GPS And Other Apps On Smartphones And Tablets
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    17 years
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The Garmin Viago app was released recently, but we have had other GPS apps for smartphones and tablets available for quite some time now. One of the things that I read from time to time is people stating that it won't replace their existing automobile GPS navigator. The way I look at this issue is that it isn't an either/or issue. Of course it won't replace a dedicated automobile GPS! It isn't meant to. In fact, rather than looking at this as an either/or issue, I think of GPS apps on smartphones and tablets as something to fill in the gap when no regular automobile GPS is available.
The way I look at this, the smartphone and tablet is something of an electronic Swiss Army Knife, if you will excuse the analogy. While smartphones and tablets do a lot of things, there are many "one trick ponies" that do certain specific functions better.
For example, I have a Google LG Nexus 4 smartphone. While it can take photographs, a dedicated digital camera can do a much better job and is probably more feature rich.
I have both Slingbox and DISH Anywhere apps and I can listen and watch on my phone. While this is a great feature, I still prefer to watch on a larger screen.
I can surf the web on my phone. It is also a great feature. If I have the option, surfing on a desktop or laptop computer is much better.
I even have a flashlight app on my phone. While I do use it from time to time, it is certainly no replacement for a dedicated Pelican, Inova, or Streamlight flashlight.
So, even though I now have Garmin Viago on both my Nexus 4 and Nexus 7, I am still going to continue to use my Garmin Nuvis in my vehicles.
When I am somewhere that I need navigation and a Garmin Nuvi isn't available, then the Garmin Viago fills the gap!
I hiked 5 miles up a mt with
I hiked 5 miles up a mt with no roads. Needless to say my Nexus7 with GPS maps was with me. The battery on the Nuvi wouldn't hack the 10 hr round trip.
From My Point of View
The Garmin Viago app was released recently, but we have had other GPS apps for smartphones and tablets available for quite some time now. One of the things that I read from time to time is people stating that it won't replace their existing automobile GPS navigator. The way I look at this issue is that it isn't an either/or issue. Of course it won't replace a dedicated automobile GPS! It isn't meant to. In fact, rather than looking at this as an either/or issue, I think of GPS apps on smartphones and tablets as something to fill in the gap when no regular automobile GPS is available.
fills the gap!
I agree that smartphones are not a viable replacement for vehicle GPS units today. That could change with the larger screen size planned for the next generation. As you say, smartphones definitely have a place in “filling the gap” but they can also be used in conjunction with some automotive units to enhance their performance. Apps like Garmin’s Smartlink , Google’s Waze and a host of others can pair with certain Garmin Nuvi’s via Bluetooth to provide additional features like live traffic conditions, weather and even access to highway camera photos of the road ahead. I see both as useful tools that can be used together when travelling.
battery life
I hiked 5 miles up a mt with no roads. Needless to say my Nexus7 with GPS maps was with me. The battery on the Nuvi wouldn't hack the 10 hr round trip.
That is a little surprising that the Nexus 7 has a better battery life than your Garmin Nuvi.
Not surprised
Not surprised. My Nuvi is ready for a charge usually after an hour or so on a good day. Somehow I had originally thought it was rated at about 3-4 hours use time.