The Best iPhone Navigation App

[RiceRacerDX]

Im in the same boat..... But the traffic is a real kicker for me.. but I'm afraid the Navigon traffic reports wont work in Tulsa, OK

What a small world. I'm from Tulsa too. I will say that the live traffic feature on Google maps for Tulsa doesn't update as frequently as I would like it to and it is only about 40% accurate. So if Navigon receives the same info the same way then I'd imagine that it wouldn't be worth it.

Anyways, I got the free Navigon sampler back when Navigon was about to come out and I chose not to get it because the font was too small and difficult to read. That was the deal breaker for me. But it's unfair to assume that they haven't fixed this with updates from then until now. Plus, a lot has come of the Navigon app since the free sampler. I do have TomTom and with the new update, the application was become much more usable. It's been pretty accurate for me all the time, has a great POI list, the routes are spot on all, and it's easy to read. It's just an all around simple app that gets the job done. Navigon has more features to make it bling over TomTom.

 

[youngsunnz]

Navigon w/ fixed cost traffic (avail now) and free Google Search coming in v1.4 (this week, hopefully!) ...

So wait navigon has the traffic in its price right now for 89.99?

 

[IronLogik]

So wait navigon has the traffic in its price right now for 89.99?

No. It's a separate in-app purchase for like $15-30 something like that.

Personally. I'd go with TomTom however. Navigon just seems shady. I trust TomTom more when it comes to navigation. They're sort of _the_ name in navigation. They might be slower to add features. But I'd trust them to get it right.

 

[aluren]

Download INRIX Traffic for free and check ...

Navigon uses INRIX traffic as it's data source. I find it to be very accurate. More accurate than TMC, Navteq or Google traffic ... and with fixed cost ($14.95 last month) INRIX traffic integrated into routing decisions was my final deciding factor for Navigon. It gives alternate routing options if avail to choose from. And while there is some work to be done on useability, in general it works great.

Ever since I got the live traffic data on Navigon, I've actually started using it everyday on my way to work and back. It's no longer just trying to guide me home, but guiding me home in the quickest way possible. The interface is very intuitive and simple. Route A gets you home at 6:00pm, Route B gets you home at 5:52pm, choose one. Everyone that is considering a GPS app should consider Navigon for its live traffic. TomTom's version is going to be 9.99 per month, which is a rip off compared to the one time fee for Navigon.

 

[Vandam500]

Ever since I got the live traffic data on Navigon, I've actually started using it everyday on my way to work and back. It's no longer just trying to guide me home, but guiding me home in the quickest way possible. The interface is very intuitive and simple. Route A gets you home at 6:00pm, Route B gets you home at 5:52pm, choose one. Everyone that is considering a GPS app should consider Navigon for its live traffic. TomTom's version is going to be 9.99 per month, which is a rip off compared to the one time fee for Navigon.

It's going to be a monthly fee? Yuck!!!

 

[IronLogik]

It's going to be a monthly fee? Yuck!!!

I don't think they've announced that at all. People are reading into it thinking it'll be the same as their hardware units.

 

[Rigby]

Agreed. It's slow to the point of being nearly unusable on the 3G.

I wouldn't go that far. It's true that startup takes very long (supposedly improved in 1.4) and it's often slow reacting to button presses on a 3G. But the navigation mode itself is just fine. I used it on a trip to the US (New Jersey) recenly and it worked just great.

BTW, one tip if you are having trouble getting a GPS lock after a longer plane travel: Make sure that you have data connectivity at least briefly when attempting to acquire the lock. If you are travelling from another country and don't have WLAN access, turn on data roaming briefly for this (but don't forget to turn it off again afterwards, otherwise the outrageous data roaming fees may give you a shock when the next bill arrives). The reason for this is that the phone can then use surrounding cell towers or access points to get a rough position estimate via the online positioning database, which helps it to identify the GPS satellites that are in view at the new location.

 

[gloss]

No. It's a separate in-app purchase for like $15-30 something like that.

