Best satnav Android apps

Google’s Android platform is a baby compared to the other mobile operating systems that dominate the smartphone market, but it has quickly gained attention from millions of people worldwide and crucially from the big manufacturers such as HTC and Sony Ericsson. It has also not escaped the attention of navigation software makers and you now have a choice of apps, free and commercial, which can guide you wherever you need to go with all of the features you expect in a standalone unit included.

As navigation software moves towards a completely free model, Google itself has started the ball rolling by offering Google Maps Navigation for free in America and the UK. But it is not the best solution around, and there are other worthy alternatives to consider if you are willing to pay.

Co-Pilot Live is one of the premier navigation apps on the iPhone and Windows Mobile platforms and has now graced Android at the same budget price level. The UK and Ireland version is just £26.99 and you can pay extra to receive live traffic and fuel price information. The feature set is comparable to standalone GPS systems and even if you go for the full set including the live services it still works out cheaper than most of the competition. The software lends itself well to large touch screened devices and in our tests Co-Pilot performed admirably on the Nexus One, HTC Hero and HTC Magic so it gets a big thumbs up from us.

With Android being open source it is natural to expect the same type of development on the GPS side and AndNav2 (above) is one such example.  It is, however, not easy to use for the average user, but people who require specialised mapping for specific areas may find the time worthwhile to create TilePacks for the app. On the subject of free, we can’t forget the excellent Google Maps which is either bundled with the Android device itself or available as a free download and now offers full turn-by-turn navigation with voice in the UK and US.

Sygic is one of the lesser known navigation software developers, but for 49 Euros you can pick up Mobile Maps which includes real-time traffic, safety camera warnings and full mapping for the UK and Ireland. The interface is clean and the system works well in general use. It is also surprising to see so many other features included such as lane guidance and as such the whole package builds into a solution which is very good value for money.

Telenav produces a solution which is ideal for the occasional traveller. It works on a subscription basis and at £5 / month could be useful if you only need GPS navigation at certain times during the year. The main mapping interface is simplistic and does not give an indication of what is beneath the rather plain surface. There are some expected features, but it’s fair to say that this is not a solution for the individual wanting all of the latest GPS gimmicks. Ultimately though it does work quite well and is memory efficient so it definitely has a place in the ever growing Android navigation market.

Navigation can of course take many forms and BreadCrumbz exemplifies the possibilities of the Android platform. It allows you to create your own routes using photographs for each step. You can add commentary to each step and it even works within buildings such as museums. The possibilities are endless for companies to use an app like this to create virtual tour guides and when used in conjunction with GPS it can make any experience much more pleasurable and informative. It is also free which makes it one you simply have to try.

GPS on Android is not just about software either. Garmin Asus has come up with the nuvifone A50 which is an Android powered smartphone with navigation promoted as its main feature. Not only do you get a 3.0 Megapixel camera that can geo-tag each picture, but a car kit is included alongside a 3.5” screen to make the navigation experience as complete as possible out of the box. Garmin has a long history in the navigation world and is well placed to create a device that feels and acts like a standalone system, and with the help of Asus, a smartphone that does all of the other clever things you expect in 2010.

As you can see, the navigation options available on the Android platform are already plentiful and in some cases priced very competitively or even free. With an emphasis on large touch screen design and powerful hardware features the smartphones running Android are well placed to make mobile navigation as easy to use as it is on standalone GPS units. With the operating system constantly being upgraded and the promise of Google Navigation being available worldwide, Android could soon become the platform of choice for mobile navigation.

Written by Shaun McGill. Originally published in Smartphone Essentials magazine.

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