Best GPS App for iOS 4 and iPhone 4?

[kas23]

Since it seems all GPS Apps are discounted greatly, now is the best time to grab one of them. To anyone using the iOS 4 GM and who has a GPS App, tell us about your experiences. What do you think the best GPS App is going to be for iOS 4?

And I know the iPhone 4 is not out yet, but what GPS App is most likely to perform the best with the extra RAM on board?

 

[Kahnyl]

I don't think any of those apps have been updated for 4.0 yet. If they were someone would have posted about it.

You might want to check out the Navigon video preview that was posted here yesterday. It's a few threads down from this one.

EDIT: I'd suspect that in hopes of getting a bunch of new customers on Thurday that any sales will continue through the week.

 

[bmms8]

none of the apps have been updated for 4.0 but i love and swear by navigon. they are hopefully releasing 1.6 soon with 4.0 support as well. they do update pretty often as well. check them out as well their reviews!

 

[cmascatello]

none of the apps have been updated for 4.0 but i love and swear by navigon. they are hopefully releasing 1.6 soon with 4.0 support as well. they do update pretty often as well. check them out as well their reviews!

There is a demo clip on YouTube of Navigon 1.6 in action on a iOS4 device. Looks pretty good. I believe that the 1.6 version has already been submitted to Apple for approval -- I would expect to see it next week.

 

[scwinsett]

MotionX Drive is the absolute best. It's 99c, free first month, $3 a month after, and it has ALWAYS worked perfectly. SO MUCH BETTER THAN AT&T NAV!!!

MotionX is amazing

 

[SFC Archer]

MotionX Drive is the absolute best. It's 99c, free first month, $3 a month after, and it has ALWAYS worked perfectly. SO MUCH BETTER THAN AT&T NAV!!!

MotionX is amazing

+1...Only change that I will note here is that it is MotionX GPS Drive. MotionX GPS is a slightly different app made by the same company and used for hiking, camping, bike riding and similar.

With Drive you have the option of a monthly/yearly subscription for voice turn x turn or you can purchase 30 days at a time when needed for only $2.99. This works best for me since I know where everything is and know my way around my own town and area. I only purchase the voice when we travel.

Oh...forgot to point out that it is currently working perfectly on my 3GS with Golden Master 4.0 so believe that it will function perfectly well with iPhone 4 on Thursday.

 

[scwinsett]

yea, good clarification, MotionX GPS Drive it is. It is the best.. By far

 

[thelatinist]

I use NAVIGON on my 3GS 4.0. It works fine, except that the Panorama 3D view does not render properly. I'm sure this will be fixed in 1.6.

 

[Krevnik]

Navigon wins at price value. Has more accurate map data on what roads exist or have changed. Limited ability to control the route, and tends to be rather 'dumb' about routing unless you buy the traffic addon.

TomTom wins at routing options and control over the route. It also tends to have more accurate map data on medians and the like on roads, so you will be told to take a turn you can't less often. IQ Routes even without the traffic service manages to let me dodge a lot of regular heavy traffic easily enough.

Magellan has a pretty slick UI and the most comprehensive support for itineraries. It's routing is sometimes rather stupid because of the lack of data on roads with medians (I've been told to make left-hand turns that can't be made). It also has the same limited routing options as Navigon, but no traffic and no ability to reroute.

 

[b00st3d]

I don't have navigon but I just read an article that said it was gonna be multitasking enabled!

 

[scwinsett]

I gotta say MotionX GPS Drive wins at price value

 

[owine]

Swear by Navigon. It hasn't let me down yet and when it has, it's due to the GPS chip in my 3GS.

 

[St8kout]

Given that ATT no longer offers an unlimited data plan for new people like me, do the SatNav apps cause the iphone to be connected to the Internet the whole time while in use? On a vacation trip that could really amount to some serious data usage over the 6GB limit. This would render the iphone app kinda useless and you would be better off buying a stand alone SatNav. They are pretty cheap these days and there is no monthly fee to use them. I bought an HP Ipaq a few years ago for $150 and still works great. It was flawless when I took a 3 week tour of the midwest to get away from Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana.

