Navigon/G-Map/Sygic Best GPS App??

[coloradoxmfan]

My dad bought Navigon for me (he ends up using it more often than I do.. must be because I don't drive )
And my aunt has Sygic.

Just how old (young) are you??



Navigon = amazingness

Wow, you guys must be made of money to be "testing" all these GPS apps...

On Stealth is made of money... he's the one with 20 some odd 3GS' Dude won't even part with one for a broke homey here in Colorado...

[StealthBravo]

On Stealth is made of money... he's the one with 20 some odd 3GS' Dude won't even part with one for a broke homey here in Colorado...

lmao. I only have 3 3GSs

[coloradoxmfan]

Oops, from my post above, it should be "OH", not "On"...

(3) 3GS'... I don't even have uno 3GS.

That's alright, my "OLD" 3G will do until it accidentally, on purposes falls from a signficant height.

[confucious]

For the UK there is only one choice - CoPilot.

But I don't think you Americans are lucky enough to have it yet.

But if you wish really hard you might get it one day, then the argument will be over .

@coloradoxmfan - if you ask in 6 days time she will be able to answer '15'

[angiepangie]

No I don't think we have it yet. I'm content with Navigon It's so much better than our Garmin standalone GPS.. our Tom Tom one & Navigon one (we have one for each car ).. hehe not so much.. but it works fine.

@Confucious... in 17 minutes it'll be 5 days. Then 9.. until your big day!

[Raptors]

Copilot came out yesterday for north America!! It looks really nice acually!! Hmm add it to the list

[coloradoxmfan]

Now how long is it,Angie?

[confucious]

Angie is on holiday with limited web access - but she'll be home in time for her birthday.
If her SatNav works OK...

[angiepangie]

I hope I won't be in another long car ride for my birthday.
My little cousins were going crazy with the last car ride (kept them entertained with my stuffed elmo).
Finally got a chance to get on the internet though

[StealthBravo]

I thought it had been quiet on the forum lately

[angiepangie]

Hahaha. What did you guys ever do without me

[eaglesteve]

I had bought both Sygic and Navigon. Their strengths and weaknesses are.

Navigon
=======
Stregnths
---------
- Nice UI as far as input is concerned. It used standard iPhone keyboard, and the map can be pinched, spreaded, and moved.
- Integrates with the iPhone contact database.
- Has the "reality view" although I have not seen it pop up during my use. It is only for very few intersection I guess.

Key weaknesses
--------------
- Terribly outdated map, at least for Australia. Lots of new roads not incorporated.
- In Australia, there is almost no road speed limit in the database. Hence, it is not able to provide overspeeding warning. I guess less than 0.001% of the road may have speed information. I'm talking about Sydney Metropolitan area roads here, not some rural roads. This is one of the most disappointing failures from my perspective.
- There is no red light warning.
- There is no speed camera warning.
- There is no ability to warn when approaching a school zone.
- The road name are too small, with non-contrasting color, making them very difficult to read.
- The GPS signal is weak and unreliable as compared to Sygic. I tested this again and again and found this to be consistently the case.
- There is no full trip simulation capability. Only the last few meters are simulated.
- The information displayed on the main navigation screen are insufficient. In the first version, only two pieces of information can be displayed. One of the top bar and one at the bottom. To see more information, you need to touch these bars to rotate through the various key navigation information, making driving hazardous.
- Weak POI database.
- No text to speech.

Sygic
=====
Key weaknesses
--------------
- Does not use standard iPhone keyboard, and can't zoom in and out by spreading and pinching. Sygic promised to implement these in the next version though.
- Does not integrated with the Contact databse. This is promised in the next version.
- No text to speech yet, but this again is promised in the next version.
- When a phone call terminates, users has to press "Yes" to the legal disclaimer screen again, but this screen will be removed in the next version.

Key Strengths
-------------
- Very good GPS signal strenght. Promised to be even better in the next version.
- Map is faultless. Really really good. 99.999% of the road contains the legal speed limit. Able to provide visual/audio warning for overspeeding.
- Able to warn when approaching speed camera and red light camera. I wish they separate the two though.
- Able to warn when approaching any chosen POI, including schools.
- Great choice of map colors, text colors, text sizes.
- All key navigation information are there without having to fiddle with the device: Estimated arrival time, current speed, remaining time, etc.etc.

99% of the time when I use my GPS it is not because I don't know how to get there. It's because I wanted it to monitor my speed, warn me of speed camera, red light camera, and remind me to reduce my speed from the legal speed limt down to 40km/h when in school zone during school hours. I do not usually set a destination in these situation. So, Navigon simply does not meet my requirement 99% of the time.

I hate the non-iPhone keyboard and the way of map zooming in Sygic. However, once set, the information displayed is far better than that of Navigon. The voice instruction itself is also better and clearer.

I've since asked for refund for my Navigon, and am now using only Sygic.

[franklinromeo]

Ok I decided to get Navigon but now I'm getting this message EVERY TIME I try and use it.




Anyone know why??

[eaglesteve]

That's what you see when the GPS signal is weak or unstable. You need to wait longer for it to go away automatically. Or go out and be under open sky to get better reception.

Some software are able to lock on to GPS signal better than the others. Navigon is not one of those strong in this department.

[Raptors]

I think everyone should hold off on buying navi...tomtom just got released and it may be better

[imagineThiss]

now what we need if for someone to review Tom Tom !!!1

[franklinromeo]

Thank god... Yea we need some reviews because this navigon isn't working no matter how many times try or how long I wait.

[eaglesteve]

The best IMO will be TomTom. Looks like you need to start a new poll. I voted Sygic before but now it is no longer the best, with TT around.

[confucious]

just because CoPilot isn't out in Aus yet eaglesteve

[eaglesteve]

I place great value in iPhone style UI. I hate not being able to use the standard keyboard and navigate with iPhone style buttons and structure. Also love the route calculation of TT from the winmo days. In Australia, the sensis map which TT uses is the best. Sensis is the mapping partner of Tele Atlas. I've already seen lots of instances where Navtaq maps are inadaquate in Navigon, and Copilot uses the same map. Copilot has always lack commitment to customers in Australia. Hence it ranks very low in my opinion.

I've no loyalty to any brand. Nobody pays me to say nice things about their product. I don't get free software from anyone to put in good words on their behalf. TomTom is the most expensive of all the iPhone GPS so far, but I have no hesitation getting it because I want the best.