Navigon App turns your iPhone into a GPS device
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This is an interesting business strategy. In May Navigon announced they were stopping production of North American GPS units. With every electronic item coming with a GPS chip now, focusing on software and maps could make them a lot of money. I wouldn't be surprised to see this for Android and Palm devices in the near future as well.
To properly use the app I need to install a iphone holder in my vehicle. One that can turn to use the gps in landscape mode. Even at that the volume of the iphone speaker isn't the greatest to hear the commands. I am sure using as a pedestrian would be fine. Still an okay app at $70 but any higher then that is not worth it...IMO.
I bought the software about a week ago. I find the respond time is a lot slower then my Navi 755T. For example, it doesn't know I made a turn until I already complete the turn... I have iphone 3G, so its processing power might not be as good as 3GS. Also, it doesn't speak the street name (I find this very important).
Other then this, the app isn't too bad. The UI is pretty decent too.
I would go with standalone GPS if you are going to have GPS on your own car. I only use my iphone as GPS for my college drives me
Other then this, the app isn't too bad. The UI is pretty decent too.
I would go with standalone GPS if you are going to have GPS on your own car. I only use my iphone as GPS for my college drives me
I have a 3G and am pretty interesting in buying the app. I have a Nuvi for the car, so this would just be used as a handheld in cities I'm visiting. I think I can handle the slow startup time given the positives of having a gps in your pocket.
Gonna do a bit more reading first. I'll report back before the 15th (when the price goes up) if I do buy it.
To the folks that own the app already, can you boot it up and just have it show the map and you movign around on it? Ie, have no destination?
Gonna do a bit more reading first. I'll report back before the 15th (when the price goes up) if I do buy it.
To the folks that own the app already, can you boot it up and just have it show the map and you movign around on it? Ie, have no destination?
Installed it this afternoon. It's hefty, somewhere over 1 gig so make sure you download it to itunes and then sync first. They recommend having almost 2 gb free for the install.
I've done some limited testing around my area tonight and so far so good. I'm running on a 3G phone and the load time is acceptable. I was expecting much worse load times after reading some blogs. For my use as a pedestrian while visiting new cities it will be fine. There may be some slight lag moving around the menus, but its very minimal and nothing that gets in the way.
I stood outside for maybe 30 secs after booting the app to make sure the GPS locked in. I'm used to this as I use RunKeeper daily (it uses the gps to track runs, quite well I might add). I walked around the neigborhood tonight with the iphone in hand and the app running, just showing the map. It kept pretty good tabs on where I was. I then set it to "take me home" and it did, very accurate.
It can be run in 3d mode or not. I prefer the 2d overhead view. The 3d is cool but it's a little hard to read the street names. I read somewhere this may be addressed in the next update.
The POI work pretty well, the schools, parks, corner stores were all listed around my area. Showing what's "near me" is only a few clicks away. Seems a click or 2 could be streamlined out but it's not a huge issue, I'm not driving, just walking in most cases so it's ok to stop and click away. I did notice one gas station by me was clearly in the wrong place on the street. I will test tomorrow letting it guide me to that station to see if it is indeed off. Every other POI around me appeared to be bang on to where it should be. Some even have their actual custom logos, BestBuy for example has their logo, kinda neat.
So far for my $69 I'm happy. I have a Garmin Nuvi that I'll continue to use on road trips in the car but this app on the iphone will be super handy when on foot in new cities or even downtown here in ottawa when looking for the closest atm etc. I'm running a Rogers PayAsYouGo sim in my iphone so I don't have a data plan. With this app having everything loaded into it and not needing 3G data transfers it works out really well for me.
I'm going to try out a few more tests tomorrow and report back. So far so good though.
I've done some limited testing around my area tonight and so far so good. I'm running on a 3G phone and the load time is acceptable. I was expecting much worse load times after reading some blogs. For my use as a pedestrian while visiting new cities it will be fine. There may be some slight lag moving around the menus, but its very minimal and nothing that gets in the way.