Personally. I'd go with TomTom however. Navigon just seems shady. I trust TomTom more when it comes to navigation. They're sort of _the_ name in navigation. They might be slower to add features. But I'd trust them to get it right.

That's some iron logic.

 

[IronLogik]

That's some iron logic.

maybe your username should be "Ass" because that works so well for you.

 

[gloss]

maybe your username should be "Ass" because that works so well for you.

Cry me a river, cupcake.

Seriously, though, your reason for preferring TomTom over Navigon is because the company name is more familiar to you? The actual quality of the experience doesn't factor in at all?

 

[specops]

Cry me a river, cupcake.

Seriously, though, your reason for preferring TomTom over Navigon is because the company name is more familiar to you? The actual quality of the experience doesn't factor in at all?

Great example of how marketing wins over quality.
IronLogik would be more like Quality/Price=Good deal

 

[Rigby]

There is nothing "shady" about Navigon. They have been around since the early 1990s and are well established in Europe. Besides consumer software and devices, they are also active as OEM in the automotive and cell phone areas.

 

[daflake]

What Rigby said. Navigon is far from shady and have been around for a long time. Just because they are not a US based company does not mean that they are not good. They even created special packages for the US troops to be sold in the PX for soldiers to have both Europe maps and USA maps if they went back. All of this was at a reduced cost where Tom Tom and Garmin wanted to charge a lot more for the additional maps.

 

[navguy]

after entering the US market late, I actually think they've made some good business decisions (i'm guessing they're more profitable in US now then w/ a device strategy) ... on the flip side, they've definitely cut too deep in customer service - doesn't seem to be any ...

 

[kleinias]

Here's my problem with MotionX. Someone please tell me if I'm missing something.
As the maps are continually downloaded and not stored on the phone, and since I want to use this when travelling (ie: when ROAMING is an issue), isn't this insanely expensive? Wouldn't the roaming charges be huge?

Or am I missing something? I hear people say that for $2.99 MotionX is cheap. But for the voice function it is $3 per month or $25 prepaid per year. In 2 years you're up to $53 which is close to the sale price of Navigon (it was as low as $69 and may be by Christmas), is more expensive than TomTom right now and you have to pay for roaming.

So, what's the big deal about MotionX?

I'm serious, I just want to know if I'm missing something here.

Motion X downloads its data (and then caches it) when you first tell it where you want to go. As long as you do not deviate from that path, it will not download additional data (as far as I can tell).

However, you probably wouldn't want to use it in situation where you would pay charges for roaming. I use it in the US where I don't pay any roaming charges. On the rare trip into Canada (I'm pretty far away), I wouldn't rely on it and would instead use an older dedicated unit I have. Motion X is just extremely convenient and easy for me to use on trips anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours away.

As for cost, it again depends on your particular situation. I do not even know if I will be using an iPhone in 2 years, let alone which GPS unit I will fancy. Just as an aside, you did leave out the cost of map updates etc. In large part, I chose Motion X because it was a solid GPS application that suited my needs for the time being. I use it while keeping a watchful eye on Tom Tom and Navigon as they add features and drop their prices (Tom Tom was $100 when I first went with Motion X). When their prices have settled (to a level that I like) and they have the features I like, I will probably purchase one of them. Hope this provides some reasonable perspective to the situation.

 

[lordhamster]

There is nothing "shady" about Navigon. They have been around since the early 1990s and are well established in Europe. Besides consumer software and devices, they are also active as OEM in the automotive and cell phone areas.

Let me preface this by saying that I love the Navigon iPhone software, but the company IS shady.

In 2009 I bought their top of the line PND the 8100T a unit with all the features of the iPhone app plus 3D terrain! It was really great. I also bought a 3 year Freshmaps subscription.

Then Navigon announced that they would be leaving the North American Market of PNDs and would not longer be providing customer service nor map updates. They essentially left all their PND buyers high and dry.

If that isn't shady, then I don't know what is.

 

[Rigby]

Let me preface this by saying that I love the Navigon iPhone software, but the company IS shady.

In 2009 I bought their top of the line PND the 8100T a unit with all the features of the iPhone app plus 3D terrain! It was really great. I also bought a 3 year Freshmaps subscription.

