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iPhone GPS Navigation App - as good as a stand-alone car GPS?

slugg

slugg

Diamond Member
So one of the original things that attracted me to the iPhone was the consolidation of my devices. I used to carry an iPod, PDA, and cell phone back in the day. Then I got various other smart phones and still carried the iPod. The iPhone 3G was my first iPhone and I loved it, since I no longer needed to carry 2 devices!

Now I have an iPhone 4 (non-S). I have a Garmin Nuvi (forgot exact model, about 2 years old) GPS and it works pretty well. The text to speech, spoken directions are easy to understand and the device is very quick at recalculating a new path when I miss a turn.

I'm looking at various iPhone GPS navigation apps so I can stop leaving the GPS in the car. With a soft-top convertible that has pretty much no security, I don't want to leave anything in there at all.

So... are they any good? My biggest concern is the speed/timing at which they operate. I don't want to hear "turn left" while I'm already passing the street. I also don't want it to take so long to recalculate that I just continue to get lost. I understand that some apps stream maps while others, like TomTom, have a monolithic database built-in for offline use; either is fine. Battery drainage is not a concern; it'll be plugged in to my car's head unit and continue to charge.

What are your experiences?
 
MotionX GPS Drive is very capable...you can pre-load maps to the on-board flash memory prior to your trip, if you want to..and it's something like $20.00/year for the spoken, tun-by-turn directions. You can take a call while using it too...

It operates in real time so you won't be missing any turns.
 
jonesthewine said:
It operates in real time so you won't be missing any turns.
Click to expand...

Missing turns happens from either spacing out, confusion, or other jerks on the road. The fact that it operates in real time doesn't really help; it needs to pre-emptively tell you to turn well before the turn, then remind you and repeat the street name when you're coming close to it. Most importantly, when you do miss a turn, which will inevitably happen, it needs to be able to recalculate very quickly.
 
Someone borrowed my Garmin the other day and I ended up needing a GPS, so I snagged Garmin StreetPilot OnDemand from the App Store. Garmin has two apps available - the full version and the cloud version. OnDemand is the cloud version and costs a dollar for the app and $2.99 a month for the service (or $29.99 for the year, which is $2.50 a month). You are basically paying for "Premium Navigation with Traffic", which includes the voice nav, real-time traffic, speed limits (also has an option that beeps at you when you exceed the speed limit, which is cool - plus not all roads have easily visible speed limit signs so it's nice to see them on the GPS), lane-assist with junction views, 2D & 3D viewing.

I've used it once and it did a pretty nice job. You can call places from within the app (such as restaurants), play music from your iPod, check the weather where you are going, etc. You can also use Siri to input a destination - if you tap on the search bar and bring up the keyboard, you can hit the voice input button and it will type out what you say. It does a surprisingly good job with numbers and weird streetnames and whatnot. Also it played nice with MOG (my favorite music app), so you can listen to songs on your stereo while driving if you don't use the iPod.

My biggest complaint is the input system - it's like a regular iPhone app (tiny onscreen keyboard like for texting). Not the touch-friendly giant-button input system like the dedicated GPS's have. I'd actually like to see a scroll list of states, then towns, then roads, sort of like your Contacts list - you can flick up or down, or use the right-side speed jump bar to navigate quicker. Inputting destinations by address on the iPhone is something you should really pull over for because you can't just mash some big buttons from your dash mount.

I am also curious to how it performs when the signal is lost. What happens if you go under a tunnel, or you are in an area with bad reception - does it pre-load the maps from the local area? What happens if you get a call? I have Verizon and they can't do 3G data while talking on their network - so will it stop loading the map down the road if I'm on a call? I haven't read any reviews of that yet so I don't know.

Overall pretty good. Worth a few bucks a month at least for a backup navigation device.
 
All the reviews I read seem to talk about UI features... I can't find any comments on the actual performance of the routing. I found an awesome video of TomTom and Garmin for iPhone, side by side, but only to find out that he was using the car-kits, which provide the device with an extra, higher quality GPS. This is not an option for me.
 
slugg said:
All the reviews I read seem to talk about UI features... I can't find any comments on the actual performance of the routing. I found an awesome video of TomTom and Garmin for iPhone, side by side, but only to find out that he was using the car-kits, which provide the device with an extra, higher quality GPS. This is not an option for me.
Click to expand...

The routing on the Garmin was good. I do not have the car kit. Wish I did - I need a gooseneck suction cup for my windshield!
 
I just realized that none of these seem to be too practical or user friendly when you need to take a call while driving. Meh, I'll stick to my actual GPS device.
 
alent1234 said:
Check out waze just for the free real time traffic
Click to expand...

This, the routing is a little squirrelly at times, but for free, it's pretty good.

I've used Google Maps/Nav on Android devices, and it's functional, but not as good as a stand alone GPS (few features, and you need a data connection at least some of the time)
 
*disclaimer, don't know squat about the iPhone apps or pay to play nav apps in general*

The first GPS I had was the Google Nav on my OG Droid...I picked up a Garmin Nuvi 1390LMT this summer in preparation of switching to a Windows Phone. Honestly...it sucks. Supposed to be a pretty good model, but it's dog slow to recalculate compared to a smartphone (to the point that I had to stop a few times and just look up where I was on my phone), the resistive screen is just a pain to use, it's completely dependent on GPS satellites for location, the routing is retarded, and it has some strange distance to go oddities.

So I bet an app would work as well or better.
 
I went back to my garmin after using tomtom app and their custom dock. Acuracy wasn't there and maps were messed up in my neighborhood. Plus it would drain the battery faster than it could charge.
 