I stood outside for maybe 30 secs after booting the app to make sure the GPS locked in. I'm used to this as I use RunKeeper daily (it uses the gps to track runs, quite well I might add). I walked around the neigborhood tonight with the iphone in hand and the app running, just showing the map. It kept pretty good tabs on where I was. I then set it to "take me home" and it did, very accurate.
It can be run in 3d mode or not. I prefer the 2d overhead view. The 3d is cool but it's a little hard to read the street names. I read somewhere this may be addressed in the next update.
The POI work pretty well, the schools, parks, corner stores were all listed around my area. Showing what's "near me" is only a few clicks away. Seems a click or 2 could be streamlined out but it's not a huge issue, I'm not driving, just walking in most cases so it's ok to stop and click away. I did notice one gas station by me was clearly in the wrong place on the street. I will test tomorrow letting it guide me to that station to see if it is indeed off. Every other POI around me appeared to be bang on to where it should be. Some even have their actual custom logos, BestBuy for example has their logo, kinda neat.
So far for my $69 I'm happy. I have a Garmin Nuvi that I'll continue to use on road trips in the car but this app on the iphone will be super handy when on foot in new cities or even downtown here in ottawa when looking for the closest atm etc. I'm running a Rogers PayAsYouGo sim in my iphone so I don't have a data plan. With this app having everything loaded into it and not needing 3G data transfers it works out really well for me.
I'm going to try out a few more tests tomorrow and report back. So far so good though.
Wait a minute - so this works without accessing any data?!
I guess it makes sense: if the maps are all pre-installed, and it's only communicating with the GPS to get coordinates, I guess there would be no need for data.
This just got a lot more attractive to me, as the times when I most want a GPS on my iPhone is when I'm in unfamiliar cities (which is typically when I'm in the US) - and I just have a pre-paid SIM there with no data. This would be fantastic!!
I guess it makes sense: if the maps are all pre-installed, and it's only communicating with the GPS to get coordinates, I guess there would be no need for data.
This just got a lot more attractive to me, as the times when I most want a GPS on my iPhone is when I'm in unfamiliar cities (which is typically when I'm in the US) - and I just have a pre-paid SIM there with no data. This would be fantastic!!
Nuje, you are correct. I'm with you, running a prepaid Rogers SIM card with no data plan so this app became very attractive from that angle. The install has all the maps, POI etc, it doesn't need any data connection. Very sweet for anyone not sporting a data plan.
Not so sure
I thought so too, but now I'm not so sure. Text-to-speech and traffic are planned for Navigon according to the chart above.
PocketGPSWorld.com iPhone Navigation App Comparison Chart
I thought so too, but now I'm not so sure. Text-to-speech and traffic are planned for Navigon according to the chart above.
Here's a good comparison review between TomTom and Navigon. Navigon comes out on top.
http://iphonetunes.net/index.php/apps/comments/iphonetunes_review_tomtom_vs_navigon_-_all_features_compared/
I've been using Navigon since I read on this forum and its great, For the price and how well it works with the only thing I can compare it to was my old C550 Garmin unit. I found the the software working with the 3g gps to be spot on right now to the meter. And all I did was use the ipod cable from my radio and listen to where I have to turn. There was no need to watch it while driving.
The bad: (not really, I just miss some features)
-load times : and be a bit slow, don't know if this is the software waiting for a GPS signal ?
- You can't load your own way points , the only thing I miss from using my old garmin, great for known "polica" hang outs esp when your in a city you don't known all too well.
- lack of traffic/delay data, there must be some way, but maybe I'm asking to much
and that's all I have to say , its great piece of software for the iphone.
The bad: (not really, I just miss some features)
-load times : and be a bit slow, don't know if this is the software waiting for a GPS signal ?
- You can't load your own way points , the only thing I miss from using my old garmin, great for known "polica" hang outs
esp when your in a city you don't known all too well. - lack of traffic/delay data, there must be some way, but maybe I'm asking to much
and that's all I have to say , its great piece of software for the iphone.
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