- Mar 24, 2011
- 15,781
- 1,812
By Joe Hindy April 2, 2014
Part 1 is located here: http://www.androidtablets.net/forum...pp-options-android-part-1-2-a.html#post309828
MapQuest: Maps, GPS, and Traffic
[Price: Free]
MapQuest used to be one of the go-to direction websites on the internet many years ago. Unbelievably, the service still exists and it does have an Android app. It has the standard turn-by-turn features along with some unique ones like live traffic updates, automatic traffic re-routing, and a service to find cheaper gas stations on your route. It also has walking and driving directions. Its a solid offering and its a name people are familiar with.
(Google) Maps
[Price: Free]
Most people are probably here to find alternatives to Google Maps but we cannot deny that feature-for-feature, Google Maps is better than pretty much everybody. There are consistent features and app updates, worldwide support, you can download maps for offline use if you need them (there is a 14-day time limit on downloaded maps), the venerable Street View, detailed information about 100 million places, and youll be using a service controlled by Google. There is simply no other way to put it. Google Maps is awesome.
Navigate 6
[Price: Free / Up to $125/yr depending on license]
Navigate 6 is another turn-by-turn alternative with some decent features which include offline maps support. Some of the more unique features are Wikipedia entries on the map (where applicable), weather on the map, and probably among the best 3D graphics weve seen in a GPS app. Do note, there are some people who have issues with the licensing and the licensing itself is pretty expensive. There is a 30-day free trial to see if this is the GPS app for you.
Polaris Navigation GPS
[Price: Free]
Polaris Navigation tries to be the all-in-one map sources and in most cases it succeeds. Its biggest feature is that it has access to Google Maps, OpenStreetMaps, MapQuest maps, and Cycle Route Maps. So whatever source you want is the one you get. It also features multiple coordinate formats, trail recording, a unique waypoint management system, and your standard stuff like turn-by-turn directions. Its rated fairly well on the Play Store and appears to be pretty stable. Also, its free.
Sygic: GPS Navigation and Maps
[Price: Free]
Sygic is a monumentally popular navigation app that boasts over 10 million downloads to date. Like others on this list, it provides downloaded maps for offline use except this one uses TomTom maps. It has the usual features like turn-by-turn, voice guided directions (which include voice-spoken street names so you can concentrate on driving), alternate routes, and even a speed limit display. There are a number of in app purchases to unlock more features so keep an eye out for those. Otherwise, its a pretty solid app.
TeleNav GPS Navigator
[Price: Free]
Many people are probably already familiar with TeleNav GPS because it comes as bloatware on certain devices. For TeleNav you actually have a few options. There are two apps specifically for T-Mobile and Sprint customers and a third one called Scout that should be available to most people. Its designed for mainstream use so it has the stuff like traffic flows, turn-by-turn directions, and a dashboard to show you trip stats. It also has some social features baked in like real-time ETA sharing called OnMyWay. Its not the most exciting navigation app but its a pretty solid option.
Waze Social GPS Maps & Traffic
[Price: Free]
Last up is Waze and this is an interest app because its actually now owned by Google. That means there are a few features of this app that are baked into Google Maps and we assume more will make their way to Google Mapps eventually. For now, Waze continues to be its own standalone app. It gets its traffic information in real-time from other people driving up and down the road. Like MapQuest, there is a function to find cheaper gas and liked TeleNav there is a real-time ETA sharing function. Its one of the most unique options on this list and thats probably why Google bought it.
Wrap up
Navigation apps are a dying breed. These days there are a few companies that are really cleaning house when it comes to navigation while others are struggling either to make a splash or, in the case of MapQuest, not to fall too much further into obscurity.
Part 1 is located here: http://www.androidtablets.net/forum...pp-options-android-part-1-2-a.html#post309828
[Price: Free]
MapQuest used to be one of the go-to direction websites on the internet many years ago. Unbelievably, the service still exists and it does have an Android app. It has the standard turn-by-turn features along with some unique ones like live traffic updates, automatic traffic re-routing, and a service to find cheaper gas stations on your route. It also has walking and driving directions. Its a solid offering and its a name people are familiar with.
[Price: Free]
Most people are probably here to find alternatives to Google Maps but we cannot deny that feature-for-feature, Google Maps is better than pretty much everybody. There are consistent features and app updates, worldwide support, you can download maps for offline use if you need them (there is a 14-day time limit on downloaded maps), the venerable Street View, detailed information about 100 million places, and youll be using a service controlled by Google. There is simply no other way to put it. Google Maps is awesome.
[Price: Free / Up to $125/yr depending on license]
Navigate 6 is another turn-by-turn alternative with some decent features which include offline maps support. Some of the more unique features are Wikipedia entries on the map (where applicable), weather on the map, and probably among the best 3D graphics weve seen in a GPS app. Do note, there are some people who have issues with the licensing and the licensing itself is pretty expensive. There is a 30-day free trial to see if this is the GPS app for you.
[Price: Free]
Polaris Navigation tries to be the all-in-one map sources and in most cases it succeeds. Its biggest feature is that it has access to Google Maps, OpenStreetMaps, MapQuest maps, and Cycle Route Maps. So whatever source you want is the one you get. It also features multiple coordinate formats, trail recording, a unique waypoint management system, and your standard stuff like turn-by-turn directions. Its rated fairly well on the Play Store and appears to be pretty stable. Also, its free.
Sygic: GPS Navigation and Maps
[Price: Free]
Sygic is a monumentally popular navigation app that boasts over 10 million downloads to date. Like others on this list, it provides downloaded maps for offline use except this one uses TomTom maps. It has the usual features like turn-by-turn, voice guided directions (which include voice-spoken street names so you can concentrate on driving), alternate routes, and even a speed limit display. There are a number of in app purchases to unlock more features so keep an eye out for those. Otherwise, its a pretty solid app.
[Price: Free]
Many people are probably already familiar with TeleNav GPS because it comes as bloatware on certain devices. For TeleNav you actually have a few options. There are two apps specifically for T-Mobile and Sprint customers and a third one called Scout that should be available to most people. Its designed for mainstream use so it has the stuff like traffic flows, turn-by-turn directions, and a dashboard to show you trip stats. It also has some social features baked in like real-time ETA sharing called OnMyWay. Its not the most exciting navigation app but its a pretty solid option.
[Price: Free]
Last up is Waze and this is an interest app because its actually now owned by Google. That means there are a few features of this app that are baked into Google Maps and we assume more will make their way to Google Mapps eventually. For now, Waze continues to be its own standalone app. It gets its traffic information in real-time from other people driving up and down the road. Like MapQuest, there is a function to find cheaper gas and liked TeleNav there is a real-time ETA sharing function. Its one of the most unique options on this list and thats probably why Google bought it.
Wrap up
Navigation apps are a dying breed. These days there are a few companies that are really cleaning house when it comes to navigation while others are struggling either to make a splash or, in the case of MapQuest, not to fall too much further into obscurity.
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