favorite navigation app?

[mikeb33]

So I'm taking the tribe on a driving trip to Florida. I'll be using the EVO for navigation. I can either use "MAPS" and enter a destination, or "Sprint Navigation". Is there any reason to use one over the other? Is there a free download that is better?
I've used the Sprint one a few times, but it was quite annoying as it kept talking to me, even though it was saying to basically keep going on the road I was on. I'll be on I-65 for about 15 hours, so I don't need that crap.

 

[BenChase7]

So I'm taking the tribe on a driving trip to Florida. I'll be using the EVO for navigation. I can either use "MAPS" and enter a destination, or "Sprint Navigation". Is there any reason to use one over the other? Is there a free download that is better?
I've used the Sprint one a few times, but it was quite annoying as it kept talking to me, even though it was saying to basically keep going on the road I was on. I'll be on I-65 for about 15 hours, so I don't need that crap.

try turning the volume down, also I think you can disable the voice prompts all together.

I think Sprint Nav and Google Nav work great

 

[RestivoBC]

Google Nav works awesome for me.

 

[The Dorian]

Google Navigation has been awesome. The Sprint one is cool too.

 

[CriticalCritic]

Googlenav ftw.

 

[polkadots]

Google

 

[Vincent Law]

I prefer Google Nav for faster/more featureful UI, but Sprint Navigation is known to have more accurate maps and better route choices.

 

[NicksGarage]

On the Sprint Nav, you can enter the addresses you're going to in advance. You can even do it on a computer and sync it up with the phone (Sprint Navigation). If you don't want to have it talk to you but still see the moving map, you can do that in Sprint but not in Google.

By the way, when you log into the Sprint Navigation site on a computer, it asks for your phone number and PIN. The PIN is the last 4 digits of your phone number.

 

[docprego]

On the Sprint Nav, you can enter the addresses you're going to in advance. You can even do it on a computer and sync it up with the phone (Sprint Navigation). If you don't want to have it talk to you but still see the moving map, you can do that in Sprint but not in Google.

By the way, when you log into the Sprint Navigation site on a computer, it asks for your phone number and PIN. The PIN is the last 4 digits of your phone number.

Thanks for this great information. I had no idea that Sprint Navigation had this awesome feature. Another cool thing I discovered after following your link is that there is a Firefox extension that allows you to add an address directly into Telenav (Sprint Navigation) from Firefox. You just highlight the address and click the Sprint Navigation button that the extension adds.

 

[Jonhern]

Sprint Nav also has a better voice giving you directions imo. The Google one sounds like a female Steven hawking.

 

[CriticalCritic]

On the Sprint Nav, you can enter the addresses you're going to in advance. You can even do it on a computer and sync it up with the phone (Sprint Navigation). If you don't want to have it talk to you but still see the moving map, you can do that in Sprint but not in Google.

By the way, when you log into the Sprint Navigation site on a computer, it asks for your phone number and PIN. The PIN is the last 4 digits of your phone number.

Actually you can preset shared destinations with google maps on a computer via the 'star' feature. And you can also view the moving map without the voice by just hitting the mute button.

 

[CriticalCritic]

Sprint Nav also has a better voice giving you directions imo. The Google one sounds like a female Steven hawking.

Agreed! The google maps voice could really use some work.

 

[RedWingsFan]

I've been using Sprint Navigation since I had a blackberry curve, then a tour, and now my EVO. Has always been rock solid and accurate.

 

[expletiveinserted]

I know Google Nav has traffic layers, but one problem: it doesn't tell you the impact, just green yellow or red...how are you supposed to determine the severity/time of delay? Will google nav recalculate your route if it notices yellow upcoming on your path?

 

[Vincent Law]

I know Google Nav has traffic layers, but one problem: it doesn't tell you the impact, just green yellow or red...how are you supposed to determine the severity/time of delay? Will google nav recalculate your route if it notices yellow upcoming on your path?

Click the red/yellow in the lower left, where the estimated trip time is. It will offer you routes around any traffic.

 

[CriticalCritic]

It seems to me that the only real differences between the two are:

1. The quality of the voice (sprint nav wins easily)
And
2. The depth of integration (google nav wins easily)

Pick which option you would rather have.

