GPS guidance is available from multiple devices, including full computers (laptop computer and CarPC are the most appropriate computer types for this discussion) smart phones, and dedicated GPS devices (e.g., Garmin, TomTom, Alpine, etc.).

What is the best device for guidance in your car? Well… Like everything in life, it depends upon…

For this discussion we can combine full computers (CarPC and laptops) with smart phones (and call this category Smart Phones), and compare this with dedicated GPS devices (and call this category Garmin for brevity in our discussion). That gives us only two categories to compare.

So… Which is better: Smart Phone or Garmin?

Smart Phones
PROS
- Can provide live updates for traffic, construction delays, etc.
- Maps are always current containing the latest available updates
- Application software (guidance features) are updated instantly (you always have the best)

CONS
- Depends upon GPS reception and cellular tower reception
- Does not provide guidance in “dead” zones (cellular failures)
- Small screen display
- Does not always integrate well with a Car Entertainment System

Garmin (Dedicated GPS System)
PROS
- Dedicated on-the-road device (you see the advantages when using this)
- Large 7” screen for easy viewing
- Integrates with your CES providing superior voice guidance, viewing, etc.
- Does not depend upon cellular reception (always works)
- Maps are resident on the device (device always works).

CONS
- Live updates for traffic, construction, etc. depend upon paid subscriptions
- Map data is resident on the device and requires purcha$ing updates
- Device is fixed in your car; you cannot easily remove for repair, replacement, or walking support

 

I like using smart phones, but it seems the dedicated GPS companies are trying hard to compete. They're including phone numbers with those business addresses you input. That was always the selling point for using my smart phone, in case I wanted to call ahead.

 

screw garmin
a lot of GPS now come with lifetime maps
there are maps that will download all your maps so that you only need a gps signal.
gps guidance kills my phone battery
screw garmin
use your phone

One less device to own and maintain. Phone GPS is able to combine a better search, web browsing and phone calls.

 

Samsung S4. Works great! Pitched the Magellan years ago.

 

The problem with smart phone guidance is loss of reception. I just went through this problem when attempting to use a smart phone for guidance when I was driving in the mountains north of Phoenix.

I lost cell tower reception, and therefore loss of guidance on my iPhone. Errrrrr…

A Garmin device would have worked perfectly.

--Spike

 

get a app that downloads maps...

 

Your advice only works if you can download maps.

You need to attempt downloading maps in the mountains north of Phoenix to see why your suggestion doesn’t work.

 

As far as voice guidance, if you're using your smartphone to stream audio over BT, the turn by turn directions will also play through your car stereo and automatically turn down your music. It works pretty seamlessly. Of course this does limit you to listening only to music via your smartphone while using the navigation.

 

Wow, this went south and fast.

I still vote for the phone. I know the navigation app kills the battery, but I keep it plugged in to keep it charged.

 

- Depends upon GPS reception and cellular tower reception

Google Maps had a built in Offline Map Mode. I don't know if the menu is still available, but it can be done by typing "OK Maps" in the search bar while the app is open. If you're absolutely paranoid you'll have no connection, you can save a map of the area before you leave.

Other apps like Waze create a cache, so unless you're out of reception for awhile or traveling dirt roads, you'll be fine against temporary loss of signal.

If you're still paranoid, there are plenty of bare bones apps that will have the ability to download entire country maps. They wont be feature heavy, but they'll be fine if you're in an emergency. If you need something a little more nicer, TOMTOM has an android app with offline maps. You can either pay for it or you can acquire it the same way you download a movie before it's released.

- Does not provide guidance in “dead” zones (cellular failures)

See above.

- Small screen display

You are not stuck looking at maps on your phone. The headunits coming out today work with your phone, not against it. With a MHL Cable and ARLiberator, you can mirror your android device directly to a compatible headunit and use the touch screen display as if you were using your phone. We're talking entry level headunits at a $300 price point.

Headunits like Parrot use Android with their own Marketplace. Pair it with your phone for half the price of a built in GPS headunit.

- Does not always integrate well with a Car Entertainment System

See above.

Forget about standalone GPS devices or $1000 GPS headunits. You can have a pretty awesome setup with an entry level touch screen head unit and a phone you probably already have. Garmin, TOMTOM, etc are the equivalent of buying a point a click stand alone camera. Not worth putting down any money into these devices today.

Related Videos:

 

That’s great information,… Thanks bender.

Here is another question:

My iPhone seems slow while navigating (compared to my Garmin device). I don’t know If that is a problem with cell tower reception or if the phone’s processor is the slowdown. Is there a real difference in speed between the two?

 

Spike- what iPhone do you have? I have the 5 (not the C) and it seems to be relatively the same speed as the OEM one in my Toyota Highlander as well as the Pioneer in my Z. The offline maps do really work well on the iPhone but you need to have them pre-loaded and if they are not setup prior to running out of service you are screwed.