Then Navigon announced that they would be leaving the North American Market of PNDs and would not longer be providing customer service nor map updates. They essentially left all their PND buyers high and dry.

If that isn't shady, then I don't know what is.

According to their web page both customer service and map updates continue to be available for existing customers:

http://support.navigonusa.com/support/

NAVIGON continues to support Fresh Maps and Traffic* services .
Customers who have purchased these services shall receive delivery of them in accordance with the service terms at the time of purchase. The delivery mechanism for Fresh Maps will remain NAVIGON Fresh. Both our customer service and warranty operations are available to our customers, please select CONTACT NAVIGON SUPPORT below and complete the form. You will be contacted within 48 hours.

 

[lordhamster]

According to their web page both customer service and map updates continue to be available for existing customers:

http://support.navigonusa.com/support/

NAVIGON continues to support Fresh Maps and Traffic* services .
Customers who have purchased these services shall receive delivery of them in accordance with the service terms at the time of purchase. The delivery mechanism for Fresh Maps will remain NAVIGON Fresh. Both our customer service and warranty operations are available to our customers, please select CONTACT NAVIGON SUPPORT below and complete the form. You will be contacted within 48 hours.

Navigon does not deliver traffic. Traffic comes from ClearChannel over FM radio on these units. To be fair, Navigon HAS released a map update since pulling out of the US market.

I don't think they'd do the same with iPhone users since they have such a big subscriber base. I have to say as far as updates go, they have been the best.

 

[IronLogik]

Cry me a river, cupcake.

Seriously, though, your reason for preferring TomTom over Navigon is because the company name is more familiar to you? The actual quality of the experience doesn't factor in at all?

Great example of how marketing wins over quality.
IronLogik would be more like Quality/Price=Good deal

Quality does in fact factor in. But from what I've seen TomTom is the superior solution. It doesn't support as many features as Navigon at this point but I think it's pretty safe to say that TomTom won't be leaving the U.S. store, not updating their maps.

I don't think it's "marketing" that makes me think of TomTom. I've never seen advertisements for their products, unless you count the flyers from best buy, and those I'd say are more advertisements for best buy. But I've heard a lot of good things about the middle/high end range of TomTom units. That word of mouth advice is why I'd be more inclined to pick TomTom. I will likely buy TomTom at the end of the sale. Trying to see what else happens in the Navigation space between now and then.

I don't think anyone would argue that TomTom isn't "quality" either. It seems very 50/50 between TomTom and Navigon. Yet most people who have both claim they use TomTom when the route actually matters (when traffic isn't an issue).

Like I said, Navigon may offer more features, but TomTom has a lot of clout and money to throw at this. I fully expect them to slowly catch up and then pass Navigon.

Edit: I should say there are far too many people on this forum who get caught up in "well this is better" and Navigon seems to have some rabid fans. By Rabid I mean you guys don't know when to stop. I realize this is rough because the apps cost quite a lot of money and it seems most are reluctant to hear anything about a $70-100 app not being better than another. But seriously. The fanboyism between Navigon and TomTom needs to stop. Constructive discussion is one thing but hounding and being outright stupid is just... stupid. People are going to have opinions on this. It isn't clear cut that one app is better for everything. Some people are going to prefer one app over the other. You can't change that. Stop trying to. If someone likes Navigon, great, if someone likes TomTom, great, but don't be an ass.

 

[comatose81]

http://deathtofanboyism.blogspot.com/2009/12/review-of-iphone-turn-by-turn-gps-apps.html

Pretty extensive review of the most recent versions for CoPilot, Navigon, and TomTom. There doesn't seem to be a real consensus, Navigon does a lot well - so does TomTom. It's just a personal preference. People get way too defensive over what they spend their money on. Different apps appeal to some people more than others. That's just the way it is.

Trying to convince a Navigon user that TomTom is better is like trying to convert a Democrat to a Republican and vice versa. There's no point.

 

[comatose81]

I've never seen advertisements for their products, unless you count the flyers from best buy, and those I'd say are more advertisements for best buy.

