My next car hasn't got satnav built in, so I'm wondering what people's experiences are of using a phone v a dedicated satnav.

 

Before I got the Superb I used Google Maps with my phone in a cradle, but I've also used a sat nav about 10 years ago.

 

I haven't got a phone holder for this car yet. What's less faff? A phone in a cradle or a satnav sucker mount?

Phone will always be up to date

Phone will always be up to date

Very good point. How much data would it use? I've got 6GB monthly allowance I think? I'll be using it most days.

You can of course download the maps to your phone so it's only the traffic that incurs a data amount.

In saying that, I've not really used any of the phone nav's in anger but will certainly be trying out what is compatible with Android Auto in a few weeks.

As above use offline maps and download via WiFi as much as possible

A phone is better imho until you need to suddenly need to go somewhere and there's no decent mobile reception, may be an edge case but happens in the sticks.

 

I would go for the phone in an active brodit mount, they're not cheap but they're brilliant, and if you ever need to use mapping out side of signal look to buy TomTom app or similar.

Until I got my current car (with built in sat nav) I used Copilot on my phone.  Had a fixed powered brodit holder for it in the car.

I've been using Navi on a phone and/or tablet for a few years, the data useage isnt much, but it does chew through the battery, so make sue the phone is plugged into a car charge - and charging.

 

I had a dodgy cable and didnt realise it wasnt charging, my phone decided to go for a lie down 10 miles from my destination, leaving me lost of the wrong side of a strange city.

 

Navi works perfectly well in offline mode, but you wont get the latest traffic updates, so it cannot route you around accidents etc.

Edited 18 November, 20169 yr by GentleGiant

A phone is better imho until you need to suddenly need to go somewhere and there's no decent mobile reception, may be an edge case but happens in the sticks.

I would go for the phone in an active brodit mount, they're not cheap but they're brilliant, and if you ever need to use mapping out side of signal look to buy TomTom app or similar.

Most mobiles will download the map area

Most mobiles will download the map area

Which is great if you can plan ahead. If you can't having the entire mapping offline is a boon.

I've been in this situation enough times to have bought TomTom for iOS. Really nice product although I have sat Mac in the car now so doesn't matter so much.

I use my phone all of the time with google maps, long distance delivery 4 days a week and I think it only uses about 1gb

I haven't ever needed to top up my 2gb a month allowance anyway

Which is great if you can plan ahead. If you can't having the entire mapping offline is a boon.

I've been in this situation enough times to have bought TomTom for iOS. Really nice product although I have sat Mac in the car now so doesn't matter so much.

Can't speak for iOS, but Google maps downloads a fair chunk of map data/area - not just your route. I have 1/4 of the UK which is 1.7gb https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6291838?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en

Nokia used to offer full UK offline map downloads too.

Both work fine, offline, for route recalculations or completely new routes.

Can't speak for iOS, but Google maps downloads a fair chunk of map data/area - not just your route. https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6291838?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en

Nokia used to offer full UK offline map downloads too.

Both work fine, offline, for route recalculations or completely new routes.

But let's say you're in an area with no signal, or you've hit your data cap and then find you need to use maps - has it got the data already cached? For example you're driving somewhere without the maps on and then have to detour cause of an accident.

I've had plenty of times where there's no signal and still suddenly needed to go somewhere and a GPS would have been useful.

Not so much of an issue nowadays as mobile reception is a lot better but last time I was in benbecula for example I think the last time I saw T-mobile (was a few years ago ) was on the ferry pulling out of Uig.

As I said Edge cases but a major one if you're in the sticks - same reason I don't think goo should count as a viable alternative to a spare tyre!

Edited 19 November, 20169 yr by gullyg

But let's say you're in an area with no signal, or you've hit your data cap and then find you need to use maps - has it got the data already cached? For example you're driving somewhere without the maps on and then have to detour cause of an accident.

As I say I have 1/4 of the UK. I could easily have the whole of Scotland ready to go, and it will update offline maps over WiFi every 10 days.

Whilst a standalone is useful, it's typically 18-36 months out of date (none of the stand alones yet have the new A14/M6 junction layout) on map data - even with the latest updates. It's also something else to carry about, or for criminals to break into your car for.

