Results 1 - 40 of 40 - Get the best deal for Navigon Car GPS Accessories and Tracking from the largest. Navigon 2100 USA Lower 48 States SD Card Navigation. Jan 14, 2016 - The Navigon USA GPS app offers a decent set of features, though in-app purchases can add up, and navigation inaccuracies will frustrate.
I keep asking Garmin for a Nuvi app for Android smartphones, to just take the Nuvi interface from its excellent line of portable navigation devices and port it wholesale to the Android operating system. After unsuccessfully launching an Android-based smartphone of its own (How many remember the Garmin-Asus Garminfone?), you'd think the framework would already be in place.*
Yet every time I ask, I'm pointed to the 'Garmin brand' Navigon app, which features a the same maps and presumably similar routing algorithms, but a totally different and less-intuitive interface. Le sigh.
Recently, I was able to test out Garmin's new Head-Up Display, which required the Navigon app for GPS data, so this is as good a time as any to take a closer look at the navigation app to find out if I've just been short-changing it all along.
I should note that the version that I tested was 4.9.2, which adds compatibility with the Garmin HUD. At time of pub, 4.9.1 is the version in the Google Play store.
*As it turns out, Garmin does already offer exactly what I'm looking for: a direct port of its Nuvi interface for Android phones, but it's only available in Australia for, as I understand, Telstra network subscribers.
Installation and offline maps
You can find Navigon USA & CAN -- with United States and Canada map data -- in the Play store for $59.99. There's also a $39.99 version is available with only USA maps for those who'll be staying South of the North border.
You can find Navigon USA & CAN -- with United States and Canada map data -- in the Play store for $59.99. There's also a $39.99 version is available with only USA maps for those who'll be staying South of the North border.
Navigon USA & CAN is a 22MB download according to the Play store data. According to the Android app info screen in the Settings menu, the app takes up 41.19MB on my phone.
This doesn't take into account the state, province, and territory map data that must be downloaded and stored locally on your handset. Navigon recommends that you have about 2GB of free space on your phone to download all of the maps, but you'll likely only need to download the street data for your home state or province.
State street maps average about 25-50MB for average-size states like Georgia or New York. The map size is much lower for smaller states and sparsely populated territories. Rhode Island is only about 3MB and the entire Canadian Yukon Territory is only 1.25MB.
Our home state of California, with lots of land and a few large cities, predictably sits near the top of the scale at 104MB.
The Google Play and Android Settings counts also don't take into account the substantial amount of storage space for spoken voice data, additional imagery, and a host of other files stored in a directory on your phone's SD card or internal storage along with the map data.
All in, I'm estimating somewhere between 770MB and 812MB of space on my phone dedicated to keeping Navigon running with maps of California. As a Golden State resident, that's probably on the high end of the app's storage needs and even then, that's less than half what Navigon recommends.
The advantages are that I can navigate without a data connection and without worrying about eating up my data plan with constant Web connectivity for routes and maps. Even if you are on an unlimited data plan, you're definitely going to want to be connected to Wi-Fi before installing this app to speed along the data transfer.
However, in the cons column, on a phone with 8GB to 16GB of nonremovable storage, we're talking about a pretty big chunk of your digital real estate. If you have to install a number of states, say for a cross-country road trip or vacation, Navigon will be taking up valuable space that could be devoted to MP3s or other media.
Unless you're absolutely pressed for space, I'd say the pros outweigh the cons in most cases. The space requirements are par for the course with offline navigation apps, so we won't count the requirement against the Navigon app's score.
Interface and features
Fire the app up and, after all of the maps and such are downloaded on the first launch, you'll be greeted with the main menu, which consists of eight large icons that don't quite fit onto the screen, so the user must swipe to scroll down the list. When your phone is in landscape orientation, all of these icons are in one row and you can only see the first four icons. Flip to portrait orientation and the icons will split into two independently swipeable rows of four icons, but only four at a time will be immediately visible.
Fire the app up and, after all of the maps and such are downloaded on the first launch, you'll be greeted with the main menu, which consists of eight large icons that don't quite fit onto the screen, so the user must swipe to scroll down the list. When your phone is in landscape orientation, all of these icons are in one row and you can only see the first four icons. Flip to portrait orientation and the icons will split into two independently swipeable rows of four icons, but only four at a time will be immediately visible.
The available menu options are Enter an address, My destinations, Search for POI, Route planning, Take me home, Show map, Coordinates, and SOS DirectHelp
Below that are shortcuts for settings and for in-app purchasing of Traffic Live packages, FreshMaps updates, Urban Guidance, and enhancements such as Navigon Cockpit and Panorama View 3D.
$49.99
- ProsRobust POI database. Pedestrian navigation.
- ConsPricey. Transit directions, traffic, and other features cost extra. Driving navigation issues.
- Bottom LineThe Navigon USA GPS app offers a decent set of features, though in-app purchases can add up, and navigation inaccuracies will frustrate.
Navigon has been in the navigation device business for over twenty years, but it currently focuses on the competitive mobile app sector. Its Navigon USA app for iOS is solid, but not spectacular, especially for its $49.99 cost. In addition to driving directions, Navigon also offers pedestrian and biking navigation, though each leaves something to be desired. In addition, features such as public transit navigation (Urban Guidance) and traffic alerts require in-app purchases, which further drive up the cost. Given its high price, Navigon simply can't compete with free GPS apps like Google Maps.