How have you never seen TomTom's trademark "whistle" commercials? I see them all the time!

Edit: I should say there are far too many people on this forum who get caught up in "well this is better" and Navigon seems to have some rabid fans. By Rabid I mean you guys don't know when to stop. I realize this is rough because the apps cost quite a lot of money and it seems most are reluctant to hear anything about a $70-100 app not being better than another. But seriously. The fanboyism between Navigon and TomTom needs to stop. Constructive discussion is one thing but hounding and being outright stupid is just... stupid. People are going to have opinions on this. It isn't clear cut that one app is better for everything. Some people are going to prefer one app over the other. You can't change that. Stop trying to. If someone likes Navigon, great, if someone likes TomTom, great, but don't be an ass.

Totally agree about the fanboys on both sides. People really want to justify their $100+ purchase. Unless they work for the company, I don't really get it.

I do have to say that Navigon is really beating TomTom to the punch right now... every feature people are clamoring for, Navigon gets it in their software and in the app store and TomTom follows along a few months later. I would really expect the opposite considering TomTom's presence in the US.

 

[Rigby]

Navigon does not deliver traffic. Traffic comes from ClearChannel over FM radio on these units. To be fair, Navigon HAS released a map update since pulling out of the US market.

So they *are* still providing map updates and customer support for buyers of their PNDs. Then I don't understand what you are complaining about and why you feel they left their customers "high and dry"?

I don't think they'd do the same with iPhone users since they have such a big subscriber base.

The same what?

 

[comatose81]

So they *are* still providing map updates and customer support for buyers of their PNDs. Then I don't understand what you are complaining about and why you feel they left their customers "high and dry"?

This is the standard TomTom fanboy mantra... "Navigon ditched their US customers!"

What really happened is that Navigon realized that turn-by-turn GPS was moving to smartphones in the future and the PND market would be dead a few years from now. Garmin realizes the same thing, they just came out with a terrible phone as an alternative to creating only software. They still support their PND users, and anyone who says differently is a liar.

 

[IronLogik]

How have you never seen TomTom's trademark "whistle" commercials? I see them all the time!



Totally agree about the fanboys on both sides. People really want to justify their $100+ purchase. Unless they work for the company, I don't really get it.

I do have to say that Navigon is really beating TomTom to the punch right now... every feature people are clamoring for, Navigon gets it in their software and in the app store and TomTom follows along a few months later. I would really expect the opposite considering TomTom's presence in the US.

I don't watch a lot of TV these days. When I do, it's mostly hulu or straight dvd releases of shows. I can't stand commercials.

Navigon has more features but I think I prefer the TomTom look and feel. Seems more "iPhoney." But I haven't used either of them but feature to feature, Navigon wins. But I trust TomTom more in the long run. They might be slower to release but it's just a matter of time when you sort of run out of features to include. That's when it really comes down to "who has the better routing system?" and I think TomTom will clearly come out ahead there.

 

[comatose81]

I don't watch a lot of TV these days. When I do, it's mostly hulu or straight dvd releases of shows. I can't stand commercials.

Navigon has more features but I think I prefer the TomTom look and feel. Seems more "iPhoney." But I haven't used either of them but feature to feature, Navigon wins. But I trust TomTom more in the long run. They might be slower to release but it's just a matter of time when you sort of run out of features to include. That's when it really comes down to "who has the better routing system?" and I think TomTom will clearly come out ahead there.

I think they both feel iPhoney... Navigon adding pinch zoom-in and zoom-out for the 3D map makes it feel even more so. Both menus use the normal dragging/tapping/sliding gestures. TomTom feels like it should be running on an iPhone speed-wise, though... Navigon feels like it should be running on a Dell XPS.

I haven't found TomTom to route me any better where I live. It has mostly been the same as Navigon. I have seen some people mention that TomTom was clearly superior and they have pictures to prove it, so I won't disagree there, but without traffic IQ Routes can only do so much. If traffic is a subscription fee, Navigon will really start to pull ahead, in my opinion, since they only have the flat fee for traffic.