$89.99
This is the 3rd iPhone GPS app I've reviewed. Sygic's Mobile Maps app was the first one I checked out (you can read that review here) and I reviewed the TomTom app for my day job at MacRumors.com (you can read it here). Throughout this MobileNavigator review, I'll make comparisons between these 3 apps where possible. Next up on my GPS app review list is the iGO My Way app (link opens iTunes) by NNG Global Services.
MobileNavigator was recently updated to version 1.2.0, and this version includes text-to-speech voice guidance, iPod controls within the app, and automatic day/night color theme adjustments. It can now also share locations via email, though there's a caveat with this feature that I'll talk about. Navigon has announced that they will be making an iPhone cradle accessory (you can see details on that announcement here) and that traffic information within MobileNavigator will be coming in October – this will be a one-time in-app purchase priced at $25. Given all of this, it's clear that Navigon is really working on being the premier navigation solution for the iPhone.
Getting started and first trips
The first thing I noticed with the MobileNavigator app is that, unlike the stand-alone GPS units I've used and Sygic’s Mobile Maps app, there is no set-up that needs to be done at all when you first open the app after installation. There are no tips, no guides, no languages to select from, or anything else that you need to choose before getting started. While this makes it very quick to get started using it, it also implies that the app is intuitive enough to use easily without any instruction. iPhone users who have not previously used a stand-alone GPS unit will probably find this to be the case, while those who have used stand-alone units before might find it a little odd at first.
The main menu
The latest version of Navigon, 1.2.0, adds text-to-speech capability that can pronounce the street names when giving voice guidance. This is a bit of a Holy Grail item among navigation apps (though it has been offered on stand-alone units for at least a few years now) and can be incredibly useful compared to the generic "turn left on next street" instructions. I will say that I have been very impressed with this feature and find that it truly makes my iPhone feel like a dedicated GPS unit. There is no question that I'll be selling my stand-alone TomTom 720 GPS unit with an app like MobileNavigator as an option.
Comparatively, TomTom's app has no text-to-speech capability whatsoever at the moment (version 1.0) while Sygic's Mobile Maps just received an update that adds text-to-speech capability (version 7.71.4).
With version 1.0 of MobileNavigator, I noticed that the app took longer to obtain a GPS signal than Mobile Maps, however, this appears to have been addressed with the latest 1.2.0 update and I now get a GPS lock quickly after opening the app, even when I'm indoors and within sight of a window.
Navigation guidance and accuracy
Using MobileNavigator to get me around always got me to my destination, though it did give me a few less direct routes that I would have chosen myself (I left it at the default “Optimum” routing option), including one that detoured me through a downtown area when I was already on the street that would lead me directly to my destination. When I intentionally ignored instructions, it would quickly re-calculate my route and give me new directions, and I even encountered very few “make a u-turn” directions when doing this, which is nice.
If you attempt to navigate somewhere before a GPS signal is acquired, you are asked if you’d like to see a simulation of navigating to that address instead, a request that frankly irritates me to no end. I'd rather see options to navigate starting from my last known location or the ability to enter a starting address, which is how Sygic's Mobile Maps app works. While a simulation of the route can be helpful in some situations, it rarely is for me. I'd rather be able to start on my way, since I always have a general idea of at least the direction in which I need to head, and have it start giving me directions once it's figured out where I am. The simulation you have the option to view appears to pick the center of the largest metropolitan area from your last location and I've seen it start out from both downtown Boston and New York City.
What you see if you try to get guidance before it’s acquired a GPS signal
MobileNavigator has a feature called Lane Assistant Pro. This shows you a simulated life-like view of an upcoming exit on a highway so that you can clearly identify what lane to be in. While this is an interesting feature, it's not one that I find particularly useful because it's a static image and your location as you head to the exit is not shown. I much prefer the Mobile Maps method of lane guidance that shows you a small graphic of the lanes in the corner of the screen where the ideal lane is highlighted for you and you can still see your location on the map. The TomTom app does not offer any visual lane guidance at all, however, I'd still take it over MobileNavigator's method of showing a static image that often doesn't disappear until you've taken the desired exit.
Lane Assistant Pro - not a feature I like at all
One feature that has somehow seemed to take a hit with the addition of text-to-speech voice guidance is the announcement of which side of the street your destination is on. Prior to the addition of text-to-speech, I would be told which side of the street my destination was on usually in enough time to change lanes if needed to in order to get into the parking lot. With text-to-speech guidance, I don't always get this announcement or it occurs as I'm pulling into my destination's parking lot after I’ve located it myself, literally hearing "You have reached your destination. Your destination is on the left." from MobileNavigator. Needless to say, this is not helpful at all, and I hope Navigon fixes this in a future update.
I prefer a 3D view over a 2D view since that helps me "get in the map" more to follow guidance accurately. Compared to the 3D views in the TomTom and Mobile Maps apps, I find MobieNavigator's much less appealing. It looks busy to me and the street names are hard to read since they are black on a brown background (a very unattractive color theme overall, in my opinion). Additionally, there's no manual zoom in the MobileNavigator to back in or out to get a better understanding of the lay-out around you as you'd find in the TomTom and Mobile Maps apps and I find that the standard zoom level in the 3D view is a bit too small for me to be able to view well with 20/15 vision while my iPhone is an arm's length away in my car.