What made me think of this is I saw some tips about saving on data usage by predownloading maps for a particular application.

Edit Followup: Just saw an ad for Sygic that has pre-loaded maps and operates without being connected to the Internet, just like a stand-alone satnav. Only downside is you buy different ones depending on what part of the country you want to travel.

 

[kas23]

Given that ATT no longer offers an unlimited data plan for new people like me, do the SatNav apps cause the iphone to be connected to the Internet the whole time while in use? On a vacation trip that could really amount to some serious data usage over the 6GB limit. This would render the iphone app kinda useless and you would be better off buying a stand alone SatNav. They are pretty cheap these days and there is no monthly fee to use them. I bought an HP Ipaq a few years ago for $150 and still works great. It was flawless when I took a 3 week tour of the midwest to get away from Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana.

What made me think of this is I saw some tips about saving on data usage by predownloading maps for a particular application.

Edit Followup: Just saw an ad for Sygic that has pre-loaded maps and operates without being connected to the Internet, just like a stand-alone satnav. Only downside is you buy different ones depending on what part of the country you want to travel.

Yeah. I think GPS Apps use very little data since the maps are already loaded. The GPS signal itself is not data.

 

[VoR]

Anyone tried/using iGo ?
On my pda, the two sat nav apps I used to swear by were igo and tomtom.

 

[Warbrain]

Given that ATT no longer offers an unlimited data plan for new people like me, do the SatNav apps cause the iphone to be connected to the Internet the whole time while in use? On a vacation trip that could really amount to some serious data usage over the 6GB limit. This would render the iphone app kinda useless and you would be better off buying a stand alone SatNav. They are pretty cheap these days and there is no monthly fee to use them. I bought an HP Ipaq a few years ago for $150 and still works great. It was flawless when I took a 3 week tour of the midwest to get away from Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana.

What made me think of this is I saw some tips about saving on data usage by predownloading maps for a particular application.

Edit Followup: Just saw an ad for Sygic that has pre-loaded maps and operates without being connected to the Internet, just like a stand-alone satnav. Only downside is you buy different ones depending on what part of the country you want to travel.

Depends on the navigation app. MotionX GPS Drive downloads the maps. Other apps store them on the device. If this is something you're worried about check the notes on the app first.

That being said...MotionX GPS Drive was my favorite when I was playing around with them. I don't normally need directions so I didn't get any voice direction add-on for the time being. And it'll be a bit harder to convince myself of it once GM and Google let me send directions to my OnStar.

 

[SFC Archer]

Given that ATT no longer offers an unlimited data plan for new people like me, do the SatNav apps cause the iphone to be connected to the Internet the whole time while in use? On a vacation trip that could really amount to some serious data usage over the 6GB limit. This would render the iphone app kinda useless and you would be better off buying a stand alone SatNav. They are pretty cheap these days and there is no monthly fee to use them. I bought an HP Ipaq a few years ago for $150 and still works great. It was flawless when I took a 3 week tour of the midwest to get away from Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana.

What made me think of this is I saw some tips about saving on data usage by predownloading maps for a particular application.

Edit Followup: Just saw an ad for Sygic that has pre-loaded maps and operates without being connected to the Internet, just like a stand-alone satnav. Only downside is you buy different ones depending on what part of the country you want to travel.

Using MotionX GPS Drive is not going to harm your data caps. I have used it for two trips, one within the state of KY and one from KY to MS (9 hours) and the total usage for both trips there and back was under 250mb. It only downloads the areas that you are using based on the route you have selected and stores that data for the trip there and back. It downloads the route only so that if you lose connection, you can still navigate without loss of data.

Hope that helps.

