GPS on phone

[harvyk]

Well after me purchasing a GPS last year with the intention of taking OS, only to have it break on me half way through, I've decided to use my phone for GPS on my upcoming trip.

I've been looking at options which do not use mobile data to work (so maps are pre-downloaded), I've come across one called Navmii, which seems to work pretty well, except I can't seem to enter in street numbers, just streets and suburbs.

What GPS programs do others use for traveling? I'm wondering if there is something better out there which would fit the following requirements.

- Uses NO cellular data when driving (I won't have data roaming, and not planning on getting a local sim)

- Gives nice clear directions

- If I do have to pay for it / maps, it needs to be relatively cheap (at $70 I can get maps for the tom tom, the very expensive and not very good replacement I got half way through my last US trip)

- Needs maps of the US (which I suspect is most of them), maps for AU would be nice, if nothing else to test using it before going.

- Needs to work on an iPhone 6.

 

[RooFlyer]

See this thread.

Based on it, a couple of us got Sygic and are happy with it. Download maps and use off-line. I have used o/s and still happy with it. My comments on using more batter power than a charger provides was because the USB current supply wasn't adequate, and I was using 3D maps. When using a cigarette-lighter based charger, power was no problem.

Sygic use Tom-Tom maps.

 

[opusman]

Sygic seems good, and they quite often seem to be on sale which means you can get maps for the whole world quite cheap. Tom-tom is a rip off by comparison.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Have you considered your ipad instead of your phone?

 

[Scr77]

For ths reason I have stayed with Nokia/windows phones. The maps are downloaded and installed for free at home and are used off line. You can buy outright some cheap phones and you could take it with you without the stress of having an expensive phone lost/damaged/stolen.

This one is dual sim so you have the option of getting a local sim:
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/phones/Ou...s/microsoft/microsoft-lumia-435-black/747816/

 

[dk4]

For ths reason I have stayed with Nokia/windows phones. The maps are downloaded and installed for free at home and are used off line.

Nokia Maps is basically the backbone of the "Here" mapping app available on Android. It can be set to full offline function (once country maps are downloaded onto the device) - just like Nokia Maps. (I don't know if it is also available for iOS.)

 

[waldo61]

'Here' maps are also available for IOS. We are currently travelling on North America and I downloaded the US states and Canadian provinces we are travelling in. I am using them on an iPhone 6 and an iPad mini and they work fine in offline mode (ie without phone signal). Occasionally they take a few seconds to find location when you first open app, but then work fine.

 

[harvyk]

See this thread.

Based on it, a couple of us got Sygic and are happy with it. Download maps and use off-line. I have used o/s and still happy with it. My comments on using more batter power than a charger provides was because the USB current supply wasn't adequate, and I was using 3D maps. When using a cigarette-lighter based charger, power was no problem.

Sygic use Tom-Tom maps.

Good call on Sygic, I downloaded it last night and tested it on my way into work this morning, it worked very nicely. I like that they give you 7 days grace to test it before having to pay for it.
One of the big problems I had when searching for GPS's on the app store was many of them wanted payment sight unseen, and I've seen many an app for sale which just didn't work as expected, so I'm pretty cautious about spending money without first testing.

Have you considered your ipad instead of your phone?

I've only used the iPad as a GPS once before, and I just found it really awkward, as it needed to balance there and the extra screen real estate didn't help much.

 

[jb747]

I deleted Sygic, as I found that it had merrily rifled through my contacts, and actually made a change to each entry.

 

[harvyk]

I deleted Sygic, as I found that it had merrily rifled through my contacts, and actually made a change to each entry.

What was the entry which Sygic made? During the setup phase I was prompted with what it would have access to, I was pretty careful to only allow access to the GPS and not anything else. (quickly double checking that now)

Edit: Sygic didn't even ask for access to my contacts, but Navmii did (although I'd blocked that access).

 

[jb747]

I didn't mind it having access to contacts, but writing anything in there was a deal breaker. Deleted. There are a couple of offline maps, though I only need them for walking, not driving, overseas.

 

[opusman]

It hasn't modified anything to do with my contacts, fwiw.

 

[RooFlyer]

I deleted Sygic, as I found that it had merrily rifled through my contacts, and actually made a change to each entry.

That's pretty bad! I see I have a setting for it not to have access to my contacts. Not sure if it ever asked, but if it did I would have said no.

 

[jb747]

It hasn't modified anything to do with my contacts, fwiw.

Later version perhaps. It was an @tag of some form. Perhaps I wasn't the only one annoyed.....

 

[Yoz]

Have you checked if Google Maps 'Offline Maps' allows for navigation yet?

Google Maps allows you to save offline maps (limited by size) but I think you can save several maps as I've done this in China before.

Only thing is that it did not previously allow for offline navigation. It was mentioned that it was a feature coming (earlier this year) but I'm not sure if it actually works yet.

 

[opusman]

Have you checked if Google Maps 'Offline Maps' allows for navigation yet?

Google Maps allows you to save offline maps (limited by size) but I think you can save several maps as I've done this in China before.

Only thing is that it did not previously allow for offline navigation. It was mentioned that it was a feature coming (earlier this year) but I'm not sure if it actually works yet.

The offline mode is only supported in certain regions (can't remember if it's by city or by country, but it's not supported everywhere).

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

I have had great success with my Tom Tom world, driving, walking and even on ski slopes.
I have had it for years and apart from a battery replacemnt ( DIY) its been fine. Use it a couple of times a year in Europe and the US and have never updated the maps.
Also very handy in AUS as the blue tooth phone connection is better than the one in my car.
Now avaliable on the net for around $270 with free lifetime maps and no
Data or IT problems !

 

[bPeteb]

We have a Nokia 1020 and iphone 5S. The 1020 is our navigation device and hasn't missed a beat over any of our recent holidays. It was hugely valuable in our most recent roadtrip in Iceland. Sometimes has a bit of a pause finding us but once it has, the instructions have so far been without fault.
pete