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Interface and Points of Interest
Unlike Google Maps, MapQuest, Waze, and others, you can't just jump into your car and go. After downloading Navigon, you then have to download the relevant maps before you embark on a trip. I downloaded the USA version of the app, but there is also a North American version, as well as regional U.S. versions. You can download maps by state to save room and time.
Unlike Google Maps, MapQuest, Waze, and others, you can't just jump into your car and go. After downloading Navigon, you then have to download the relevant maps before you embark on a trip. I downloaded the USA version of the app, but there is also a North American version, as well as regional U.S. versions. You can download maps by state to save room and time.
Once you're ready to go, you can tap the menu button at the top left to navigate, where you can then choose from Address, POI, My Destinations, and Take me Home; you can save your home address, though not your work address as other apps, such as Apple Maps, Google Maps, Scout, and Waze allow you to do.
When you select POI, you can then choose POI nearby, POI in a city, POI nationwide, and several other options including Foursquare, as well as top categories such as gas stations and parking. Using the Nearby option, I searched for several well-known and lesser-known destinations. You can also drill down into categories if you don't have a specific business in mind, or just type in the search bar if you know what you're looking for.
I started out by searching for some popular destinations in my area. Several other GPS apps have been unable to locate the Harlem location of the Fairway supermarket chain, so I put Navigon to the test, and it passed with flying colors. Navigon also found a nearby non-chain grocery store, a bar/restaurant called Harlem Public that often trips up GPS devices and apps (which try to send me to the library instead), as well as the New York Botanical Garden and the historic St. George Theatre in Staten Island, among other locations.
When you select Address, you first have to choose a city, which defaults to your last search, and autofills quickly in most cases. Then you input the street or choose it from a list, and finally the number. This is easy enough, but I prefer typing the whole thing in at once as you can with Apple Maps, Google Maps, MapQuest, and Waze. But I do like that when you type in a number that could be a cross street, that option comes up.
Car Navigation
Not only did Navigon find Fairway Market Harlem in its database, it also used an accurate route that happens to be the fastest and most direct. I found this to happen less often than you'd imagine when testing other apps, so this was a good sign.
Not only did Navigon find Fairway Market Harlem in its database, it also used an accurate route that happens to be the fastest and most direct. I found this to happen less often than you'd imagine when testing other apps, so this was a good sign.
On the way home from Fairway, however, navigation was a bit wonky. At first, I didn't get any guidance, and then I was given what I'll call 'phantom directions,' in which the guidance offered was impossible or dangerous. When I made the appropriate turn, though, Navigon recalculated and sent me on my way. However, some of the prompts came too late, and recalculations were slow.
Other times, the directions were roundabout. In one case, where my destination was north of my location, I was directed south to access a highway, when I was almost right next to the appropriate northbound entrance. In other cases, I was prompted to turn right or left onto a street several blocks away, or in one egregious case, make a left into a public park.
Another annoyance: I kept getting 'caution' alerts with no explanation of why. At times, the alert happened as I rounded a curve in the road, but sometimes I couldn't figure out what the meaning of the caution was. A warning with no explanation is not helpful, and can be distracting.
Pedestrian and Cycling Navigation
When I first started using the Navigon app, it wasn't obvious that I could access walking and cycling directions in addition to driving directions. Under Route Settings, you can choose a vehicle type: bicycle, car, motorcycle, or truck. Here you can also choose how to handle ferries: allow, avoid, or forbid; and enable pedestrian mode with or without voice prompts. What's confusing is that you turn voice guidance on and off for vehicle profiles in one place, and pedestrian voice directions in another place.
When I first started using the Navigon app, it wasn't obvious that I could access walking and cycling directions in addition to driving directions. Under Route Settings, you can choose a vehicle type: bicycle, car, motorcycle, or truck. Here you can also choose how to handle ferries: allow, avoid, or forbid; and enable pedestrian mode with or without voice prompts. What's confusing is that you turn voice guidance on and off for vehicle profiles in one place, and pedestrian voice directions in another place.
When I request walking directions from other apps, such as Google Maps, I like to view a list of all turns so I can scan it quickly and put my phone away. With Navigon, you can only view a map of the route, and unless you have voice prompts on, you have to have your eyes on your phone the whole time, which is annoying.
In addition, even when walking, I got a few random audible alerts, once while on a curve and another while halfway down a hill, both of which struck me as odd and unnecessary. I also encountered some navigation errors, including a wrong turn and a misnamed street. Since I was in a familiar area, I ignored these cues and eventually the app got back on track. In another case, the app sent me on a roundabout route, in which I would have had to walk about 20 blocks out of the way. That said, unlike Apple Maps and MapQuest, the app did know that I could get to Fort Lee by walking across the George Washington Bridge.
You Don't Get What You Pay For
While free software often has shortcomings to paid software, in the GPS app realm that is rarely the case. The $50 Navigon USA app, while showing promise, falls short in many ways, including driving and pedestrian navigation errors and distracting alerts, not to mention that traffic alerts and public transit navigation require in-app purchases. Save your money, and stick with Google Maps or Waze.
While free software often has shortcomings to paid software, in the GPS app realm that is rarely the case. The $50 Navigon USA app, while showing promise, falls short in many ways, including driving and pedestrian navigation errors and distracting alerts, not to mention that traffic alerts and public transit navigation require in-app purchases. Save your money, and stick with Google Maps or Waze.
Navigon USA (for iPhone)
Bottom Line: The Navigon USA GPS app offers a decent set of features, though in-app purchases can add up, and navigation inaccuracies will frustrate.
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