New Garmin or Navigon/Garmin App on iPhone?

 

Thinking about buying a new gps unit or just buy iPhone app?
What's your thought on subject?

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Alan-Garmin c340

What Are Your GPS Objectives?

Once you have your list of GPS functionality that you desire, go through the feature sets for each option, the Garmin GPSr and Garmin App on iPhone.

Also, the environment you are going operate in is important. If you do anything outdoors, hiking, etc., that pretty much says you need the Garmin GPSr.

I use both... depends on the situation. The Garmin iPhone app is pretty good.

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When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.

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I have and use Navigon. It is as close to the same end-user experience one gets from a stand alone device as one can get from an app in my experience.

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*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

Garmin app

How well does it work with 3g?

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Legs

Is the App Worth $60

I checked out the Garmin app on iTunes and it was listed at $59.99 Canadian.

As pointed out earlier, the selection of a smartphone app or GPS unit depends on the intended use. Although the app appears to have much the same functionality of a GPS unit, I am not sure the smartphone version of Garmin would be as useful as a vehicle-based unit. Especially at $60.

I would only use my iPhone to find things if I was on foot, but rely on my Garmin to get me anywhere.

Wear and tear on the phone's battery

alanrobin1 wrote:

What's your thought on subject?

As I posted in a similar thread a few weeks ago:

A major concern for me w.r.t. using a smartphone or tablet as an automotive GPS would be the wear and tear on the battery. I gather that the GPS receiver, the always-on display, and the processing all contribute to a significant drain on the battery. Therefore it is likely that I'd want to have the phone connected to external power while using it as a GPS. Doing so with the unit on the dash in direct sunlight could get the unit pretty hot, and my understanding is that excessive heat over long periods significantly shortens the usable life of today's rechargeable batteries.

Now all of that is true for a stand-alone GPS device too, but I don't worry about that so much because I only really use the device when it has external power. Over time the battery may deteriorate to the point where it can only run the GPS for a few minutes, but that's all really I need. On the other hand I'd find it quite inconvenient if the battery life on my smartphone or tablet deteriorated to that extent.

Your points are valid but...

VersatileGuy wrote:

A major concern for me w.r.t. using a smartphone or tablet as an automotive GPS would be the wear and tear on the battery.....

Your points are valid but you don't have to mount the tablet in a location where it is exposed to direct sunlight. The only problem is that the farther away you mount it from a direct line-of-sight to the sky, the more you degrade its GPS signal reception.

That said, I believe that most tablets can be mounted in a location that is in the shade, yet does not block the GPS signal. One good mounting location is just to the right of the center stack, where it is usually possible to mount even a 10" tablet without any problem. True, that is out of direct line of sight, but most locations on the dash aren't really line of sight either. For that, you'd really need a head-up-display.

Another way to accomplish this is with a mount that fastens to (or merely mimics) the way sun visors work, i.e.: hinged against the roof. Pull it down to use it; push it up (and completely into the shade when out of the way). For a smaller device like a smartphone, there's usually room to do this near the mirror. Unfortunately, some cars have an opaque shade element in the windshield that may block the GPS signal.

Of course, no mounting scheme is going to escape the high temps that build up when a car is locked up and parked in the summer sun. But that's almost as true for any device left in the car, though it is cooler under a seat.

Even better is an external GPS receiver, which eliminates the physical location tradeoff. But of course a wireless GPS receiver brings with it its own complications, including being another device that must be charged. I would like that type better if they used standard AA rechargeable batteries, but I assume they do not.

The best solution of all is an external GPS receiver like this one: http://store.mp3car.com/New_BU_353_S4_Weather_proof_USB_GPS_... but AFAIK this isn't going to work with most (if not all) tablets. I also don't like the direction the cable exits the case (should be able to go straight down for external mounting), but that's a minor detail that can be overcome.

Just a humble idea....

VersatileGuy wrote:

A major concern for me w.r.t. using a smartphone or tablet as an automotive GPS would be the wear and tear on the battery.

Or you get a smart phone with a replacable battery...

for me..

app is not an option for me, as my tablet does not have GPS capability built.

Time Sharing

I would not want to time share GPS on my iPhone since I use it for so many things. Not usually while I'm driving but I hand it to my wife at times to find addresses, lists and such. I have considered the new Mini iPad as a possibility for my next GPS since I would not use it in the same way I use my iPhone and it would not be needed while driving down the road for other duty. Plus I have a 2460 now and like the bigger screen and would like even bigger.

