zoxxo

I feel the urge to ask this question, and I'm not doing it to knock on anyone that does, but does anyone with an Android phone use VZ Navigator? And if you do, can I ask why?

I'm asking because if Verizon is pushing upgrade fees and usage fees on us, could we push back and say why are you developing on a platform when there is a free useable app already there? I just want to know who is beating the dead horse harder???

Thanks!

Eric

Demache

Lol, who PAYS for GPS apps?

But in all seriousness, for the most part, I don't think very many people do. For awhile a few people did, since they thought it had a better feature set. And for awhile, Google didn't have a "true" navigation app. Although in my personal opinion, Google Navigation has matured quite a bit since then, and competes easily with many standalone GPS units.

andr01d

(The Verizon Navi has 3D buildings/view for some major cities.)
(The Google Navi has the awesome satellite view/layer.)

I think the Google navi still isn't as good as a Garmin or whatever standalone GPS modules. For example we're driving down the a major freeway in the middle of nowhere... then we decide we want to either find a fast food place or gas station. First problem... it takes a lot of searching (tiny button) to find Restaurant. Searching for a gas station is even more difficult (have to know the name). If we ever find it we'll have to detour somewhere out of the way (happened to me). I'm wishing they'll just name something ahead along the route - a little further in front is ok but don't make me drive somewhere else far from the freeway to get to it (and without u-turns). Edit: what i like to say is Google navi is/was designed by computer scientists, while the standalone GPS is/was designed by drivers (something about good user interface/experience)

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andr01d

Last edited by andr01d; April 19th, 2012 at 07:58 PM.

ylexot

I agree. Google should look at some of the stand alone units for ideas for improvement. One of my favorite options on my Garmin is that if I search for a gas station, I can choose to re-route to the gas station on the way to my final destination.

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zoxxo

Ok, but let me ask you this: are you using the Verizon Navigator instead, and do you feel that Versizon is justified in charging us for that service?

I get that Google is not as polished as the standalone navi units. I will often fire-up the navi built into my Volvo to compare it to how Google is doing. And if I need a POI such as a gas station or a restaurant, I will always use my Volvo Navi to fuind that POI. But if I had choice, I would always use Google over Verizon because I'm not being charged extra for it. And if more people have that same attitude, then how can Verizon justify charging us extra for a service or other services (the new $30 upgrade fee), when we are not using them...

Sorry, times are tight and I'm getting tired of being nickeled and dimed to death...

WA_Bob

I don't use VZ Navigator simply because I usually don't need all that much detail - I use Google as a follow along map pretty much and that's the most I need out of a GPS unit. As a stand alone service, let anyone who wants to use it pay for it and let anyone who doesn't want it to live without the uses of it or the fees. Even when I didn't root and just freeze it, I never used it anyways, but if it works for folks let the users support it. And, honestly, let the market determine it's worth.

If not enough people use it for Verizon to make money off it then it should die a quick death. It hasn't yet so I'm assuming that it's worth it to enough people to have that available. Of course, Blockbuster is still on every Verizon android phone and I've NEVER met anyone who uses that so maybe logic and profit isn't the final determining factor in why anything is still there.......

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ylexot

Nope. I'll take the limitations of free over $10/month any day. Or if I want better functionality, I'd buy a Garmin each year and still end up paying less than VZNav.

rabiddawgs

I have used it before and like it a lot. that was before i had a smartphone.

from the different nav units and google maps i have used i think it is very good and prefer it but not at the $10 month charge.

I think they still have it for people on basic phones..

dirkbonn

I also used VZ Nav and paid $10/mo for it prior to having Google Nav available on smartphones. I think Google Nav first became available on my Omnia after having the phone for almost a year. Now I have a Droid X and Google nav has always been available to me on it.

I liked VZ Nav, and I like Google Nav. Now that I think about it, I guess I like them both about the same, so my decision easy... two navigator apps, one is $10/mo and other was free. (or included in the price of my phone)

I have never had or used a stand-a-lone Navigator device so I can't compare those.

So I remain.... patiently/impatiently waiting for the release (and announcement) of my next phone.

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UncleMike

It's not like it was a mere 4 years ago, when Verizon locked down access to the GPS functionality on my Blackberry, preventing me from using it with anything other than VZ Navigator, including the Blackberry Maps app. If they want to charge a monthly fee for using the app, they're entitled to do so. There are back end costs involved with providing the service (servers, map updates, traffic data, etc), so I think it would be unreasonable to expect them to provide the service for free, even though others are doing just that.

For me, I did pay for a navigation app - CoPilot Live Premium. Is it great? No. But it has features that few others do, including the ability to add custom POIs, specify type that keeps me off roads I'm not supposed to be on with a commercial vehicle, and it allows me to avoid roads along the planned route if I choose. In my personal vehicle I Google Maps almost exclusively, if for no other reason than CoPilot's integration with the OS (i.e. clicking on address links in an email or calendar entry, or being able to use voice command to "navigate to...") is non-existent.

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zoxxo

I guess what doesn't make sense to me is that Verizon has to put the resources into porting VZ Navigator over to Android. I would hope that everyone with an Android smartphone is using Google Maps or some other form of navigation tool that is not causing them to have to pay the extra $10 a month to use VZ Navigator.

Is Verizon justified for charging the extra fees for dumbphones, yes, by all means they should do so. But for Verizon to put the resources into the Android version, push it to our phones as bloatware, and then hit us with new fees to justify these programs leaves me scratching my head....

techguy378

Lets see. $9.99 per month for live services+lifetime map updates and people think this is a rip off? You must be insane. Now $5 per month would be very reasonable if map updates were not included.

UncleMike

Are you under the impression that the planned $30 upgrade fee is somehow connected to VZ Navigator?

ylexot

Compared to the same service for free from Google...yeah, it is a rip off.

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zoxxo

Not completely, but when Verizon says that the fee is to support customer programs, I imagined navigator as one of those programs...

UncleMike

By "programs", I don't think they mean "apps". I'm pretty sure they're referring to "programs" like their wireless workshops and other "fringe" benefits.

hilmar2k

If VZ Navigator was a reasonable one time fee ($20?) I might consider it. But at $10/mo I'll stick with Google.

Hrethgir

I mainly use Google Nav, but I did buy the CoPilot Live Premium app, even though I know I'll rarely use it. But the fact that it has the maps stored on the SD card sounded great, since Google Nav at that time didnt have the ability to cache maps. So if I was in an area with no cell signal and got lost, I would have nothing if I only used Google Nav.

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bbeelzebub

I used to use the VZ Navigator back when it was included free with my old dumb phone plan. Ever since I switched over to Android a couple years back, I haven't touched it. If it were still free, I'd use it.

I actually prefer it over Google Navigation. I just can't justify paying Verizon for extra services when they already milk us on other things.

Demache

Out of curiosity, what was better about it?

bbeelzebub

I'm trying to remember. I liked how it had social networking integration, I could also text from within the app to let somebody know where I was easily, I much preferred the navigation voice, I liked the 3D maps while driving, it also seemed to be more precise in giving me directions quicker via voice when driving.

It had it's downside too, sometimes it was just wrong. Then again, so is Google.

bbeelzebub

You know, with this 30 dollar fee, they ought to give it to us along with free visual voicemail (I don't use GVoice as it takes too long to answer forwarded calls.) Instead I use Phone Fusion +.