2014 in Sat-Nav Apps: Which are the Best?

Car Industry News · 2nd June 2014

It seems like only yesterday that the first of those little boxes began appearing on our dashboards, giving us instructions and the best directions to our destinations (only occasionally through rivers/people’s homes!).

 

It seems as if the age of the standalone TomTom satellite navigation device might soon be coming to an end, however, as the dominance of smartphone apps begins to take a hold. From the practical to the frankly unnecessary; the free to the pricey, here are a few of the ones that caught our eye…

 

Name:Waze

  • Price: Free
  • Platform: iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile

The Waze utilises the modern trend for crowdsourcing information, building its content directly from its 40 million+ users. This allows for accurate data regarding live traffic congestion areas, speed camera location and even the price of fuel in the garages nearest to you. An easy-to-read (if a little uninspired) interface makes this free app superb value.

 

Name: Telmap M8

  • Price: Free
  • Platform: Android and iPhone

Another freebie, the Telmap M8 is fully stocked with a number of features – some practical, some verging on excessive. Of the former, speed camera positioning and live traffic reports are intuitive and convenient, while synchronised TripAdvisor reviews allow for live reviews of everything from the closest motel to any five star restaurants in the area.

Easy to use and competent for a free app.

 

Name: Navigon British Isles

  • Price: £34.95
  • Platform: iPhone, Android and Windows Mobile

The costliest app on this list, does the Navigon live up to its price tag? With all the usual information you would expect from a free download (speed limit info, service station locations, border crossing data) packaged in an admittedly professional looking display, it would seem there is little to separate Garmin’s Navigon from others on the market.

Couple that with a slow route recalculation time and you might find yourself better off with a freebie.

 

Name:TomTom UK & Ireland

  • Price: £31.99
  • Platform: iPhone and Android

As one of the most reliable names out there, TomTom is unsurprisingly one of the most popular smartphone app choices. Emphasising an easily operated and intuitive interface, the TomTom app even syncs your list of contacts from your phone to add to its database of destinations and addresses.

Although one of the pricier choices, especially when you consider it offers no live traffic updates, the TomTom is perhaps the most reliable when it comes to getting you from A to B in the most efficient manner possible.

 

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