Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, iPhone, App Review
A trip around town with Traffic Live from Navigon
I've already reported on the updated Navigon iPhone app, [iTunes link] and noted that live traffic info was now included as an in-app purchase. I've spent the last 2 days driving around town testing it, and it works as advertised -- but perhaps in not as many places as I would have hoped.Here in Southern Arizona, there were very few traffic updates, so I set a destination for Phoenix and had lots of information. Clearly, Navigon is not always sourcing information from smaller U.S. cities.
As a comparison, I tried the traffic info built into my car nav system, and it displayed 9 nearby traffic incidents, some as close as 4 miles away. At the same time, the nearest traffic incident I got from Navigon was 94 miles away in the Phoenix metro area.
It was odd, because both systems source a lot of the same places (like Clear Channel Radio) for information. On the other hand, the traffic info from Navigon was more detailed, with nice close-up maps of the trouble areas.
I like everything about the Navigon app. The graphics are first rate. It automatically changes to night view, the text to speech voice is very clear in a noisy car, and the map doesn't lag from my actual position.
The traffic option is US$19.99 as a one time payment, and not overpriced in my view. My only caution is you may not get much information if you are not in the large metro areas, and it would be nice if Navigon posted where good traffic information is available.
For those in the bigger cities, it's a nice addition at a reasonable price.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jon said 6:37PM on 11-12-2009
What I'd like to know, is if this works in Canada. Navigon clearly says it does, however there are 2 or 3 reviews so far that say otherwise
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DistortedLoop said 6:55PM on 11-12-2009
I read somewhere, Navigon's Web site I think, that Canada was coming soon...
pl_svn said 7:01PM on 11-12-2009
... and... all it does is displaying a description and a tiny map? :-/
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CHRiS said 7:44PM on 11-12-2009
why do you need a big-ass map --- it shows you the exit before and the exit after (or road before and after) and the description with details - why use this area for the map area around it that you don't care about, when they should (and did) use it to give you vital info about how to avoid and what (the details), along with the road before and after so you can reroute (by pressing a button) easily.
pl_svn said 8:07PM on 11-12-2009
sure: I don't need a larger map but I do need (and want ;-) an (auto)reroute button!
so... does it also add this feature?
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igepard said 8:50PM on 11-12-2009
Yes, it does have auto reroute function. It works very good. It also displays traffic issues right on the map and a screenshot above is just an extra information you may or may not need.
The only thing I wish (it's not just a Navigon problem, but rather iPhone OS problem) iPhone could output its screen to my car Pioneer system which has a bigger screen. It is connected anyway through an iPhone dock connector and can play videos from iPhone but not the applications like Navigon in this case. That would be awesome!
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robert said 1:20AM on 11-13-2009
I have been completely disappointed with this app. I cannot get a good GPS signal and when I do the map is a good distance off each time. Normally I would toss it aside as a 1.99 app but for an app of this nature and price you would think it would be tested and work once installed.
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Stephen said 2:20AM on 11-13-2009
Robert, are you kidding? Have you not read any forums about this problem? This is a hardware problem, not a software problem. The application is the exact same for everyone who downloads it. I leave my phone in the center cupholder and never have had one problem with getting a strong signal. You need to bring your iPhone in and get a replacement. Please do research before making unfounded accusations.
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Rizzo said 8:27AM on 11-13-2009
I tried this app on a single trip from Greenville,sc to Charlotte,nc. I ran into one accident on the way, but since AT&T crappy network did not have any signal I did not get a warning about it. I will also test on the way back today and hopefully see how effective it is. I will say that the way they implemented traffic is great. It works well and gives you the choice if you want it to automatically redirect you or to ask. It listed a lot of different accidents on the way of my trip and even changed the route back to normal when an accident cleared up. I just hope that accidents get updated quickly enough to actually be useful. We will see. So far I am happy, but we will see after a real test.
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Chuck said 9:00AM on 11-13-2009
Does the traffic work only while you have a route in or does it work if you are in map mode and just driving? I haven't had a chance to test it out yet so I wasn't sure.
