Has anyone used sat nav apps on their iphones? I've used CoPilot, not bad but you can't plot a route on an ipad or laptop and drop it on your Iphone. Also it doesn't have a 'twisty' setting. Seeing the routes in sunshine is a little difficult but I find the audio instructions very helpful. If you tilt the phone towards you rather than up it helps a lot. Saves hundreds of pounds on a dedicated bike sat nav and is 1 less thing to carry. But is there anything better? Anyone used Tomtom on the iphone? Or inRoute or Motomaps?
Can't remember what the free app I use was called but it's just changed it's name to navmii Only used in the car and it's been fine - the odd time it does lock up so I have to refresh, which would be annoying on a bike. I don't know what functions it has as I just put in a destination and go
I've used most (Navigon, TomTom, CoPilot, Waze*, Google Maps* and Apple Maps* to name a few) and found all have faults / niggles / annoyances. Generally the UI's are pants, none support off device route planning, and on device planning is equally a pain, if supported. IMO the best paid app is Navigon, the best free is Google Maps. I find myself frequently using Google Maps as it syncs nicely with my Gmail address book and Google Maps (web). If you want speed camera alerts use CamerAlert. *Free
It used to be called Navfree, but I have noticed on changing it is now stating that it requires a subscription, I think this may have been an error when it updated as I have never paid or subscribed to it before.
I use tomtom but it kills the battery a lot quicker than google maps. But I find it's directions are a lot easier as I don't use the screen just the spoken directions through headset. Apple maps is useless for me every address I enter takes me to the US equivalent
trouble with google etc is they consume data and lots of it, no good abroad. Co pilot and navman here, which are ok for getting somewhere but that's about it.
I used copilot in Europe as well for the same reason as Bradders, it doesn't need a data connection. There's a thread on the subject where I commented last year after going to Italy. The app is unstable and often freezes just when you are getting to a complicated junction (!) but it does the job, especially if like me you do not like being a slave to a talking SatNav unit. I'd rather navigate myself and have the SatNav to help me along instead of riding blind.
I've used copilot for years now. Love it. Got all the traffic Addons so it alerts and reroutes automatically and have fine tuned my settings (stopping the tilt sensors for the screen for obvious reasons on a bike). Let's me play music and gives big glove friendly buttons for changing tracks. You can tell it to avoid motorways or just set a stop on a B road that looks good on the way. The alternate route gives 3 options, or you can drag route to fine tune it. Can't really blame glare on anything other than the phone case/screen but may reposition to above the clocks to see if I can improve that. Either way it's not the apps fault.
I agree, you can't blame the suns glare on an app. I like CoPilot as I said but it's just a shame you can't plot routes on a bigger device and drop it on the phone aaand... it doesn't have a 'twisty' setting. I guess the remedy is plot your route on a road that looks twisty in the first place. It does have camera alerts though. Think I might investigate Motomaps anyway.
Noticed something else on copilot yesterday. Since changing from car to motorbike in preferences, it takes me a different, more twisty route. Bonus!
I've used TomTom on the IPhone for the past several years and over 50k miles touring around Europe in both the car and on the bike. As long as you have it powered by a simple USB cable, and keep it in a waterproof case, I think it's been absolutely brilliant. TomTom gives you enough advance notice when approaching a turn, to make the turn even at speed. I've tried Garmin (the latest version on my GS1200) and it's rubbish in comparison - too complicated to use. TomTom is easy to use, easy to enter addresses and waypoints, and it integrates perfectly with other IPhone features: ie, it auto quietens the music to speak the directions over the music (without cutting it off) and then auto raises the volume immediately after. Simple things like that show the thought that has gone into the product design. It's good value considering you get free lifetime map updates, and it consumes no data overseas.
I use copilot and if you change the vehicle preference to motorbike then it does give a twistier route, also select avoid motorways. I've tried a few apps and found this to be about the best of the bunch.
All very good feedback. I have read somewhere recently that you need a fair bit of memory left on the phone, about twice the size of the app, to stop Co Pilot seizing. I went to the states last year and used it, no problem. This year my Iphone seized in the UK. Try deleting some pics and vids etc. Just to complicate things, I see TomTom have just brought out a new Rider 400 and 400 plus. They've been listening because you can plot a route on a laptop or ipad and drop it onto the sat nav. Also has twisty setting of course BUT... it's £319 for the western europe Rider 400 version and more to carry than just a phone.
Not true! I use some shareware that lets you put the route together and coverts it to oodles of different formats, depending on the GPS app or device it's destined for. It's called RouteConverter. I then use a piece of software that allows you to transfer routes to the phone, called iMazing. FWIW, the iPhone app I use is Navigon, which caters for motorcycles and has an option for scenic routes; about as close as you can get to a twisty routes option.