I have used the following:
Stand alone:TomTom GPS. Garmin GPS.

Iphone 4: Navigon. TomTom. RoadMate.

Stand alone GPS:
Pro:
- Stand alone model, dedicated to doing just 1 thing.
Con:
- Slow start up.
- Maps might be out of date.

Iphone's GPS:
Pro:
- Fast start up and lock signal in faster than stand alone GPS. It use a combination of GPS and cell triangulation.
- More intuitive and faster user interface.

Con:
- You won't be able to use it when you get a call.
- Will drain your battery.


In terms of useability, I found the iphone GPS apps are a lot friendlier to use and more responsive. Plus with the phone I can take it with me instead of hiding the GPS some where in the compartment and if you have other cars you have to remember to take it from one and bring to another to use.

Also, most of my contacts on my phone have address too. So when I'm visiting someone, I can just select the contact in the GPS app and it automatically load the address in. I don't have to input it in like on a stand alone GPS.

As for accuracy of the iPhone GPS. I see no differences from it compare to stand alone GPS, it may even be better. I used TomTom GPS in center city Philadelphia one time and it was confused due to I think GPS interference from all the tall buildings, then I use my iphone GPS and it works fine.
 
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nace186 said:
- You won't be able to use it when you get a call.
Click to expand...

This may be true if you're using streaming maps on a Verizon or Sprint iPhone, but if you have an app that caches maps locally, or an AT&T iPhone, you should be able to do both at the same time. Obviously, you would need a headset, but you should have one of those if you are talking while driving anyway.
 
tomtom and others make in car docks with power connector and GPS chip built in

the cheapo on amazon is $5 for a universal dock with no power and no GPS. the TomTom one is $100 or $120 and will work with it's own iOS app and maybe others for GPS. and there is a whole range of other in car phone docks at different price ranges
 
I have GPS built into my 2010 Acura TSX: Best money spent. Startup is quick, routing is fine. It has a proper antenna, so I have no real GPS fix issues - only when in the middle of skycrapers in Seattle do I have issues where the GPS thinks I'm off-roading it. I can never go back to using phone based GPS. If anything, I use my iPad 2 as a large map.
 
RampantAndroid said:
I have GPS built into my 2010 Acura TSX: Best money spent. Startup is quick, routing is fine. It has a proper antenna, so I have no real GPS fix issues - only when in the middle of skycrapers in Seattle do I have issues where the GPS thinks I'm off-roading it. I can never go back to using phone based GPS. If anything, I use my iPad 2 as a large map.
Click to expand...

I'll definitely agree with you there. Modern all-in-one head units are just plain awesome. There's so much you can do with full integration! Unfortunately, in a little convertible, it's just screaming "STEAL ME," so it's not an option for me. The policy I live by with my car is that I only leave things in it that I'm okay with losing, then I make sure to never lock the doors. I'd rather you steal my iPod cable and headache medicine than to slash my top. 😛
 
alent1234 said:
You paid $2000 for the same tomtom software as available in the app store
Click to expand...

No, I didn't. I paid $2000 more for GPS linked climate control, an amazing sound system, iDevice integration, a 6 disc changer, and as for the GPS system I bought? I bought a system with an antenna that is on the roof of my car. No obstructed by the metal frame of the car....it's got a clear view of the sky. No worries about what film I tint my car with, either. better, it's integrated. To steal the GPS, you gotta steal the whole car. There is no simple way to get it out. Removing it to service even the screen alone is an hour long process.

Worth the money I spent? Heck. Yes.


slugg said:
I'll definitely agree with you there. Modern all-in-one head units are just plain awesome. There's so much you can do with full integration! Unfortunately, in a little convertible, it's just screaming "STEAL ME," so it's not an option for me. The policy I live by with my car is that I only leave things in it that I'm okay with losing, then I make sure to never lock the doors. I'd rather you steal my iPod cable and headache medicine than to slash my top. 😛
Click to expand...

Exactly - this is integrated in such a way that car theft is just simpler than stealing the head unit.
 
my 2010 CR-V has idevice integration. there is a USB port i plug my iphone into and i can control it from the steering wheel and the car stereo. not that big a deal

i was thinking about an RDX in 2014 but i still can't figure out what the extra $6000 is for except the Acura label instead of honda

and the only time i have obstruction issues is with android phones. my iphone can navigate just fine and not lose connection when it's inside the car
 
alent1234 said:
my 2010 CR-V has idevice integration. there is a USB port i plug my iphone into and i can control it from the steering wheel and the car stereo. not that big a deal

i was thinking about an RDX in 2014 but i still can't figure out what the extra $6000 is for except the Acura label instead of honda

and the only time i have obstruction issues is with android phones. my iphone can navigate just fine and not lose connection when it's inside the car
Click to expand...

Then you clearly never sat inside of an Acura. I drove the Accord, and I drove the TSX. Same base car, but the TSX is a luxury car. Comfortable seats, good steering, good engine, way better internal build quality, packed with features...and the CR-V integration system in no way compares to the Acura tech packages.

If you don't know what the money is for, you probably don't care about luxury and should not buy it.
 
I've use the standalone TomTom app for my iphone and the Navi app on my Transformer tablet but both failed to impress me when compared to my aftermarket indash unit powered by garmin. Accuracy is ok on both apps but not great. The Navi app had no localized maps so I had to tether it to use it. One thing that was cool though was that it will show an actual picture of your destination once you get there. No guessing which building or house it is.
 
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