Which sat nav should i use? my iphone or my outdated tomtom satnav?

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  • mark_bmark_b Posts: 854
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    Is that true, I thought you could just store the streets offline, useful if you're walking around an unfamiliar city, but navigation still needed a live data signal.
    Navigation needs a data connection (wifi or mobile internet) to get you started even if you have the map pre-loaded, but will then work fine without one for the duration of your journey providing you don't make a mistake but if you do, then re-routes are limited if at all, unless you can find your way back to the original route by yourself.

    Having said that I use Google Maps all the time and it's perfect for my needs, which include driving through foreign countries etc.
  • paulbrockpaulbrock Posts: 16,632
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    Is that true, I thought you could just store the streets offline, useful if you're walking around an unfamiliar city, but navigation still needed a live data signal.

    I'm not sure whether you need a signal to start nav, but it has recalculated the route without signal when I'm taken a wrong turn. Definitely don't need a data signal if you stay on route.
  • jonner101jonner101 Posts: 3,410
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    paulbrock wrote: »
    I'm not sure whether you need a signal to start nav, but it has recalculated the route without signal when I'm taken a wrong turn. Definitely don't need a data signal if you stay on route.

    Hmm not sure,

    The offline facility is good but I think the nav is disabled if you're off line. I use my nexus as a sat nav (giffgaff unlimited data so why not ) I'm pretty sure the I've seen the nav get disabled even though I was in an area I had stored offline. Perhaps it needs the whole route to be offline?

    Having said that it rarely fails. the downside is its not usable abroad like my tom tom which has all the European maps on it

    Edit : Yep just tested this with data and wifi off. It definitely won't navigate with no data, but the map is usable off line.

    It's probably because it uses the supercomputers at google to actually do the complex business of route calculation and re-calculation rather than do it on device.
  • jonner101jonner101 Posts: 3,410
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    mark_b wrote: »
    Navigation needs a data connection (wifi or mobile internet) to get you started even if you have the map pre-loaded, but will then work fine without one for the duration of your journey providing you don't make a mistake but if you do, then re-routes are limited if at all, unless you can find your way back to the original route by yourself.

    Having said that I use Google Maps all the time and it's perfect for my needs, which include driving through foreign countries etc.

    Do you buy a local sim for foreign countries. Data is normally very expesive abroad ? and I would be interested if there are french sims available with a good data plan ?
  • paulbrockpaulbrock Posts: 16,632
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    Edit : Yep just tested this with data and wifi off. It definitely won't navigate with no data, but the map is usable off line.

    It's probably because it uses the supercomputers at google to actually do the complex business of route calculation and re-calculation rather than do it on device.

    Mine does and has navigated without data. (map fully cached). I use it all the time, set a route at home on my nexus 7, then go there without bothering to tether it.
  • mark_bmark_b Posts: 854
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    Do you buy a local sim for foreign countries. Data is normally very expesive abroad ? and I would be interested if there are french sims available with a good data plan ?
    I haven't travelled in Europe recently so can' t advise on French sims, sorry. I did buy sims in SE Asia and South America and in Australia and USA I just used whatever free wifi was available (hostel, McDonalds, Subway, Starbucks etc) to start me off. Definitely don't use your own no matter what plan you have.
  • TadpoleTadpole Posts: 1,646
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    Google to keep Waze as separate service

    "Google has officially stated to a UK regulator that, at least for now, it has no plans to integrate Waze technology in Google Maps."

    Still no decision as to whether the purchase will be approved by the FTC
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