Navigation Apps ?

[AJFSTORM]

I just got an Incredible new to Android and I'm looking for a Nav app that gives you audio turn by turn directions like a TomTom . Is there a good free one or one that doesn't require a monthly/annual subscription fee?

 

[Adrenaline#IM]

I'm new to Android and won't have my first Android phone until the Evo comes out, but doesn't Google Maps Navigation already do that?

 

[darreno1]

^Yes it's one of the great features of Android 2.X. Voice search is also supported which is very cool.

 

[AJFSTORM]

Oh I see, I have Google Maps, I thought the turn by turn navigation was a separate app.

 

[darreno1]

Well technically they are two separate apps but before the last update, you had to launch Google Maps and choose navigate to launch it. With the last update, Google introduced a separate icon for just the navigation. You can find it in the app tray.

 

[AJFSTORM]

Well technically they are two separate apps but before the last update, you had to launch Google Maps and choose navigate to launch it. With the last update, Google introduced a separate icon for just the navigation. You can find it in the app tray.

Got it, nice to have a separate icon, thanks guys!

 

[Duvi]

+1 for Google Navigation... I've stopped using AT&T Navigator because of it and I didn't think I would ever be able to let it go.

 

[Jeremy]

It does not get better than Google Nav but it is kind of creepy they actually keep track of the amount of miles you drive while using the app...

 

[darreno1]

BTW, someone was nice enough to mention on one of the other forums, 'avoid highways' and 'avoid tolls' are options. I found them by pressing 'route info' then ' route options' (represented by the icon with gears). I try to avoid the highways sometimes and this would certainly come in handy. I'm not sure when they were added though, but I know they are sought after features.

 

[Cory Streater]

Google Nav rocks. Having said that, it will stop working if you're in an active phone call. The other option is CoPilot, which stores the maps locally on the SD card, and does not require network connectivity.

 

[anon(12496)]

Yes, there are 3rd party, offline turn-by-turn navigation software available. CoPilot, Sygic, iGo... And there are some free apps too, that use open map database servers and cache the maps and route to your SD card, and they offer turn-by-turn too. Of course, these apps are of interest only to us, unlucky people, who live outside the US and UK, and have no access to Maps Navigation. Come on, Google!

 

[takeshi]

It does not get better than Google Nav

Better is always subjective. One could certainly find a better GPS app if it offered features that the person needed (locally stored maps is one example) that Google Maps Navigation didn't offer.

 

[bobsimoneau]

I tried CoPilot Live 8 with North America. The zipcodes and data were all wrong for my area. It showed me in the next town. My zipcode 02919 also showed that same wrong town. Used it once and the exit numbers were wrong. It said take exit five for Atwood Ave. Atwood is exit 6. I submitted the data fix requests, and tech support said it may be fixed next quarter map release. Since a map release came out the end of May, I am not willing to wait that long. Android Market says contact ALK for refund (past 24 hours). ALK says since I did not buy from them, I must get the refund from the market. Guess I wasted my money. Anyone have a recommendation for a working on-board gps nav system that will work with HTC Incredible.

 

[prakash99]

I like Sygic Aura for the fact that it shows the posted speed limit and alerts me when I exceeds the speed limit or when the posted limit changes. The lane assistance is also pretty good. one thing I don't like is the size of the POI icons, which are tiny and too hard to make out what is what. in contrast, Co-pilot's POI icons are really nice and big. I also wish Sygic could speak street names. It only speaks highway route numbers and exit numbers. Also, it does not mention the distance when prompting for the next turn. (it just says turn left or turn right but does not say how far ahead). The map UI is awesome.

On the other hand, Co-pilot seems to better/more options for customization. Since I like to use UK english voice, the downloaded voice does not speak street names while the UK voice that speaks street names is too mechanical.

I tried Ndrive briefly long ago but found it quite inaccurate.

AS for Navigon, I haven't tried it but the screenshots of Navigon's lane assistance looks great.

I would like to mention Waze, which I sometimes use not to find my way around but when I drive around on familiar routes so as to munch cookies and sweets and earn points. It has one feature that I not found in either sygic or copilot. Waze has an option to "avoid dirt roads".

And, of course we always have google nav.

 

[grajasekar]

I actually prefer apps that store stuff offline. Call me old-fashioned but I don't like having to be online with an unreliable signal in some remote areas for maps.

Anyway, is there any app that gives us cool navigation voices like Darth Vader on TomTom? I'm a sucker for Star Wars lol..

 

[takeshi]

I actually prefer apps that store stuff offline. Call me old-fashioned but I don't like having to be online with an unreliable signal in some remote areas for maps.

Is wanting GPS nav that works "old fashioned"? Seems like it's just picking a solution to fit your needs/wants which is what everyone should be doing.

Anyway, is there any app that gives us cool navigation voices like Darth Vader on TomTom? I'm a sucker for Star Wars lol..

If the app uses the TTS engine on your device I haven't seen any TTS engines that offer such voices. If the app uses its own library of voice prompts, it really just depends on the app.

 

[prakash99]

Most of the navigation apps with offline maps seem to be European based with some of their functionalities missing from the american versions. Is there one that is not European?

Sent from Verizon Samsung Fascinate using Tapatalk

 

[Les Spicy]

Is there any new Navigation software that does a good job AND has maps stored on the phone. Even in the "big city" I loose Google maps too often. I hate to see how bad it would be out in the country. Most of the comments in this thread seem pretty old.

 

[tedj101]

Is there any new Navigation software that does a good job AND has maps stored on the phone. Even in the "big city" I loose Google maps too often. I hate to see how bad it would be out in the country. Most of the comments in this thread seem pretty old.

I'm using Sygic GPS Navigator. It does a good job and maps are stored on the phone. (This is important to me since I travel a fair amount so I have the US and Western Europe stored on the phone).

While Sygic is listed as free in the Market, it is really a trial version. After a week, you have to subscribe to the map service. However, the map service is reasonable. You pay once for an area and get lifetime updates (every quarter, or thereabouts). The US was 15 Euros and Western Europe was about 40 Euros. (I guess you figured, payment is in Euros.) Compared to something like AT&T Navigator ($15/mo), that is cheap!

Regards,
<TED>

 

[prakash99]

haven't really found an app that I like fully. I like Google Navigation but sometimes I cannot get is running when network is weak or temporarily unavailable.

Aura Sygic: The best UI. I like the options. But the routing is what I did not like. More than half the time, it gave me some awkward routes when there were more convenient routes were still available. That was a real deal breaker for me. And thankfully, Sygic offers a trial period unlike Co-Pilot and Ndrive which you get stuck with after Google's 15 minute refund windows closes.

Co-Pilot: I like the fact that it displays which side of the road my destination is when I reach there (not always accurate though, but useful for my part time job as a pizza delivery driver). However, it sometimes tells me to enter a one way street from the wrong direction. I don't like Pico TTS Engine that it uses for text to speech voice direction so I used the normal voice guidance which was less mechanical than Pico although it did not speak street names. I wish it supported SVOX.

Ndrive 11: Bought it just a couple of days ago. I don't like the UI (maps) as much as Aura or even Co-Pilot. The 3D view looks more or less like 2D. But it's routing appears to be the better than the other apps I mentioned above. I wish it clearly indicated which side of the street the destination was upon arrival. It does indicate on the map itself with an icon but it is not so easy to make out. And there no TTS voice available for turn by turn voice guidance. I wish these third party apps spoke out street names like Google Navigation.

So, I'd be happy if there was an app that had maps like Aura, features like Co-Pilot, accurate routing like Ndrive and superior TTS voice guidance like Google Navigation.
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