The CoPilot Live app for the iPhone. (Click to enlarge.)
[PHOTO: Courtesy of ALK Technologies]
Since the summer, Consumer Reports GPS testers have focused their attention on the latest navigation development, iPhone applications.
In general, we’ve found iPhone GPS apps to be crisp and colorful on-screen, but also less reliable than standalone units when it comes to pinpointing your actual location. Poor sound quality and low volume are frequently a problem. And anyone purchasing one of these apps should remember that a car mount and charger adds to the overall price.
The good news is that because these are software applications, rather than manufactured devices, flaws can be fixed and new features added with frequent, often free updates. A number of the apps we’ve tested—highlighted below—have themselves seen an upgrade since we reviewed them.
CoPilot Live, $35. The most recent model we’ve tested, the CoPilot has some useful features, like multi-destination and detour routing, but our version lacks others like lane assistance, reality view, speed limit icons, and spoken street names. Integration with the iPhone isn’t great—reminiscent of earlier GPS apps. (Read the full CoPilot review on the Consumer Reports Cars blog.)
Sygic Mobile, $60. This rather large downloadable app (almost 2 GB) is intuitively structured and easy to use. Like other apps, its maps are downloaded to the phone so you can navigate even without 3G service. The text-to-speech function is available in over 30 languages. (Read the full Sygic Mobile review.)
iGo My Way, $80. This app offers four ways to get to your destination: Fast, Short, Economical, and Easy. One neat feature is the display’s 3D renderings of famous landmarks. According to the app’s Web site, free map updates are available only through December 2010. Also, the phone lacks multi-destination routing, spoken street names, and the ability to exclude a road. (Read the full iGo My Way review.)
Navigon Mobile, $90. Navigon has updated its GPS app—the first to hit the market—to allow Navigon users to share information with each other, like locations and points of interest (POI). This month, the company is introducing Traffic Live; users can download traffic live for a one-time $25 fee—and only $20 in the first four weeks after its October release. (Read the our original Navigon Mobile review.)
TomTom, $100. Once you add a charger and car mount, we found the initial version of this app offers less for your money than inexpensive standalone units. That said, it did function well and the established GPS company promises ongoing development that should increase its appeal. Downloadable maps make 3G service unnecessary for navigating on the road, and historic traffic data helps to plan quicker routes. TomTom will introduce its own $120 mount with a built-in receiver and speaker, promising to address some inherent iPhone limitations. (Read the full TomTom app review.)
AT&T Navigator, $10 per month subscription. Unlike the other iPhone GPS products we’ve covered, the AT&T Navigator is a server-based (rather than device-based) application that requires 3G wireless service to function and carries a monthly fee. The upshot is that maps are dynamically loaded each time you use the app, thereby keeping roads and points of interest up-to-date. While it includes text-to-speech, real-time traffic, and gas prices, it lacked some features now commonly found in personal navigation: reality view, lane assistance, multi-destination routing, detour method, road exclusion, coordinate entry, and even the ability to avoid toll roads. (Read the full AT&T Navigator review.)
XRoad G-Map, prices vary. Unlike other applications which offer maps of the entire United States—and sometimes Canada—at a higher cost, the G-Map is aimed at budget buyers who figure they’ll only need maps of, say, the Eastern or Western/Midwestern states ($35 each). Drivers who usually stick close to home could opt for a $20 map of some select states, perhaps bundled with an adjoining one (like New York and New Jersey, or Michigan and Indiana.) (Read the full XRoad G-Map review.)
For new reviews of GPS apps and updates to ones we've already covered, be sure to check out the Consumer Reports Cars Blog. —Nick K. Mandle
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