 

[Krevnik]

I gotta say MotionX GPS Drive wins at price value

Price value isn't always about the most bargain bin pricing, over the short term. With Navigon and TomTom, the best time to buy is during sales, where you can get NA maps for 50$ or less, or US maps for 40$ or less. It is an up front cost, but it's not tied to an online server or service I gotta buy into every month or year. The break even point will be different for everyone, but in most cases, MotionX and TomTom or Navigon will break even between the one and two year point, and after that, TomTom and Navigon become cheaper than MotionX. The big advantage of MotionX is really that they can give you the first hit for cheap, then hook you into the service and draw out the same money over the longer term.

The advantage of always connected maps and databases is counteracted in my case by the desire to navigate well away from cell towers. Having something that isn't connected to towers has saved my butt when planning a return trip with detours from a remote location in the high desert. Those of us who regularly go into national parks find the local maps a good thing.

Features that some care about but others might not also may push people into the more expensive offerings, such as more advanced routing features, better itinerary support, 3D landmarks, text to speech road names, and so on.

 

[SFC Archer]

Price value isn't always about the most bargain bin pricing, over the short term. With Navigon and TomTom, the best time to buy is during sales, where you can get NA maps for 50$ or less, or US maps for 40$ or less. It is an up front cost, but it's not tied to an online server or service I gotta buy into every month or year. The break even point will be different for everyone, but in most cases, MotionX and TomTom or Navigon will break even between the one and two year point, and after that, TomTom and Navigon become cheaper than MotionX. The big advantage of MotionX is really that they can give you the first hit for cheap, then hook you into the service and draw out the same money over the longer term.

The advantage of always connected maps and databases is counteracted in my case by the desire to navigate well away from cell towers. Having something that isn't connected to towers has saved my butt when planning a return trip with detours from a remote location in the high desert. Those of us who regularly go into national parks find the local maps a good thing.

Features that some care about but others might not also may push people into the more expensive offerings, such as more advanced routing features, better itinerary support, 3D landmarks, text to speech road names, and so on.

Nice analysis and I do not want to take away from what you have stated as it is true IF someone uses the monthly subscription method. However, for those that only need turn by turn occasionally, for me it is only about 3 months out of the year...then this is the best price option. I only pay for what I need, when I need it and am not required to use a monthly subscription. I pay less then $12.00 per year...$2.99 x 3 months. When I do make a purchase, it is active for 30 days for the voice turn x turn.

Also, if you use MotionX properly and plan your route while at home or in a wifi area (not while your driving) then MotionX downloads the whole map area that you need for the planned route you have chosen. It does this so that if you do lose your signal, then you can continue your navigation with MotionX.

I have used this app for over a year now and it is the best navigation app for users that ONLY NEED IT OCCASIONALLY and do not need to be told how to get to work or the grocery store every day.

Hope this clarifies things a bit for users that have not used it and again, I want to reinforce the fact that I am not trying to belittle your post...only assist in the accuracy.

 

[BlondeBuddhist]

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I have gotten absolute perfect directions from the Maps app, every time.

It has navigated me to several destinations in and around the St. Paul/Minneapolis area. Most recently guided me without a flaw to North Carolina and back. (about 2500 total miles)

The only feature I want is the ability to see live weather in my GPS. Other than that, the guidability from Maps has been flawless.

Blonde Buddhist

 

[eh270]

If you rely on Navigon, you might want to wait for their update before updating to iOS 4 because there's an incompatibility that breaks the connection between the GPS chip and the software, so you lose your location after about 60 seconds. Didn't affect waze or other GPS apps I tried.

 

[Krevnik]

Also, if you use MotionX properly and plan your route while at home or in a wifi area (not while your driving) then MotionX downloads the whole map area that you need for the planned route you have chosen. It does this so that if you do lose your signal, then you can continue your navigation with MotionX.

