By now, most phones come equipped with some sort of map application that allows you to look up places and map out directions. And they're good. Good enough to fulfill most of our map needs. But if you need something a little more robust, something a little better at directing you on long road trips, you should look into a true, full-fledged navigation app.
A number of navigation companies have jumped into the mobile world and started developing apps as good as their stand alone navigation units. There are a number of different options available for every phone platform—some are pricey, some are free and some come pre-installed on the phone. We looked through a bunch of 'em from Android, WebOS and iPhone and came up with five our favorites.
APP: Navigon Mobile Navigator
PLATFORM: iPhone
COMPLEX SAYS: Navigon believes so heavily in the future of navigation on mobile handsets that they stopped selling stand alone navigation units in America and decided to only push their Mobile Navigator app. Sporting the best interface out of all mobile nav apps, Mobile Navigator comes with a bevy of features that make most stand alone units obsolete. Our favorites? Lane Assist Pro and Reality View Pro: realistically recreates street lanes, highway intersections, off ramps and exits so you know exactly where you're supposed to be going.
BUY IT NOW FOR $89.99!!!
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APP: Google Maps Navigator
PLATFORM: Android 2.0 and up.
COMPLEX SAYS: Anything another company can do, Google can do for free. The same goes with navigation apps. Despite being in beta (of course) the Google Maps Navigator (GMN) app is as feature filled as some of the most pricey navigation apps. Just like all other Google apps, search is key. You can search for places, businesses in plain English, just like you would in Google Maps. You can search for places along a predetermined route. You can even search by voice instead of typing it in. All the other features you've come to love from Google Maps have made their way over including Street View which, in GMN, allows you to see turns in the real world. Not bad for free. Other nav companies better pray they can't get it on other platforms.
BUY IT NOW FOR FREE!
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APP: Goviko Navigator
PLATFORM: BlackBerry
COMPLEX SAYS: Using navigation software on a non-touchscreen BlackBerry can be tricky. The screen is much smaller than other touch screen phones and you have to use a trackball or trackpad to direct your cursor. Luckily, apps like Goviko's Navigator make it easy. With a series of simple menus and an equally uncomplicated design, it's pretty straightforward to use. It's not as feature filled as some of its competitors but it does come with the ones you'd expect, like real-time traffic, weather, turn-by-turn driving and walking directions. They even give you a 30 day free trial so you can decide for yourself.
BUY IT NOW FOR $9.99/Month
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APP: MotionX-GPS Drive
PLATFORM: iPhone
COMPLEX SAYS: It's not free, but at $.99 it might as well be. We still can't believe this app is so cheap. It's not the best looking, but in terms of functionality and feature set, it's one of the best navigation apps we've come across on any platform. The interface is clear and easy to use, you can access all your music while navigation and answer calls. If you want to add some functionality, you can drop $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year for TrafficCast's Dynaflow2.0 which gives you predictive traffic forecasts for your route, so you know what you're about to drive into and voice guidance.
BUY IT NOW FOR $0.99, $24.99/Year for additional functionality
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APP: Sprint Navigation Powered by TeleNav
PLATFORM: WebOS
COMPLEX SAYS: We did some searching for an app better than the built in Sprint Navigation application, but came up empty handed. Powered by one of the best map and navigation companies, TeleNav, the Palm Pre's Sprint Navigation comes with everything: turn-by-turn voice directions, 3D maps, millions of POIs, real time traffic reporting. Even better, if you have their $70 unlimited plan, it's free! Yup, no monthly bill. Gotta love that.
COMES PRE-INSTALLED ON PALM PRE
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