Using your mobile phone to navigate

By Sven Appel May 13, 2010, 15:14 GMT

Berlin - GPS navigation software for the mobile phone received a big boost with the advent of the smartphone but is this trend a gimmick or a real help? Along with the pay-to-download versions there are also navigation software packages available for free but there is one thing they all have in common: none of them can match the quality of a conventional GPS navigator and should be regarded as an addition.

To turn your mobile phone into a navigator it must be equipped with a GPS receiver. 'That's a basic requirement,' explains Florian Stein from the German technology magazine Connect. The receiver tells the phone where it is positioned within a few metres.

In addition to a GPS receiver you will also need navigation software installed on your phone. Some free versions provide functions such as live information on traffic jams but not all of them can be installed on all phone models. Nokia has a free software package for its customers called Ovi Maps with information on 70 countries. However, Ovi Maps can only be installed on certain types of Nokias.

When choosing free software take into consideration that there may be costs to pay later. Many free programmes do not install maps on the phone and have to download the graphics from the provider every time you enter a new destination. That can lead to extra phone charges that become apparent when you get your next bill. Mobile phone customers with flat rate data transfer deals, however, will not have to worry about extra charges.

If you only occasionally need to quickly orientate yourself in a new location, then you probably do not need navigation software at all. A free service available on most smart phones is Google Maps and will satisfy most basic needs. 'But it's only useful for short journeys,' says Stein.

Almost all of the big navigation software makers offer programmes for mobile phones. iPhone users have a range of offers to choose from in the App Store. Navigon can be downloaded onto Android, Windows and Symbian phones. In some countries T-Mobile customers can even download a free version of the software.

The programmes' user interfaces often resemble those of classic GPS devices but there are a few differences. TomTom has designed an app for the iPhone which does not include the TomTom Home application available on its conventional device, according to Tom Murray, Vice President of Market Development at TomTom. TomTom Home automatically downloads updates to the GPS device. 'TomTom Share, which allows users to make changes to maps, is also missing from the app version,' says Murray.

But there are a few things that are better on a mobile phone such as providing the user with information that frequently changes such as the locations of bars and cafes, according to Gerhard Mayr from Navigon. They are also good at downloading information on current traffic conditions.

Florian Stein says the maps on GPS navigation devices and those supplied to mobile phone users are the same. The main differences are in the hardware: 'Most navigation devices have a 4:3 screen or even bigger. A smartphone screen is usually smaller,' says Tom Murray. 'When driving a car the quality of the device's voice function takes on even greater significance. But most smartphones cannot match the quality of a conventional GPS navigator.' Mayr also agrees that smartphone voice navigation is not of a high standard.

Another consideration is that smart phones have a relatively short battery life and are often drained of power after two hours when used to navigate, according to Stein. A smartphone will also need a good holder so it won't move about when you brake.

Most portable navigation devices come equipped with a car mount but a smartphone user will have to make do with a universal holder that does not always fit a phone 100 per cent.