Navigon
is my best GPS application for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. It is simple,
very easy to use and navigate.
Its
data base is complete, for example, I
was able to find many of the destinations just by searching their name.
It is available for many regions including North America,
Brazil, Europe, South africa, Russia and Turkey.
You can buy it at the App Store for $69 for the
US-Canada version, and $139 for
Europe which is the most expensive version due to the size of the maps
for Europe.
When you start this GPS iPhone application, you get the home screen with 4 large buttons. The buttons
are self explanatory, if you know the address, just tap Enter an
Address.
Follow the screens to enter the state by tapping on the
flag at the top right. Then enter the City.
Search by POI:
You can
search by POI ( Point Of Interest). From this screen
you can select
City, State or Nearby.
If you are driving and want to find something
around you, then tap Nearby, and enter the name of the place. Tap All Categories so that you can search in everything.
You can also search google within the application which is pretty neat if you have an iPhone data plan and an internet connection.
The Category Screen:
The
Category
screen allows you to narrow your search by selecting a category which
could return results faster. You can start typing the destination
and Navigon will find names as you type.
Take me home button
& Show Map:
The Take Me
Home button is a quick way to just go home. Just tap this button where
ever you are, and it will rout you to home.
You have to set up the home
button first.
The last big button on this screen is the Show Map button. This button
will show you where you are on the map
given that GPS signal is
good in strength.
For the
iPhone GPS
to function, you have to be outside, you shouldn't
be inside a building, or you will get the red warning or weak GPS signal.
Features & Options:
At the
bottom
of the main screen, there are 5 buttons, where you can access
only from the home screen. Once you start your
GPS iPhone navigation, you can't
get to those buttons.
The second button from the left is Favorites which takes you to your favorites list of
destinations while Recent
takes you the recent destinations you have visited.
The Contacts
button is one of the most powerful features in
Navigon, where you are
linked to your iPhone contacts.
If you have the address for the
contact, you can select that contact from your existing list, and get
direction to him/her.
The last button at the bottom is the More
button where you can access
the
Navigonsettings and options.
The Options Screen:
The options screen lists all
the settings and options
available. You can
access the options screen from 2 locations. It is located at the bottom
from the More button.
You can also access Options while you are in the map itself from the
top
right button.
The
"3D Navigation
Map" turns 3D or 2D map on or off. You can also control the
night or day
mode.
Also you can set your mode, the pictures shown here are all in night mode, which has the darker
screen, while day light mode will
turn the screen into white instead of
Gray so it is brighter in the day time.
You can select to see street names on the map, and to show categories
that are important to you. For example, you can show gas stations as
you are driving, or you can select any category you want.
You can also add an interim destination, which means that if you want to stop
by another place on your route.
For example, say you want to stop at Burger King, while you are going
to Detroit as your destination, it will find a Burger King on your way
by
tapping "Add Interim Destination"
and enter the name of the place you
want to stop by on your way.
Tap the route profile to select your speed, if you are in a car, riding a bike, or just walking as "pedestrian". It is very important to select the method you are using, as it will create your
route based on allowed roads.
For example, if you select
Bicycle
as your speed profile, then
Navigon
will not direct you to go to
highways!
You can also set the notification volume from here and
iPod
control to
on or off. If
iPod
Control is on, you can control the
iPod
application
right within
Navigon
.
The Map:
The map is clear, simple and shows lots of detailed streets. Your speed is always displayed on the top, which can also be changed in options.
At the bottom, you can select to
have your time of arrival, and miles until you
reach destination displayed as shown by the green and
blue circles.
Other Features:
Navigon for the iPhone and iPhone 4 can display the speed limit and can warn you if you
exceed it.
There is no option to change the language as available with
other iPhone GPS applications, as the program defines the language
based on the region you have. It can speak street names besides directions which is neat, and it
supports landscape view in any
of its screens.
"Navigate From Maps" is an iPhone Hack for Google Maps that can be purchased from Cydia if you have a jailbrocken iPhone. This hack allows you to search for your destination in the default Google Maps application, and then send the address to Navigon for quick turn by turn voice navigation.
The iPhone hack simply adds a new button in Google Maps called "Navigate Here With Navigon". Once you tap this button in Google Maps, Navigon will open with directions to that destination. The hack will show any GPS iPhone application installed on your iPhone such as TomTom, Sygic , iGo MyWay or any other.