redundancy is a paper map. Having digital maps in you pocket just helps you carry less of them. Its much easier to zoom on a smartphone and navigate old school with a digitized "paper" topo map than it is on a Garmin. At least the ones I've had/ have.

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