Mobile 'phone sat' nav's

Trumpet

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
What experiences have people on here had with Mobile 'phone navigation systems? I've just had a Nokia Lumia 800 and, out of interest, tried the sat nav on a coulpe of known journeys. Find the on screen mapping to be pretty good but the voice commands not so, saying to turn right when display is clearly showing left and vice versa and random commands to go 'slightly' left or right when approaching junctions, eg when appraoching the bottom of Wolverhampton road there is a bend to the left by Romance Pizzas before the pelican crossing but 'phone man' says "turn slightly right as you approach the junction".
Just wondering how others have got on with these things, I have a Tom-Tom and find it great when seeking specific addresses. Wouldn't dream of using it on long journeys though.
 
1JKz

1JKz

Well-Known Forumite
i agree, mine (Samsung) has a delay of approx 3 seconds, so i've made the turn before the voice tells me, so takes out all logic of me being able to drive along listening to commands rather than looking at my mobile!

also, not sure it's the same for you, but the voice, when stating a road, will literally spell it out, so A four four nine becomes A four hundred and four nine or B5401 becomes B fifty four and oh one or whatever, i'm sure there's a fix but you know how it is, i want my things to be exactly right and how i want them to be from the kickoff, heck that's the world we live in now.

I had my tomtom nicked (a plague on both their houses!) and loved it, never a problem with it.
 
highguyuk

highguyuk

Well-Known Forumite
I use Google Maps on my Android, never had any complaints. I can't prove this next statement, but I do sometimes have a slight feeling that I has taken me a slightly longer way round though.

When using my iPad for Navigation, I use Waze which is a socially interactive Sat Nav. I like that too, more than Google. It gives clear audio directions without street names.
 
My Name is URL

My Name is URL

Well-Known Forumite
I also use Waze HighGuyUK, really love the social interaction side of things :)

RE: Google maps, don't forget it does take account of traffic on route so may take you a slightly longer route to avoid traffic, hence quickest route.... could be the reason?
 
KencoPlenco

KencoPlenco

Well-Known Forumite
I find it useful to have a sat nav feature in my phone, the only issue i got with it it drains my phone batteries out quite quickly and my car adapter doesn't work quite well.

I don't use the Google map version as it does not take me to where i want to go at all
 
proactive

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Use Google Navigation without problem. Tells me the names of roads I'm about to turn into, which is useful, and streams onto the car speakers via bluetooth.
 
W

Wolfenrook

Well-Known Forumite
Samsung Galaxy Ace here, so my sat nave uses google maps. lol

Works a treat, saved a lot of getting lost many a time. The only thing I will say is that if you do 80 in the outside lane of a motorway when it's just told you the turn off is in 1/4 of a mile, then expect it to tell you "turn left now" just as you've passed the exit. Not me, I don't drive, my dad who gets lost been navigated by somebody in the passenger seat using an AtoZ. Turn left dad, so he turns right....

Same with telling you the name of the road, also if it's available you can switch to street view. Only if going very slow though as it doesn't update fast enough in street view.

Ade
 
iamlegend

iamlegend

Well-Known Forumite
The the lumia phones have the best sat nav available in a handset at the min as its already built into to the OS , but that might change when ios 6 comes out because of apple using Tom Tom for their maps and sat nav !
 
Toble

Toble

Well-Known Forumite
The Google Maps navigation on the Samsung Android seems fine. I must say though that I'd be quite happy to see all satnav systems banned.
 
Jonah

Jonah

Spouting nonsense since the day I learned to talk
I bought the NDrive app on my iPhone as it was only £5. Worst £5 I've spent.

Ended up buying the TomTom app for £50 and it has been well worth the money.
 
monkey bidness

monkey bidness

Well-Known Forumite
I have used 'navfree' app on my iPhone. This is constantly evolving, users feed back corrections, new streets, etc. Is it available on Android devices?
 
shoes

shoes

Well-Known Forumite
No problem at all with it on my Samsung S2 - if I'm going anywhere remote I'll cache the mapping first, but otherwise it works well and is very accurate.


Toble said:
The Google Maps navigation on the Samsung Android seems fine. I must say though that I'd be quite happy to see all satnav systems banned.
Click to expand...


Why so? I find them incredibly useful - if it's because a few dildo's have driven their car off cliffs - well that's not the satnav's fault ;)
 
Digital Editor

Digital Editor

A few posts under my belt
The Lumia phones have great SatNavs but they do not allow you to avoid toll roads (like TomTom on the iphone does). When the new iPhone operating system is released, they are dropping Google Maps and having their mapping provided by TomTom instead so you should be able to get SatNav on the iPhone for free.
 
Toble

Toble

Well-Known Forumite
shoes said:
Why so? I find them incredibly useful - if it's because a few dildo's have driven their car off cliffs - well that's not the satnav's fault ;)
Click to expand...
Cos they distract the driver. Some people spend more time peering at the map than at the road.If i'm going somewhere I've never been before, I look at a map, get somewhere close, stop and look at the map again, and work it out from there. I try not to veer across 2 lanes of traffic because the computer was late in telling me what exit to take at a roundabout.

Last year a bloke in Blackpool ran a red light and killed 5 people, including 4 from his own family. His excuse: the sat nav didn't tell me to stop. Putting technology into the hands of idiots is never a good thing, as it only gives them excuses. He should have said: I am a retard.

And do not start me on satnav mapping errors. Just for starters: Abbey Close, Panton Close and Old Rickerscote Lane. Apparently Stafford has two each of these.
 
Toble

Toble

Well-Known Forumite
Digital Editor said:
. When the new iPhone operating system is released, they are dropping Google Maps and having their mapping provided by TomTom instead so you should be able to get SatNav on the iPhone for free.
Click to expand...
So they'll still be using the same database really. Google, Tomtom, Michelin, the AA, the RAC, Navtec, Mapquest. They all have the same errors (and the same Trap Street for the stafford map).
This is just another example of Apple getting all pissy with Google over Android, obviously.
 
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