3D view in horizontal orientation
I found that MobileNavigator tracked my location very well, not showing as much lag as the TomTom app does where it appeared that I was always behind an intersection I was actually passing through. Thumbs up to Navigon in this area for solid tracking.
Interface
Compared to Sygic’s Mobile Maps app, MobileNavigator has an interface that is more like what you’d expect on the iPhone, with sequential menus that take you to progressively “to the right” and the ability to flick through lists and pinch to zoom in the map, much like the TomTom app. However, I must say that I’ve found it to be less intuitive than I’d expected, finding myself looking for menus that just aren’t there or wondering how to get to a certain setting. For example, if I choose the Show Map option from the main menu and am pinching and zooming my merry way to look around, I often give a single tap expecting to see the main menu pop up so that I can enter a destination. However, this does nothing in MobileNavigator. To enter a destination from the map view, I must press the small "Set Destination" button at bottom of the map. Or, I can click the Done button in the top right to go back to the 3D view of my current location, and then press the Back button in the top left to go to the main menu where I can select Enter an Address.
The main Options menu
Also, there is one interface feature that is missing for me that is a major dealbreaker. When a route has been calculated, I like to be able to read the route instructions before starting out just to familiarize myself with them or to compare them to other written directions that I already have. There is no way to view a list of instructions for a route in MobileNavigator. None. The best you can do is view a map overview and zoom in and pan around to see where it's telling you to go. While the ability to view the map is handy, a written list is indispensable in my view, and I am bothered to see this missing in MobileNavigator.
Browsing the map
Speaking of settings, there isn’t much at all to customize in MobileNavigator. The lack of set-up options I mentioned previously makes sense once you dig around even a little. There are no other voices or languages from which to choose for the voice guidance. There is no way to change the icon that represents you on the map. There are no other color themes to customize the day and night views. Fortunately, you can at least choose between a 2D and 3D view for the map during guidance, and you can choose to show or hide street names, POI on the map, and the distance unit used. While these are more than sufficient for you to still be able to get navigation guidance effectively, competing navigation apps with similar pricing do offer these features.
Routing options and adjustments
By default, the route type selected is set to Optimum, though you can also choose Fast, Short, or Scenic. The Speed Profile is where you can choose your mode of transportation, choosing between Car, Motorcycle, Truck, Bicycle, and Pedestrian. Presumably, the Motorcycle profile will do things like keep you off dirt roads and the Truck profile will keep you off streets with weight limitations.
The Route Profile menu
You can also choose to avoid or forbid highways, toll roads, ferries, resident-only streets, and HOV lanes. If you expect something to block your route, you can choose the approximate distance to the block from 6 options between 0.5 mile to 30 miles away and your route will be re-calculated accordingly. There is no simple "calculate alternative route" option, however, as you'd find in the TomTom and Mobile Maps apps.
You can add an interim destination to a current route, a nice feature that the TomTom app does not offer. You can also map a route out in advance using the Route menu, adding multiple destinations, and even changing the order of the selected destinations along the route. This could be really handy for a task like house-hunting where you need to visit several homes in one trip. However, this is an area where the missing ability to see a list of instructions for a planned route really sticks out like a sore thumb. While you can see the Details for a planned route, all this does is show you a list of the destinations along the route with the distances between each one and the total estimated time and distance for the entire route.
A created route
The details for the created route
There is one neat feature that I haven't seen in other apps – the ability to email a route you have planned to someone else. The only snag here is that the route instructions you send can only be read by someone else with the MobileNavigator app on their iPhone or with a Navigon stand-alone device. I think it would be much more useful if this feature sent written instructions to the selected destination, but since this isn't available in the MobileNavigator for you anyway, I'm not too surprised to see that it's not possible here. And, I understand that they want you to help promote Navigon products with your friends and family, albeit indirectly.
Emailing a destination to someone
Integration with iPhone functions
MobileNavigator integrates your Contacts into the app so you can access them quickly to select one as a destination, a feature that works well and that and that Mobile Maps and TomTom offer (though both apps currently suffer from a glitch that causes this feature to not work most of the time). Answering a call during navigation takes you to the standard active call screen, during which navigation guidance stops. After the call has ended, MobileNavigator opens back up and goes right back to continue providing navigation guidance without the need to click through the legal screen. Initiating and ending a call with voice command through my Jawbone Bluetooth headset (enabled with the iPhone 3.1 firmware update) and my car's Bluetooth system yields the same behavior.
Searching contacts to select one as a destination
The app now includes iPod controls, accessible by an iPod icon in the lower right corner in the map view. These controls will allow you to control music playing that was started before the app was open, and allow you to add songs to an in-app playlist that you can create on the fly. These in-app controls mean that you don't need to exit the app to get some music playing, which is really nice. After you tap on the iPod icon to access this functionality, it will automatically go back to the map view after a few moments without interaction on its own – a nice touch so that you don't have to distract yourself from the road to tap it again.
