Here is a YouTube video to how I mount the iPhone in the car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOMIQ-t507w
PROS: Speed Limit Warnings, Gently lowers iPod volume to play Navigation instructions, rather than completely stopping it, School zone warnings
CONS: Lack of customization, unable to avoid certain roads when planning a route, etc., Uses Apple keyboard
Anyways, on with the review. I needed a GPS application because I do On-Site computer repairs, and having a turn by turn navigation system would help me out a lot in navigating to the worksites. I purchased this application well before TomTom was out, and I really liked the GUI of Navigon on their standalone PNDs.
When just driving, and not needing navigation, I leave the Navigon application on the "Show Map" screen for the sake of the speed limit warnings, and the speed limit virtual roadsign. This view is really helpful because sometimes you would forget what the posted speed limit really is, and I can just glance at the screen and find out what the speed limit is. Also, the voice would tell me caution when I am 5 over the speed limit (What I had set it to).
When actually navigating, this is where I have noticed some problems, sometimes, it would place me on the adjacent road, rather than the road I am actually on. This doesn't happen a lot, but when it does, it is really annoying. Last time I was driving down the freeway, and there is a frontage road that ran right beside it. The GPS thought I was driving on the frontage road, and started telling me caution, because it thought I was over the speed limit of the frontage road, rather than the highway.
Another problem I have with it is the fact it uses the Apple keyboard, rather than something a little more finger friendly. For something like Address numbers, a large number pad should appear, but instead the default Apple keyboard shows. This is just a minor inconvenience, and shouldn't be bad if you plan your routes before placing the phone in the car mount.
It does read off major highways, such as "L O O P 101" and "A Z 87 North"...which is good enough for me. There are a few quirks with the application however, and does not seem to take into the account of the American audience this application is targeted, for example, it pronounces the letter "Z" as "Zed"
Lane assistance and reality view pro has to be the coolest thing I have ever seen in a GPS however.
I hope that TTS would be added soon, but it is no problem. I really like how the homescreen for Navigon also has a nice giant Show Map button for when I am driving without the need for navigation instructions.
The speedometer on the GPS app is very important to me, because I feel that it is more accurate than the one built into my car. The speedometer built into my car is off by a few MPH, and shows that I am going faster than what I really am going. Navigon's built in speedometer is surprisingly really accurate. (Compared with the digital "your speed is" signs along Arizona roads)
Now comparing it to TomTom
I AM SO GLAD I DID NOT PURCHASE TOMTOM! I know I have made another thread about plunking down the cash for TomTom, but now that I think about it, Navigon is much better than TomTom. My best friend decided to buy TomTom today, and I messed around with it.
From what I can see, there are no audible speed limit warnings, no school speed limit warnings. Also nothing about "major road" TTS either, unlike Navigon.
If you already have Navigon, TomTom is not worth it, stick with Navigon. It is the most fully featured GPS for North America available on the iPhone!
PROS: Speed Limit Warnings, Gently lowers iPod volume to play Navigation instructions, rather than completely stopping it, School zone warnings
CONS: Lack of customization, unable to avoid certain roads when planning a route, etc., Uses Apple keyboard
Anyways, on with the review. I needed a GPS application because I do On-Site computer repairs, and having a turn by turn navigation system would help me out a lot in navigating to the worksites. I purchased this application well before TomTom was out, and I really liked the GUI of Navigon on their standalone PNDs.
When just driving, and not needing navigation, I leave the Navigon application on the "Show Map" screen for the sake of the speed limit warnings, and the speed limit virtual roadsign. This view is really helpful because sometimes you would forget what the posted speed limit really is, and I can just glance at the screen and find out what the speed limit is. Also, the voice would tell me caution when I am 5 over the speed limit (What I had set it to).
When actually navigating, this is where I have noticed some problems, sometimes, it would place me on the adjacent road, rather than the road I am actually on. This doesn't happen a lot, but when it does, it is really annoying. Last time I was driving down the freeway, and there is a frontage road that ran right beside it. The GPS thought I was driving on the frontage road, and started telling me caution, because it thought I was over the speed limit of the frontage road, rather than the highway.
Another problem I have with it is the fact it uses the Apple keyboard, rather than something a little more finger friendly. For something like Address numbers, a large number pad should appear, but instead the default Apple keyboard shows. This is just a minor inconvenience, and shouldn't be bad if you plan your routes before placing the phone in the car mount.
It does read off major highways, such as "L O O P 101" and "A Z 87 North"...which is good enough for me. There are a few quirks with the application however, and does not seem to take into the account of the American audience this application is targeted, for example, it pronounces the letter "Z" as "Zed"
Lane assistance and reality view pro has to be the coolest thing I have ever seen in a GPS however.
I hope that TTS would be added soon, but it is no problem. I really like how the homescreen for Navigon also has a nice giant Show Map button for when I am driving without the need for navigation instructions.
The speedometer on the GPS app is very important to me, because I feel that it is more accurate than the one built into my car. The speedometer built into my car is off by a few MPH, and shows that I am going faster than what I really am going. Navigon's built in speedometer is surprisingly really accurate. (Compared with the digital "your speed is" signs along Arizona roads)
Now comparing it to TomTom
I AM SO GLAD I DID NOT PURCHASE TOMTOM! I know I have made another thread about plunking down the cash for TomTom, but now that I think about it, Navigon is much better than TomTom. My best friend decided to buy TomTom today, and I messed around with it.
From what I can see, there are no audible speed limit warnings, no school speed limit warnings. Also nothing about "major road" TTS either, unlike Navigon.
If you already have Navigon, TomTom is not worth it, stick with Navigon. It is the most fully featured GPS for North America available on the iPhone!
