Using an Android as in-car GPS - free?

johnf_456, May 4, 6:40am
Google navigation is wicked for navigation I use it and it works very well with turn by turn and doesn't cost anything other than use alittle of data I have already bought.

noswalg, May 4, 11:41am
Iv'e got the same phone, is ulysses a free app! Does it use data to run! As far as i can tell the IDEOS uses free GPS navigation due to the fact i use it with roaming data disabled

ginga4lyfe, May 4, 1:08pm
being an android phone, it has native GPS , though it can be assisted with the data network, the data side can be switched off

PS. Poor papa

vtecintegra, May 5, 8:37am
Just a note about Android - turning off data roaming option just means that your phone won't use data when roaming on another network (like if you go overseas).If you are connected to your home network data will stay on.

justcruisin, May 5, 10:35am
nokia' free app works great, free downloads and updates of maps

johnf_456, May 5, 11:32pm
Great advice and yup android is going to be leader even though its based on linux / java. Open source rocks and not to mention the free factor so just grab yourself a android phone and away you go. The new version have good caching so not much data is used and best of all its updated live.

carkitter, Jan 16, 7:39am
GPS on phones is usually aGPS (assisted GPS) which uses GPRS/3G data. Unless you get a phone that can pick up a satellite (line of sight), you'll need to download Offline maps either by wifi to the phone or to you PC and sync to the phone.

And thus I've reached the limit of my knowledge of GPS systems.

bigfatmat1, Jan 16, 7:45am
I use a palm trio with windows ce and tom tom maps i find the screen a little small though

electro2000, Jan 16, 9:16am
if you can get it to run , The supplied app has to down load the map as you go along so chews up a bit of data My ideos has an inbuilt GPS receiver so does not relie on RSSI from cell site to pin point your locationI down loaded map droydand the NZ map which is pretty basic only shows main roads/ streets etcAnother app for android is viewrangerstill playing with that one you can run a 15 day trialif your antroid phone has wifithen makes it real easy to down loadmaps etc off the net just using your home or work internet

vtecintegra, Jan 16, 10:18am
There are various pay options available but I just use Google Navigation online.

Data usage isn't too bad

dvince, Jan 16, 11:30am
My phone had Ndrive preinstaled with nz maps. Seems to do a good job so far and no data usage.
There is a trial on android market.

ajlnz11, Jan 16, 11:54pm
Www.google.com/gmm.Google maps mobile is all you need on any smartphone with gps capability and Internet, just go to URL above and download, easy!

vtecintegra, Jan 17, 12:01am
Is your phone the LG 2degrees does!

Bear in mind Ndrive maps are quite expensive if they didn't come with the phone, AU+NZ is 60 euro

ladaspeed, Jan 17, 1:02am
I have an HTC Desire, the latest update gave me turn by turn voice navigation, and google maps caches the maps it downloads on the phone. The navigation app also shows street view if you want, but I imagine that would use some gigs.

thejazzpianoma, Jan 17, 9:15am
I like the apps you can use with a Blutooth OBD2 adaptor. Custom dashboards you can setup showing fuel trim etc which is great for seeing what state the injectors etc are likely to be in.

Good for settling arguments about fuel economy and other geekish pastimes too.

craigsmith, Jan 17, 11:13am
aGPS is not an issue, the data usage is trivial.

On Android, the best nav app is definitely Google Maps & Navigation. You cannot beat the design and interface, it makes the others look like they were designed by retarded blind monkeys.

However, Google Nav is basically useless for practical use as a nav tool if you're in any danger of straying outside of data coverage (or refuse to pay for the data). It will cache the current route so you can do the one trip offline, but once you arrive you're fuct - can't even reverse the route to return home without it connecting to the internet, let alone go to another destination. Utterly useless, even in the USA - I don't know wtf Google is thinking. They obviously have the blind retarded monkeys too, just in a different dept.

Oh the Google speech is horrible too, but I always mute them anyway.

NDrive (came for free with maps on LG P500) is workable, maps seem reliable enough, design is okay - not as nice as Google, the interface is dumb - and the routing is retarded, again not as clever as Google. But does the job.

There are other free ones which use Open Street Maps (www.openstreetmap.org). There are a number, but check out for example NavDroyd. I haven't tried any of the Open ones yet.

vtecintegra, Jan 17, 11:19am
You can change the TTS engine in Android.

Personally I find the standard Pico TTS with English-UK is fairly inoffensive but there are alternatives.

craigsmith, Jan 17, 12:01pm
I have it set to that too but Google Nav ignores the setting and uses the 'orrible American one. I think it's a Maps 5.0 bug, have you upgraded!

noodleman4, Jan 17, 7:24pm
I have a Nokia N8 and it has built in maps:):), i have used it in my car fine in town and on a trip. I think its free or uses next to nothing.

styxgeist, Jan 18, 12:45am
I personally use Navigon that does Offline gps mapping on Android. get the program, sync up your phone to your computer. The computer will download a 100MB map file of NZ and install on your phone. Because of this map file the phone itself won't need to use data unlike Google maps

vtecintegra, Jan 18, 1:58am
Yep works fine for me on 5.0.0

compchick, Jan 18, 3:16am
I use the Nokia N8 with Garmin Mobile installed works a treat, don't know if if you have to buy it, it was already installed when i got the phone.