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naturlichfrisch said 9:01AM on 11-13-2009
Robert, I'm in the same boat. The GPS on my 3GS has always sucked. I took it in to the Apple Store and the genius told me that my firmware was probably corrupt and offered to restore it with their "special" firmware. He suggested that I also buy the tomtom dock. Yeah, whatever. I owned a 3G that never had problems with this. My 3GS seems to only use cellular triangulation which sucks for use in apps like Navigon.
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DistortedLoop said 9:33AM on 11-13-2009
The automatic re-routing seems to work well, based on two short trips in the Los Angeles area yesterday. The app was telling me to take the freeway, but I intentionally missed the on-ramp to see what it would say to do. My car's non-traffic-capable GPS wanted me to get on at the next on-ramp, but Navigon "recalcuated route due to traffic information" and routed me by surface streets the rest of the trip. In my experience, the surface street *is* the best way to go that time of day from that point.
On the return trip, Navigon again insisted on taking the freeway, despite "slow speeds" traffic warning on the last stretch of it. I *never* take the freeway north at that time of day, but decided to give it a try. Made it home a few minutes faster than normal. Coolness.
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globalwidget said 9:56AM on 11-13-2009
I find the argument that Navigon's poor GPS tracking is only a hardware problem hard to swallow. I have had repeated problems with this app not getting a signal while every other app (Google Maps, Everytrail, Skycharts, etc. etc. etc.) has no problem at all pinpointing my location. If they can do it why can't Navigon? My suspicion is is that they may have a very 'tight' tolerance for the quality of signal needed to give you guidance. That's great but I'd rather have a warning bar pop up saying 'Poor GPS reception' and have the app still continue trying instead of simply freezing in place which of no help whatsoever.
If 'Stephen' has any concrete help/advice I'd love to see it. All the forums I've read say the same thing: All my other GPS apps work but Navigon has problems.
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VKM said 11:23AM on 11-13-2009
This is just a general question about in-app purchases, but it's more meaningful since this costs almost $20.00.
I had the NightStand app running on my iPhone. There was an in-app purchase for a different theme, which I bought; then when my device suffered a serious glitch, the Genius Bar guy re-set the whole thing to factory and I had to do a rebuild (it was the backup/restore process that was failing). When I reloaded NightStand from iTunes, it wanted me to purchase (again) the theme.
In this case with Navigon, I use both the European version when I'm in...,well, Europe. And I unload it from the iPhone and install the North American Navigon when I'm in the USA. (because this is only a 16GB iPhone). Soooooo... if I buy the in-app TrafficLive for Navigon NA, then unload it to run the EU version; when I go back to Navigon NA will I lose that TrafficLive purchase?
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MAC said 12:04PM on 11-13-2009
A somewhat related question to VKM's... Does the in-app purchase work the same as buying it thru iTunes in that I can get this update on all the iPhones that are licensed under my iTunes account for the single $19.99 purchase?
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DistortedLoop said 1:08PM on 11-13-2009
I noticed a little quirk of the traffic option that I forgot to mention. On some Los Angeles freeways, there's a clever trick to bypass some traffic and get a couple of dozen car lengths ahead of where you were, if your anal enough to bother (like me). Many off-ramps combine with on-ramps in such a way that you can the off-ramp, stay to the left and merge back into the freeway with those coming in on the on-ramp. This would only be beneficial if the off-ramp actually never took you off the freeway. Yesterday, Navigon wanted me to take an off-ramp and get right back on the same freeway; the problem with this is there's a stop-light at the bottom of the off-ramp. No way that would save you time, but I imagine recent users who had just gotten on and/or off using those two ramps reported faster travel times combined then someone who just stayed on the freeway. Obviously the time the person getting off sat at the red light wouldn't be factored in unless they actually went straight through. I wonder if this is a map glitch, or a fluke. At any rate, best to not blindly follow advice of any device, but that should go without saying, shouldn't it?
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ScottP said 7:56PM on 11-14-2009
I bought the traffic update and was able to use it on both my phone and my wife's. On her phone I just had to log into my iTunes account and from within the app re- "purchase" it. It gave me the usual warning about having already bought it and do I want to re-download it.
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