If you’ve got a Smartphone, it makes a lot of sense to make it double-up as a Sat-nav; not only does it save money, but also, you’ve got one less device to cart around – and let’s face it, just about everyone has a mobile nowadays. With one exception, the Sat-nav programs are supplied on an SD card, which self-loads into the phone.
Unless your phone has a built-in GPS receiver (increasingly common), you’ll need to buy a separate receiver which communicates with your phone via wireless Bluetooth. They’re very efficient and cost between £30 - £60. When upgrading your phone, check for special offers whereby the program, and sometimes the receiver, comes as a package. Using Sat-nav requires more from the battery so you’re well-advised to invest in a 12v car power lead. Unless supplied with the program, you’ll also need a bracket to secure the phone, either in the air vent or on the windscreen. Not all programs are suitable for all phones, so you need to check before you buy.
Unless your phone has a built-in GPS receiver (increasingly common), you’ll need to buy a separate receiver which communicates with your phone via wireless Bluetooth. They’re very efficient and cost between £30 - £60. When upgrading your phone, check for special offers whereby the program, and sometimes the receiver, comes as a package. Using Sat-nav requires more from the battery so you’re well-advised to invest in a 12v car power lead. Unless supplied with the program, you’ll also need a bracket to secure the phone, either in the air vent or on the windscreen. Not all programs are suitable for all phones, so you need to check before you buy.
Wayfinder differs from the others here in two ways; firstly, it’s a downloaded program and secondly, no mapping is held in the phone. Instead, routeing and mapping information is requested via a GPRS link. Sure, this takes a few seconds longer but the mapping at Wayfinder is always kept up to date and as the cost is for a lifetime licence, you never need to pay for an update. Navigation worked well, though the POI were a bit limited and many obviously sponsored. The 5-day free trial offer is a great idea.
Just released, this version polishes CoPilot’s award-winning 6 program. The maps are a bit brighter and more colourful and a few tweaks have been made to the POI which are now very impressive; there’s lots of choice and each flags up with address/phone details and distance. With a GPRS phone, traffic and weather information is available free of charge. Routeing was quick and navigation good both in terms of on-screen displays and spoken directions, the number of which could be varied to suit the user.
This program is available on SD card for many products, not least Mio’s own range of stand-alone Sat-navs. Tried here on the A701 Smartphone, it’s unique in being Europe only at a price which is extremely good. It will support TMC traffic info (a £55 option) and the screen shows clear and colourful maps with excellent junction zooms. But only having two ‘favourites’ is limiting and we think the male voice rather unfriendly.
Garmin left it late to enter this corner of the market, but it is worth the wait. The interface is the same as the conventional Sat-navs and with a GPRS link, traffic info and weather conditions (plus a five-day forecast) are free. The navigation worked well and the POI are probably the best in the business, with plenty of choice, addresses, and phone numbers. For those with Blackberrys and the like, there’s a server-based version (like Wayfinder).
Like Garmin, TomTom has made the screen display and controls exactly like its GO and One models, which means it’s instinctive to use and easy to follow. We tried it as part of a package which included the Treo 750 phone and Bluetooth receiver. The POI were a mixed bag with hotels and restaurants being linked to chains and so limiting their usefulness. The navigation was excellent, with clear next-turn pictograms and probably the best zoom-to-junction feature around. Note that the maps are GB only.