The iPod controls menu (cover art shown in the background)
[An aside for BMW owners who have the iPod-Your-BMW kit: MobileNavigator works spectacularly with this kit. While the kit won't power the iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS since it charges via the Firewire pins in the dock connector (you'll need something like this Scosche charging adapter
which can be had from Amazon easily), it will play audio from the iPod app (you'll see the 'iPod Accessory Connected' screen that will lock you out of the iPod app completely while it's connected) and navigation guidance will also play over the car's speakers. Absolutely fabulous and a great alternative to a stand-alone GPS unit if you're considering one. If your BMW also has Bluetooth, this set-up is near-perfect except for the fact that an active call closes MobileNavigator for the duration of the call, though at least you have the option to talk hands-free easily.] Voice guidance plays over the music playing from the iPod app, lowering its volume a bit so the voice guidance can be heard easily. This works great for music but is less ideal for spoken word items like podcasts or audio books since you'll simply miss portions when navigation guidance is given. It would be nice to see a preference toggle to switch between navigation guidance playing over the music or stopping the music first and then playing navigation guidance.
MobileNavigator now uses the iPhone's ambient light sensor to switch automatically between day and night themes. Getting to this setting wasn't difficult before, but it was a little distracting to do while driving, and it's great to see this feature added to take advantage of the iPhone's hardware. Mobile Maps also has this feature while it must be done manually in the TomTom app.
The night-time color scheme
All in all, MobileNavigator does a great job taking advantage of the iPhone's hardware and functionality.
POI quantity and quality
The POI data isn't as robust as I'd like. It was not able to locate a nearby Target nor a couple of local businesses, including small Asian grocery store and a restaurant, which I could easily find in the TomTom app's database. However, I was able to easily find the Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in MobileNavigator, which was nowhere to be found in the TomTom app. From what I've seen, POI databases seem to vary from app to app, and it may be a little hit-or-miss when you buy an app that the POIs you'll want most are included. I care about gas stations, restaurants, and shopping for the most part and all of the apps I've used so far meet this need more or less, and I'm not entirely opposed to searching in Google Maps to find it if I need to, though this is not ideal.
Searching for POI as a destination
You can also call many POI directly from within MobileNavigator, a very handy feature if you want to see if a store or restaurant is still open before you head there. This is a feature that hasn't been reliable in the Mobile Maps app, but works well in TomTom's.
POI can be shown on the map and you can choose which categories are shown. If you like to be aware of gas stations, ATMs and other businesses as you drive around, this function can be quite useful. On my TomTom Go 720 stand-alone unit, I have uploaded a custom POI database of all the Starbucks locations in the U.S. and set it to alert me when I'm within 1 mile of one. This level of customizability isn't available in MobileNavigator or any other iPhone GPS app to my knowledge, though I frankly don't expect it. However, if this is the kind of customizability you're used to with a stand-alone unit, you may want to wait to see if and when this type of feature comes to the iPhone GPS apps.
Choosing POI category to be shown on the map
Extras
The MobileNavigator does not have any included extras like the unit conversion or calculator mini-apps in the Mobile Maps app. While such extras are arguably not necessary nor entirely expected in a GPS for a mobile phone, it is nice to have them included in a GPS app so that you need not exit it to do something like calculate an exchange rate while you're on the go, which can be particularly useful for frequent travelers. I dock no "points" from MobileNavigator here, however, given how well the app works for its primary purpose of providing turn-by-turn guidance.
Conclusion
Navigon has done a great job with the MobieNavigator app. I am truly wowed by how well it duplicates the experience you get with a stand-alone GPS unit. The upcoming traffic option (read more on this here) will be a great addition to its feature set and if I had a long daily commute and/or traveled a lot, I'd happily pay the $25 this will cost. With that said, there are just a few things that disappoint me – I really want a way to view a written list of the navigation instructions, the map colors are absolutely hideous, and the notifications about which side of the street my destination is on are missing or entirely too late. However, if Navigon fixes these issues, MobileNavigator will easily become my favorite GPS app over Sygic's Mobile Maps (it already beats TomTom pretty well).
At $89.99, I think MobileNavigator is a bit pricey but it's one of the best GPS apps I've seen so far. TomTom's app costs $99 and doesn't have nearly as many features as MobileNavigator – I'd definitely recommend MobileNavigator and Sygic's Mobile Maps over TomTom's app at this point.
Pros:
- Reliable guidance most of the time
- Fantastic text-to-speech voice guidance
- iPhone-like interface
- iPod control integration
- Stable
Cons:
- No ability to see list of instructions for a planned route
- Daytime map color scheme is very unattractive and makes street names hard to read
- Only option when trying to get directions before a GPS lock is to see a simulation
- No way to manually change map zoom level during navigation guidance
- Inconsistent or missing guidance on which side of the street your destination is on
Related reviews:
Syigc's Mobile Maps turn-by-turn navigation app
TomTom turn-by-turn navigation app (on MacRumors.com)