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Navigation & Smartphone?

 
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bewildered
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:45 pm    Post subject: Navigation & Smartphone? Reply with quote

I am a TTN6 user on PDA. I am considering upgrading my phone to a smartphone, and running GPS Navigation on that instead. I'm well confused by the options available. Can anyone recommend a combination of s/w and phone that will give me navigation up to TTN6 standard (which I like)? I assume TTN6 only runs on Windows Mobile, and there are few smartphones around that use WM6 (HTC Touch HD is a notable exception). Non WM6 choices include Blackberry Storm, or maybe new Nokia N97 (soon). iPhone? Onboard GPS chip preferred of course, but I have a Holux Bluetooth unit. Anyone know for sure which Navigation products run on which Smartphones? Big question I know, but any advice gratefully received.
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gatorguy6996
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use Garmin Mobile for Blackberry, extremely happy with it. Also use Telenav. Pretty happy with it. Google Maps has their own free mobile app, but it doesn't do verbal announcements and doesn't take advantage of the on-board gps chip if you have one (that I can find), using cell triangulation instead. Probably the best option on the horizon is the Garmin/Asus "nuviphone". Auto-rotating touchscreen, maps are pre-loaded to the phone, and comes with an active windshield mount in the box. Uses Garmin's navigation engine similar to the Nuvi line. Of course includes the standard on-line search features and social networking apps. Should see them out in the wild within another 60 days or less.
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bewildered
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Gatorguy. Thanks for the comments. Is Garmin Mobile as comprehensive as TomTom? I see you have both. I have become very dependent on TT. I do a lot of driving in UK, and I also use TT in the USA and Europe from time to time. Do you get voice prompts and visual hints like next junction, etc? I guess there are POIs for it including speed cams?
Is it a Blackberry Storm you use? I have a fairly good offer from Vodafone on that.
I'll look into the Nuviphone. Thanks again.
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Darren
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd avoid Blackberry, none of the solutions are great, Garmin being one of the better ones and ALL are off-board solutions that pull the maps from a server using a data connection.

As a PDA user, why not go for a new WM PDA Phone? You will be familiar with the interface and could use any number of decent apps including Sygic, iGO, CoPilot etc.
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bewildered
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Darren. Thanks for that. Any reccommendations re WM PDA Phones? I get confused impressions about how well nav apps port to WM devices. eg some users reporting TTN6 doesn't work on Touch HD?
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Darren
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

MikeA is the man to ask that question of as he's had 'em all. As they're phones the best idea is to narrow down your choice from what;'s on offer with the phone companies. Some may come bundled with an app already, O2 promotes some HTC handsets with CoPilot for example.
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bewildered
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Darren, unfortunately looking at what phones were available was what started this whole topic off! I'm on Vodafone and they don't offer any decent WM devices at present. BB Storm is their offer, with Touch Diamond just added. Neither of these is WM6. So I may need to look elsewhere, hence the original question. Other complications appear to be phone packages. O2 seem to have a £1/day data charge. I pay £7.50/month on Vodafone for virtually unlimited data. I get lousy reception at home on Orange (I was on that for a while). T mobile and 3 no better either. So confused I am, and any ideas about a good smartphone/PDA Phone that runs good navigation on a par with TomTom is what I am after. Right now I wonder whether to buy a Touch HD (expensive!), and renew my vodafone contract. Move the SIM across and hope I can run TomTom.
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Darren
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah I see. There are methods of getting TTN7 installed, you'd need to buy a v7 map from TomTom but this gives you a legitimate install that will work on all the latest devices.
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gatorguy6996
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Considering your alternatives, I'd still look at a Garmin Mobile solution. Spoken instructions, good avoidances, excellent routing options. . . IMHO, the best of the off-board nav apps. But if you're willing to wait, the Garmin/Asus phones are true navigation devices in a smartphone body rather than an added afterthought. Certainly should be considered. Darren's suggestions are certainly good, and he's much more aware of some of the upsides/downsides to the mobile apps than I am. But for me, Garmin Mobile has been the best of the lot.
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Darren
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Over this side of the pond mobile data is still a big issue for many of us. There are 'all you can eat' deals but they have limits. Garmin's Mobile XT is by far the best of the off-board solutions though.
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mikealder
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The HTC Touch HD is a great device and there are work arounds to alter the screen resolution back to the normal VGA size as demanded by certain applications.

As you want VodaFone have you considered the Sony Ericsson Experia X1 as this is running Windows Mobile 6,1 its a nice spec device see Here

Don't bother with the other HTC Magic device Vodafone are listing as that uses the Google Android OS, probably a very capable device but the lack of Android based applications makes this one to avoid for now.

As for navigation software, I would seriously consider McGuider which looks and feels very similar to the TomTom application, IGo is another application worth looking at then the Garmin software. Co-Pilot is one I never found I got on with, that said plenty of others use it, Route 66 used to be a very good application but the latest version isn't worth bothering with as there is no support for custom POI files. TomTom Navigator 7 might be worth the gamble, but be aware that if you do purchase the map and something doesn't work you won't get any assistance from TomTom unless the application was pre-installed when you purchased the phone (TBH I wouldn't bother with it as some of the applications I listed above are just as good).

Whatever you decide to get in way of software make sure the maps it needs to work with are stored on the device, downloading maps as you drive is OK on my mobile trariff but could be very costly for others, also when I drive in North Scotland there are large chunks of roads with no signal coverage which means no map display if the maps are downloaded on the fly - Mike
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bewildered
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MikeA. Thanks very much. Good pointers there. I'm going to renew my Vodafone contract with a new phone. Just got details of reasonable deal with HTC Touch Diamond (not Diamond2) for free. This will give me a chance to see how things go on that unit. If not good enough, I'll sell the phone, and buy the Touch HD. General opinion is that the HD is better in many ways including screen size/quality. As far as navigation software goes, your suggestions sound excellent. I'll certainly have a look at them. I must say that although I like TTN6, I dread having to make any support calls to them. I struggled to get TTN6 working on my Loox 720 to start with. Much help from other users, not TomTom. Even had problems on the HP IPAQ 214. Thanks again.
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