 

I am using the iPhone4.

The annoying/defeating part when navigating was slow performance from the GPS and poor map coverage. I did download the maps to the phone anticipating a problem with cell tower coverage, but even the GPS speed location on the iPhone was slow and less reliable than the Garmin device. I have AT&T and was warned that this service is poor north of Phoenix (people here use Verizon). My iPhone worked very poorly (even with a resident map) in this mountain region. It was much slower than my Garmin GPS device.

I installed a Garmin GVN 52 with a remote LCD monitor in my 2003z, and the device has spoiled me because it is lightning fast and feature rich (much faster and better than any smart phone I have run in comparison – Android or Apple).

--Spike

 

Anything in my posts not true?

you like it when they make the airplane sound when spoon feeding you?

the two links I posted gave you everything you need to know. Instead you keep filling up posts with drivel.

we get it. You want a garmin. get a damn garmin.

do you need us to post best buy links to garmins? should we also tell you the 5 nearest stores?

 

Look at Sygic. It is a one time charge app, but you can pre download the maps by state. Stores as much or as little map data as you need.
As long as you have satellite reception when you are driving you are good to go.
I have actually used it a few times for free - every time there is an update to the app (not the maps) they reset the 7 day trial period. On android it updates like every other week haha.

I am pretty sure TomTom and Magellan have app based versions of their GPS software with downloadable maps as well

Hate to say it, but cux is kinda right - there are quite a few out there if you search.

 

^^^ I agree with you that Cux350z is correct. Every reply to this thread seems to share his opinion (favoring navigation on a smart phone). I must be wrong here.

My prejudice to a dedicated GPS device fits my history; I’ve been using GPS devices almost since they were available to the public. My last experience using a smart phone for navigation in Arizona reinforced this opinion. The smart phone was slow (possibly due to in-and-out cell tower reception, causing delays while the phone searched for signals). That slowness happened even with a downloaded map and app.

I do like the large and bright 7” screen I mounted in the upper/forward cubby and the versatility of my GPS “black box” mounted in one of the Z’s rear cubbies. The feature list is long including split screen, practically unlimited way points, multiple viewing options (2-D, 3-D, picture, etc.) and an enormous database of commercial and community locations (hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and much more). The most important feature for me is performance, and the “black box” performs much faster than the iPhone4 with downloaded maps and the phone’s internal GPS. As I mention previously, the slowdown might be a result of the phone searching for a cell tower signal in a poor coverage area.

Obviously my test is small (one smart phone with two different apps/downloaded maps). I compared this setup to only one Garmin dedicated GPS device. I’ve gone to the sites Cux350z mentions in his posting, and I will test these against the dedicated GPS I have in my car.

I should mention information from bender and mcubed45 0n this thread describing the possibility of projecting the smart phone’s GPS function to an existing CES. That would mitigate the advantage I describe for a built-in 7” screen driven by a dedicated GPS system.

--Spike

 

RE: “Anything in my posts not true?"

Actually not… You did a good job posting accurate information.

I take issue with your posting “style,” which is offensive and approaches juvenile behavior. If you are a youngster, I give you a pass. If you are an adult, shame on you.

 

true story, just drove a rental car 1800 miles around the southeast. Brought my garmin with me. The pos is only 5 years old. Always begs for a map upgrade (last i checked it was like 50 bucks) and im not about to drop 50 on an old device that sucks in comparison to my smart phone. Well, i go to plug it in and the damn thing keeps rebooting. So its about to go into the trash. I have a huge distaste for Garmin at this point.

The only reason i was going to use my garmin is so it didnt kill my phone battery. Previous round of travel lead to my 12v to USB charger breaking so i cannot charge my phone in the car.

 

The price is dropping on new GPS devices. You can get TomTom and Garmin devices for a little over $100. And both Garmin and TomTom now offer free lifetime map upgrades on recent models. That must be a reaction to competition from smart phone GPS availability. Magellan owners pay for map upgrades.

I can understand how TomTom provides free map upgrades; TomTom owns Tele Atlas, the company that provides the map databases to TomTom.

Garmin and Megellan use Navteq based maps. Nokia owns Navteq. I assume that the companies pay some type of royalty to Navteq; I’m not sure how Garmin can provide free map updates. Possibly Garmin shares its application software with Nokia.

--Spike
________________________________________
EDIT/UPDATE: The map update for my Garmin GVN 52 costs $79.00. Yikes! The update is a download that requires an SD card (that I supply at my expense)

Updating my Garmin device is expensive!!

I will do the update because there are many changes in my local area... but I think this is a very expensive update when comparing its value

 

One thing I notice in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area is cab drivers always use a dedicated GPS device. It’s usually a Garmin, TomTom, or Magellan device with a 5” screen. Those devices cost a little over $100.00, and they (except for Magellan) typically have a lifetime subscription for map updates.

--Spike