Yeah I use my iphone as I find it's better than my dedicated TomTom sat nav, mainly due to the screen being a lot better/clearer than the TomTom's. I just much prefer it.
Obviously if the trip is more than a couple of hours you'll need an in-car charger to keep it juiced up.
Free one, apple maps built in one is what I've been using. There are plenty of other free and paid ones on the App Store or on the play store if you've got an android phone.
No need to use a paid one really, the free ones are good enough
Ironically, the worst Satnav software I've used is TomTom, despite it being my first choice for a standalone system for years.
TomTom is still my first choice. I have tried Google Maps and it was OK considering it was free and I liked the integration with other apps but some of the routing was a bit odd. Waze was just weird and I uninstalled it quickly.
If my TomTom was to die then I would probably just use Google Maps rather than splash out on a replacement since I only use a Sat Nav 2 or 3 times a month.
You mean a standalone TomTom don't you (I assume from the second paragraph)? The app is awful (admittedly I've not tried it recently so maybe it's all new and improved) and a shadow of what the standalones are like.
If TomTom on Android was better (I don't think it's that great on iOS either, but my dad uses it and likes it) then I suppose it would kill the standalone market for TomTom, which it still clings on to and presumably makes some money from.
You mean a standalone TomTom don't you (I assume from the second paragraph)? The app is awful (admittedly I've not tried it recently so maybe it's all new and improved) and a shadow of what the standalones are like..
Yes, I mean the standalone device. The one I have is a Live model from 2-3 years ago with live traffic updates. I had an earlier model which used the RDS signal for updates but that was rubbish but this uses a 3G signal and I find it to be reliable and spookily accurate.
However for a free service, I find that Google Maps is usually "good enough" especially if you are only an occasional user.
I've got a LIVE model too, which has the SIM embedded in it. But I didn't fancy paying for both traffic and map updates (especially as TeleAtlas maps have never been that great).
I have an even older GO model that has a hard drive, allowing you to store music on it. Sadly now that's a feature (even SSD storage) long gone. Thus, another reason to move to a smartphone where I can play Spotify through the car, with the route directions coming over the audio, which is ideal (far better, IMO, than paying many hundreds for a car system that might have some connectivity, but be slow, rarely updated etc).
I use TomTom on both phones, I find the iOS version to be slightly better than the Android version (but the Android version was a pile of sh1te when it first came out and has greatly improved since).
i use the tomtom app on my iphone as it works a treat can even have it horizontal and looks great, ofc i wouldnt pay the asking price for it on the app store
i use the tomtom app on my iphone as it works a treat can even have it horizontal and looks great, ofc i wouldnt pay the asking price for it on the app store
Most people would rather not jailbreak just to pirate apps...
Another vote for CoPilot here. As other have said on a longer journey will need to put phone on charge though otherwise it will be dead before you reach your destination.
Please don't think I am stupid, but if I use the apple or google or nav free apps do they use data in the car. I only have a tiny data allowance so am afraid to use them. How do I download the maps so they are saved on my Iphone4. Thanks
Please don't think I am stupid, but if I use the apple or google or nav free apps do they use data in the car. I only have a tiny data allowance so am afraid to use them. How do I download the maps so they are saved on my Iphone4. Thanks
In this case IMO would be to get an actual app such as CoPilot and then the maps are downloaded over wifi and stored on the phone. Using Google Mmaps will use up your data allowance unless you again pre-load for your particular journey before you leave home again on wifi. However, if you are away from home, this might not be practical.
Please don't think I am stupid, but if I use the apple or google or nav free apps do they use data in the car. I only have a tiny data allowance so am afraid to use them. How do I download the maps so they are saved on my Iphone4. Thanks
I would imagine using on-line maps is unworkable? - considering how many places have little or no coverage. As Magic Cottage suggested, use CoPilot (or similar) where you can download all the maps to your phone via WiFi so it works regardless of signal.
A phone is also no different to a proper SatNav - it needs to be powered from the car, not from it's batteries
Personally I use a Garmin SatNav (with lifetime map updates), but have CoPilot on my phone just in case I need GPS unexpectedly - I don't keep my Garmin in the car unless I'm going somewhere it's needed.
I still prefer my old Garmin sat-nav for long journeys but sometimes need to use my phone sat-nav for the final part of the journey as the old Garmin does not have full postcode search.
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Obviously if the trip is more than a couple of hours you'll need an in-car charger to keep it juiced up.
On a 1080p screen, the maps look great.
But Google's own navigation software is pretty decent too, and free. However, offline maps and safety camera alerts are (to me) worth paying for.
Free one, apple maps built in one is what I've been using. There are plenty of other free and paid ones on the App Store or on the play store if you've got an android phone.
No need to use a paid one really, the free ones are good enough
Works on both android and iPhone.
Ironically, the worst Satnav software I've used is TomTom, despite it being my first choice for a standalone system for years.
TomTom is still my first choice. I have tried Google Maps and it was OK considering it was free and I liked the integration with other apps but some of the routing was a bit odd. Waze was just weird and I uninstalled it quickly.
If my TomTom was to die then I would probably just use Google Maps rather than splash out on a replacement since I only use a Sat Nav 2 or 3 times a month.
If TomTom on Android was better (I don't think it's that great on iOS either, but my dad uses it and likes it) then I suppose it would kill the standalone market for TomTom, which it still clings on to and presumably makes some money from.
Yes, I mean the standalone device. The one I have is a Live model from 2-3 years ago with live traffic updates. I had an earlier model which used the RDS signal for updates but that was rubbish but this uses a 3G signal and I find it to be reliable and spookily accurate.
However for a free service, I find that Google Maps is usually "good enough" especially if you are only an occasional user.
I have an even older GO model that has a hard drive, allowing you to store music on it. Sadly now that's a feature (even SSD storage) long gone. Thus, another reason to move to a smartphone where I can play Spotify through the car, with the route directions coming over the audio, which is ideal (far better, IMO, than paying many hundreds for a car system that might have some connectivity, but be slow, rarely updated etc).
Downloadable maps
Safety camera alerts
And live traffic
All worth paying for as far as I'm concerned
Well worth the 15 quid (roughly) I paid for it
I have Ford Focus with built in sat nav but this is better imo
Downloadable maps... no data required
Free Safety camera alerts
Most people would rather not jailbreak just to pirate apps...
In this case IMO would be to get an actual app such as CoPilot and then the maps are downloaded over wifi and stored on the phone. Using Google Mmaps will use up your data allowance unless you again pre-load for your particular journey before you leave home again on wifi. However, if you are away from home, this might not be practical.
I would imagine using on-line maps is unworkable? - considering how many places have little or no coverage. As Magic Cottage suggested, use CoPilot (or similar) where you can download all the maps to your phone via WiFi so it works regardless of signal.
A phone is also no different to a proper SatNav - it needs to be powered from the car, not from it's batteries
Personally I use a Garmin SatNav (with lifetime map updates), but have CoPilot on my phone just in case I need GPS unexpectedly - I don't keep my Garmin in the car unless I'm going somewhere it's needed.
If you also use bluetooth in the car, there are ways to direct the spoken directions to your bluetooth headset.