After spending a couple of weeks testing's Navigon's MobileNavigator iPhone app, I was just about ready to give up on it. Sure, this GPS application got me where I was going, but it just didn't offer enough features to justify its $90 list price.
And then came an updated version of the app (free for existing users), which added text-to-speech functionality. Suddenly, the MobileNavigator iPhone app was a much more useful navigation tool.
Street Names Now Available
Text-to-speech means that the application now announces street names when prompting you to make turns. Instead of telling you to turn left in 500 yards, for example, MobileNavigator now tells you to turn left in 500 yards onto Maple Street. This is especially handy in areas where there are a lot of streets close together; before Navigon added text-to-speech, I often found myself making turns and just hoping I'd chosen the correct street. The text-to-speech feature is a big deal, and Navigon's app is the first iPhone app to offer it. Even the highly-anticipated TomTom iPhone app lacks this feature.
But, while text-to-speech is certainly the attention-grabbing feature here, it's not MobileNavigator's only strong point. This app is straightforward and easy to use -- something that's not always true of portable GPS products. Its maps look great on the iPhone's screen, and it works in both landscape and portrait mode, so you can rotate your iPhone to the orientation you prefer.
Easy Navigation Tools
MobileNavigator's home screen presents you with four easy choices: Enter An Address; Search for POI; Take Me Home; and Show Map. Navigon's data-entry system is logical -- again, something that's not always true of portable GPS devices.
Once you've entered an address, MobileNavigator calculates routes quickly and sends you on your way. Using the settings menu, you can set preferences for route types (such as whether you'd like fastest, shortest, or scenic routes), and can choose whether to allow certain types of roads, such as toll roads, highways, and HOV lanes when navigating.
I tested MobileNavigator in and around the Boston area and throughout New England, and -- overall -- I was impressed with the routes it found for me. The app consistently got me where I was going, and -- most of the time -- it got me there quickly. There were a few occasions when it suggested routes that seemed longer to me than others I knew existed. But MobileNavigator never failed to help me find my destination.
Its navigation features include a reality view, which shows you a real-world view of complex intersections and exits, so you know where you're going and which lane you should be in. It also warns you when you're approaching or exceeding the speed limit.
A Few Flaws, Too
MobileNavigator is not without flaws, though. For one, its POI (points of interest) database is skimpy. Navigon tells me it has about 2 million entries for all of North America. That may sound like a good amount, but today's portable GPS devices often have 6 to 12 million entries in their databases. And I noticed the difference: I used MobileNavigator to search for a couple of restaurants and shops I knew were in towns around me, but many of them did not appear in the POI database.
Other quibbles: MobileNavigator quickly ate up my iPhone's battery life, and it also made my phone heat up. The case never felt too hot to hold, but after using MobileNavigator for more than 30 minutes or so, my iPhone 3GS was uncomfortably warm in my hand. And you really do have to hold the phone in your hand to use it, as Navigon does not offer any sort of dashboard or windshield mount for your phone. This can make it tricky to use if you're driving alone in the car. I did try resting the phone in my car's cup holder, but found the volume was sometimes too low for me to hear over my radio. I also noticed that the GPS signal dropped occasionally, and was more likely to do so the farther I moved the phone away from the windshield.
MobileNavigator does not include traffic reports, but Navigon says they may add that feature in an upcoming update. Personally, I'd rather see them offer some sort of windshield mount. That would make a pretty good GPS app a whole lot more usable.