Whilst I get what you are saying, these days the likelihood of not being able to download a route/offline area either by mobile network or WiFi is pretty slim. Pretty much everywhere has free WiFi (fast food stores, petrol stations, service stations, hotels etc) and once registered you'll automatically connect to the same WiFi provider (BT, O2, Sky/Cloud etc). 90% of my data usage is now purely over WiFi.

It's why Tom Tom has gone back to its roots of being software and reduced its sat nav model range. That and sales have plunged. Others like Garmin are in a similar boat. Why spend £100+ to do something your phone can already do?

As I mentioned, Navmii * is a whole map download, with only traffic alerts needing an internet connection, map size for the UK&ROI is 356.6MB.

 

*Sorry, I forgot they changed the name from Navi to Navmii about a year ago. Speedcamera add on is £3.

I have CoPilot on my iPhone, this stores the entire map locally in the phone - Europe takes 3.83GB (I also have North America which is 2.36GB).

 

Updated maps are downloaded using WiFi, so no data allowance needed to update them.

 

Both App and map updates are free.

How often are you going to need to use it in anger?

 

IMHO phone satnavs are ok for occasional use or as a backup.

 

Dedicated sat nav will always be better to use and (probably) will come up with better routes. You get them with lifetime updates.

 

Also remember if you haven't downloaded maps to your phone it simply won't work if you lose a 3G/4G signal. 

How often are you going to need to use it in anger?

 

IMHO phone satnavs are ok for occasional use or as a backup.

 

Dedicated sat nav will always be better to use and (probably) will come up with better routes. You get them with lifetime updates.

 

Also remember if you haven't downloaded maps to your phone it simply won't work if you lose a 3G/4G signal. 

 

I'll be travelling every week for work, 99% of the time to an area I don't know.

 

Also, I don't like big phones so I've got an iPhone 5S, which is great as a phone but a little small as a Satnav?

I'll be travelling every week for work, 99% of the time to an area I don't know.

 

Also, I don't like big phones so I've got an iPhone 5S, which is great as a phone but a little small as a Satnav?

 

Sounds like a good sat nav would be a necessity. Some of the newer ones can tether through your phone for traffic updates etc.

 

Some are bound to be on offer with Black Friday coming up.

Any suggestions for sat nav?

I'd always go for a Tomtom. Not sure of the models nowadays but I remember seeing one quite recently that had lifetime maps and traffic and wasn't too expensive.

I think I'll try first using the phone, and see how I get on. If it doesn't work out I'll get a satnav and bear the recommendation in mind.

How often are you going to need to use it in anger?

 

IMHO phone satnavs are ok for occasional use or as a backup.

 

Dedicated sat nav will always be better to use and (probably) will come up with better routes. You get them with lifetime updates.

 

Also remember if you haven't downloaded maps to your phone it simply won't work if you lose a 3G/4G signal. 

 

Sorry, I disagree, my Navmii updates and replots routes MUCH faster than my sons TomTom; we have tested them side by side.

 

Deliberately taking a wrong turn, or missing a turn and Navmii will update the route within 2-3 seconds (if possible), or tell you to turn around; the TomTom took an average of 20 seconds, and sometimes nearly 30, and nearly always started with "make a u turn", before accepting you were going the other way and replotting the route.

 

Navmii has also been quite accurate on arrival times; on a run out of Central London (Regents Park), to near Guildford, it was only 10 minutes off of the ETA, despite it being the Friday rush hour, and we made it in HALF the time a friends Audi satnav suggested it would take (and a completely different route).

I'll be travelling every week for work, 99% of the time to an area I don't know.

Also, I don't like big phones so I've got an iPhone 5S, which is great as a phone but a little small as a Satnav?

I use the iPhone SE, same size and I have no problem with it

Just make sure you get the google maps app from the App Store and don't use the one that's already on the phone labelled as "maps" it's pants

We'll you won't lose out by trying your phone first. 

 

I've only used a TomTom (which is old but I still use on occasion, have bough map updates recently for it £20) and the Drivemaps onmy old windows phone, which were actually pretty good but would crash the phone every so often.