Having said all that I have not used the Garmin App, my wife uses CoPilot on her iPad as backup maps on trips. I like talking to the 2460, does the app let you use voice control?

garmin

imho garmins with LMT have gotten so inexpensive, might as well get one. You don't want to rely on your phone for everything. Nowadays, people lose their phones, they're in such a panic as everything is on it. imho a person should try to reduce their reliance on the smartphone. Unless you're on-call, which many of us are, set it down and don't even go back to it for 8 hrs. or more.

Sunny Skies

VersatileGuy wrote:
alanrobin1 wrote:

What's your thought on subject?

Doing so with the unit on the dash in direct sunlight could get the unit pretty hot, and my understanding is that excessive heat over long periods significantly shortens the usable life of today's rechargeable batteries.

FWIW, my iPhone 4S shut itself off due to overheating (said so on the display) when it was exposed to direct sunlight for about 20-30 minutes on summer mornings while streaming from internet radio via wifi. If I put it in the shade, it cooled sufficiently to turn back on after 10-15 mins. Consider how it would stand up to direct sunlight in a car, if applicable.

GPS

I have both - a stand alone GPS and an iPhone with the Garmin app. I use the GPS about 99 % of the time. The maps are also more current on my GPS. The Garmin app hasn't been updated in a while.

I use the Garmin USA app in lieu of my nuvi in many cases

I have found for my use, the garmin app on my iPhone 4 performs better and has features not available on my nuvi 760. Having said that,I keep my nuvi up to date and ready for use as a backup measure.

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Nuvi 3597 LMT

iPhone vs. Garmin GPS

I use my iPhone to find a POI since it's usually more up-to-date, then use the Garmin for routing...

Iphone App Or New GPS

Thanks for all the answers. They were helpful and now I need to decide.

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Alan-Garmin c340

Thanks

I just picked my new iPhone. Thinking of purchasing an App just in case. I'll still be using my 255W. It still works great.

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OK.....so where the heck am I?

New Garmin Or Navigon/Garmin App On iPhone?

alanrobin1 wrote:

Thinking about buying a new gps unit or just buy iPhone app?
What's your thought on subject?

Well, since this IS POI Factory, the obvious answer is BOTH! You have been given some great advice already and at the risk of repeating what others have said, it does depend on how you intend to use it.

A little story about my GPS history. My first was a Garmin auto navigator. A year or so ago I bought the Garmin Nuvifone and more recently the Garminfone. At the time I Was working a job in which I used the GPS quite a bit for work. Just for fun, I decided to see if I could get by using just the Nuvifone and later just the Garminfone. An important thing to point out here is both came with suction cup windshield mounts. I think they are very important for use in an automobile. Also the issue of power was mentioned and the device should be connected to 12 volt power while being used in a vehicle.

My experiences using each phone as a navigator was interesting. Both are obviously smaller than most regular automobile GPS units. Aside from that, they just fine for navigating. The inherent problem is when you try to use them for multiple functions simultaneously. For example, I like to listen to Slacker Radio, which is an internet radio service. I also hoped to get by using the device for the few personal phone calls I would make during work.

My conclusion was that each function should be handled by a separate device, when possible. The reason I Say that is as soon as I got a phone call the music stopped from Slacker Radio, but I needed to leave it on the car dock if I wanted to continue navigating and see the screen. I ended up using a Garmin Nuvi exclusively for navigating in the automobile. Granted, if you have one with the XM Radio option or MP3 function, they can be okay for both. Probably no more than 2 functions should be performed at once, if possible.

Now, all of the above having been written, there are definitely times when it is very handy to have the maps on your phone and be able to use them without using data. We go camping every year at a very remote state park. Cellular service is spotty, at best, in certain parts of the park. Having the maps right on the phone is simply very handy.

Also, some of my favorite hobbies are horseback riding, ATV riding, and bicycling. All of them take me to areas in which cell service can be touch and go at best or simply non-existent at worst. Last week, for example, I went horseback riding and I stream audio through my phone. I don't necessarily use the GPS function constantly, but it is very nice to know it is there when I need it.

I really didn't mean to write a book on this topic, but I did want to give some additional things to think about. And, yes, some of us here are enthusiastic about GPS and will tell you what I have that you just might want both a auto GPS and the Garmin App on the iPhone!

Ditto

KeenanMD wrote:

I use my iPhone to find a POI since it's usually more up-to-date, then use the Garmin for routing...

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When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.