 

[Caloy]

I love Google Nav. I've always used it. Now if Tomtom can make an app for Android, that would be awesome! I love their IQ Routes, Lane Assist and Rerouting features.

 

[mikeb33]

It seems to me that the only real differences between the two are:

1. The quality of the voice (sprint nav wins easily)
And
2. The depth of integration (google nav wins easily)

Pick which option you would rather have.

Thanks for all the helpful opinions. What does "depth of integration" involve?

 

[3volut1on]

We just took two trips to california over the last 6 weeks. We had the opportunity to test both out several times and google maps won us over. Especially when it came to side streets -the sprint nav became a major disaster.

 

[CriticalCritic]

Thanks for all the helpful opinions. What does "depth of integration" involve?

4 examples come to mind:

-Using google voice search command "Navigate To _____" to enter in a destination, without opening the program and typing everything in. BTW, there is a huge convenience in doing this not only because of the ease of destination entry, but also the ease of opening google voice search (just hold down the spyglass/search button on your phone for 2secs).

-Browsing the internet on your phone, then seeing an address (in google maps, or even on a web site!) that you want to go to. Then you just hold your finger down on the address and it will give you the option to open it in navigation and take you there! With Sprint nav, you must write down the address on a piece of paper, open sprint nav, then type the address back in.

-The ability to open up your contact list and merely touch the previously entered address of a contact... which then opens Google Nav and takes you there!

-The ability to flip back and forth, in your phone, between google maps and google nav. You can search for whatever you like in google maps (extremely helpful for searching topographically when you do not know the exact address), and then flip over into google nav to take your there.

We just took two trips to california over the last 6 weeks. We had the opportunity to test both out several times and google maps won us over. Especially when it came to side streets -the sprint nav became a major disaster.

Once I was using Sprint nav on a 2-lane road. I was in a hurry and I hit some really heavily backed-up traffic. I got Sprint nav to go into detour mode in an attempt to get around the traffic. It instructed me take the next left, then the next right... and then it drove me straight into a dead end. No, it did not make a mistake thinking that it wasn't a dead end, it showed a dead end on the map! While I was approaching the dead end (I could see it coming) it instructed me to make a U-turn... then navigated me back to the road that I had come from. I had wasted a bunch of time and was stuck trying to make a left back into the heavily backed-up traffic.

After that bad incident with Sprint nav (granted, it seems to have been a very unusual occurrence) I have avoided using it ever since.

 

[Vincent Law]

I've had the same thing happen to Google Maps. I had it take me to a restaurant that was now a subdivision. More often than not Sprint Nav has been more accurate for me.

That said I still like Google Maps more.

 

[3volut1on]

Once I was using Sprint nav on a 2-lane road. I was in a hurry and I hit some really heavily backed-up traffic. I got Sprint nav to go into detour mode in an attempt to get around the traffic. It instructed me take the next left, then the next right... and then it drove me straight into a dead end. No, it did not make a mistake thinking that it wasn't a dead end, it showed a dead end on the map! While I was approaching the dead end (I could see it coming) it instructed me to make a U-turn... then navigated me back to the road that I had come from. I had wasted a bunch of time and was stuck trying to make a left back into the heavily backed-up traffic.

After that bad incident with Sprint nav (granted, it seems to have been a very unusual occurrence) I have avoided using it ever since.

I lol'd at that! The exact same thing happened to me. The Sprint Nav had me going through neighborhoods when there was clearly main arterial roadways that it should have had me on. If I only had a nickel for every time I heard "Re-Routing". It would tell me to take a right, so I turned and then I would hear "Rerouting". Take the next left....OK, I took the next left..."Rerouting". This literally happened 6 or 7 times in the same freaking neighborhood. I turned it off and found my way to the main road and fired up Google Maps and have had no problems since.

 

[njbianco]

I used Sprint Navigation(on my Samsung Moment) until Google Navigation came out now im a die hard Google Navigation fan

 

[mikeb33]

The Google's voice does sound like Dr Hawking's Sister.
I heard on the radio they said there was voice downloads for certain brands of GPS'. They played Yoda and Snoop Dog giving directions.
In Yoda's voice: "turn left at the next light, you will". Pretty funny.

 

[kmoon89]

Google Nav is brilliant. Actually works better than Sprint Nav for me.