Properly for the use it is intended to fill, to be specific. The example I used to describe why on-device maps are good didn't involve me trying to re-route on the road, or any of that nonsense. It was simply that while we were out in the high desert, we decided to change the route heading back and wanted to know the rough time it would take. Having the maps and POI information on the device helped us because it meant we could plan breaks/etc on an 8-9 hour trip down the highways. It made the trip back more interesting since it was a route neither of us were familiar with, or had even really seen anything of up to that point. So it was a bit more scenic in that sense, even though we were zipping down the freeway through mountain passes.

Had I used MotionX or Telenav (AT&T), I'd have to get back into civilization before we committed to a route change, instead of taking it in a more relaxed manner.

Hope this clarifies things a bit for users that have not used it and again, I want to reinforce the fact that I am not trying to belittle your post...only assist in the accuracy.

Oh, I don't consider it that, your post is the type I think the OP needs to see about MotionX versus the one I was originally responding to. It didn't have any content to help the OP really make a decision that meets their needs.

So when discussing this stuff, I think it helps that we discuss how we use the app, and why those features made app X or Y the one for us.

For me, some of the advanced features (routing, itinerary, etc), and ability to be spontaneous without limitations is what pushes me away from the apps tied to cell service. They have gotten quite good, they just don't fit my usage patterns right now.

 

[SFC Archer]

Properly for the use it is intended to fill, to be specific. The example I used to describe why on-device maps are good didn't involve me trying to re-route on the road, or any of that nonsense. It was simply that while we were out in the high desert, we decided to change the route heading back and wanted to know the rough time it would take. Having the maps and POI information on the device helped us because it meant we could plan breaks/etc on an 8-9 hour trip down the highways. It made the trip back more interesting since it was a route neither of us were familiar with, or had even really seen anything of up to that point. So it was a bit more scenic in that sense, even though we were zipping down the freeway through mountain passes.

Had I used MotionX or Telenav (AT&T), I'd have to get back into civilization before we committed to a route change, instead of taking it in a more relaxed manner.



Oh, I don't consider it that, your post is the type I think the OP needs to see about MotionX versus the one I was originally responding to. It didn't have any content to help the OP really make a decision that meets their needs.

So when discussing this stuff, I think it helps that we discuss how we use the app, and why those features made app X or Y the one for us.

For me, some of the advanced features (routing, itinerary, etc), and ability to be spontaneous without limitations is what pushes me away from the apps tied to cell service. They have gotten quite good, they just don't fit my usage patterns right now.

Nice to be able to have a discussion instead of dealing with the rude responses given by a lot of the regulars. Thanks for the feedback and I totally agree with you on your usage.

While using MotionX on my trips, as long as I was on or around an interstate, I was able to reroute on the fly and the new maps loaded just fine and no loss of navigation service. In your scenario, I agree that if you are out in the boonies and lose 3G/Edge service, it could potentially be an issue (I still carry regular old fashion maps as a backup).

With my use, I have not had any issues while traveling and at the end of the trip, I am able to clear the map cache and free up space. With Navigon you will always have a map or two loaded and it will use space. Is this an issue, probably not but still a consideration.

I tend to like the UI of MotionX a lot more then Navigon and thus it has a permanent home on my iPhone, while Navigon is a backup and will probably be loaded and used when I travel to Montana in August and there is limited cell service. I will try both in Montana and see how they compare as that will be the ultimate test.

 

[Krevnik]

You won't get disagreement from me on Navigon. It's hard to tell when a feature isn't available or just buried with that app. And it can easily be either one. Once you're comfortable you can do some good stuff with it, but it's price tends to reflect the missing features that TomTom or Magellan have.

The core is definitely solid on most of these apps though. It's the specialized features aimed at different users that make them shine or not.

 

[jeffp]

Has anyone else tried Navigon after the iOS4 update? Since I updated, there is a problem with the panarama 3D mode. The display shows double street names as well as other issues. If I turn it off and just use 3D it returns to normal. I might try to uninstall the panorama feature then reinstall it. Otherwise, it might have to wait for an update.