Description below is what manufacturer claims.  I do not warrant their description.

Fly smarter and safer with the GPSMAP 496 on board. This “know-it-all” mini-MFD puts more power and information at your fingertips than any other portable handheld in the history of aviation. Similar to the GPSMAP 396, the 496 combines satellite weather with a detailed color map and terrain alerting, then takes it up a notch with even more high-end software and features. The 496 is a “must have” for any pilot.

View Your Position on Taxiways

Garmin SafeTaxi® data provides detailed taxiway diagrams and position information for over 850 U.S. airports. Preloaded on the unit, this information helps you navigate unfamiliar airports with confidence and shows your aircraft’s exact position on the field.

Access AOPA Airport Directory

Easily look up taxi services, plan an overnight, choose fuel stops and more with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Airport Directory included on GPSMAP 496. It offers detailed information for over 5,300 U.S. airports along with the names and phone numbers of thousands of FBOs, plus ground transportation, lodging, restaurants, local attractions and more.

Receive Altitude-Sensitive Alerts

When in the air, Garmin’s new Smart Airspace™ feature makes it easier than ever to identify what airspace lies ahead. Smart Airspace automatically highlights airspace close to your current altitude and de-emphasizes airspace away from the current altitude, which gives you increased situational awareness.

Enjoy Faster Update Rate

For added realism and safety, the 496’s GPS map data and “panel page” gauges at five times per second (5 Hz), a significantly faster update rate compared to most traditional GPS devices. You get a smoother, near real-time presentation of your aircraft’s analog indicators, such as the HSI and turn coordinator.

Enhance Situational Awareness

GPSMAP 496 features a built-in Jeppesen database, and an Americas, Atlantic or Pacific terrain database. It also includes an obstacles database for the U.S. or Europe. Using this information, the 496 displays your flight route over contour terrain mapping. The higher-resolution terrain database includes over ten times as much data as the 396’s for even more visual reference. With information from the terrain and obstacles databases, the 496 monitors your current position in relation to surrounding terrain to provide alerts. Even customize your own minimum clearance levels to receive terrain cautions. The addition of private airports and heliports to the database provides even more navigation and emergency "nearest" options.

Add Weather, Radio and Traffic

Make informed decisions based on weather and traffic with optional sensors and services. With a subscription to and the included GXM 30A smart antenna, you’ll have access to constantly-updated, high-resolution weather data for the U.S, right in the cockpit. Weather information includes Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD), Aviation Routine Weather Reports (METARs), Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs), Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), Lightning and Winds Aloft and can be laid directly over the 496’s Jeppesen and topographic map databases. With an additional monthly service fee, GXM 30A delivers XM Satellite Radio to your aircraft. Add a Garmin Mode S transponder, and the 496 will also display TIS traffic alerts that identify surrounding air traffic.

Navigate by Air, Land or Sea

Garmin’s GPSMAP 496 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with motels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply enter a destination, and you’re automatically routed with voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions. In addition, GPSMAP 496 accepts such as school zones and safety cameras and includes proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs. Add optional BlueChart® g2 data cards, and turn the 496 into a color chartplotter.

GPSMAP 496: The world’s most highly evolved aviation portable.