Petr Šourek It's been a while since navigation appeared for our favorite iDevices. I've tried a few, but I like this one the most Navigon. At the outset, it is appropriate to say that Navigon became fully usable only in version 1.4. To this day, I don't regret the money for this navigation. Now comes version 2.0, which offers us quite a lot of improvements.
After the first launch, the navigation will welcome us with a description of the news, where, among other things, we will learn that the application has been completely rewritten. The complete philosophy of system control has changed. I don't know if it will suit you specifically, but I quickly got to grips with the improvements and they suit me.
Data diet
The first nice news is that the navigation currently only downloads the basic application from the App Store, which is an absolutely incredible 45 MB, and the rest of the data is downloaded directly from the Navigon servers. But you still need another 211 MB, which is the basic system, and then you can fully devote yourself to downloading maps. So if you have purchased Navigon Europe and you use it only for our beautiful motherland, the application will now occupy 280 MB on your iPhone, which is a really wonderful number compared to the previous 2 GB. But don't worry, you can download your other purchased maps for free at any time. Most countries have maps of around 50 MB, but if you want to download maps of France or Germany, you'd better prepare WiFi, because you'll be downloading around 300 MB. Fortunately, there is no limit on mobile data downloads, so you can use them in an emergency via Edge/3G).
The GUI has also changed. The previous Navigon had a full screen menu with about 5 items, which is not present in the current version. Immediately upon launch (assuming you have the maps downloaded), you will be presented with 4 icons.
- Address - as in the previous version, we enter the city, street and number and let us navigate,
- POI - Point of interest - finds points of interest where we define,
- My destinations - favorite routes, last traveled routes,
- Let's go home - navigates us to the home address.
What will interest you in the area?
Point Of Interest (Points of interest) were also improved. They are, as in the previous version, on the main screen, but if we click on them, in addition to points of interest in the neighborhood, in the city, the option of shortcuts has been added. In practice, these are the 3 categories that interest you the most and you select them and Navigon will find you points of interest of this type in the vicinity. It is also a novelty Reality Scanner, which finds all points of interest in the location you are in. All you tell it is the radius in which to search. It can be set up to 2 km, and immediately after finding all the points of interest, you will be shown a view through the camera. With the help of the compass, you can turn it and see what is in which direction and where you should go. Unfortunately, even on my iPhone 4, this new feature takes quite a long time to load, so it's better to use it ahead of time.
If we deal with more POI, I must also mention the functionality Local search, which uses GPS and the Internet to find places near you, such as pizzerias, based on certain passwords. I've tried it, but it seems to me that Navigon has far more of these points of interest than Google and although it's good, it doesn't find everything. I like this option a lot, mainly because of the tie-in with Navigon, because you are able to immediately continue your journey and it will take you there. Even after clicking on, for example, a pizzeria, you will hear comments from people who have visited it. Really together with Reality scanner, an interesting possibility, but it would be worth knowing how to enter your favorite pizzeria that is not in the list and at the same time to update it with the Google database. I admit, if I search for a business on Google, I can find how to add it here. I would like to have this information in the navigation, so that I don't have to leave it. In a few hours, I won't remember that I wanted to enter this information into GTD.
We are going to the destination
The application settings are quite similar to the previous version and I did not find, or rather, did not notice any major changes. You can set route options, points of interest options, speed warnings, etc. All in a different graphic design, but with similar functionality.
A very questionable option is to buy extra FreshMaps XL for an additional 14,99 euros. In the early days of selling Navigon, it was promised that we would be able to download updated versions of the maps every 3 months. That is, updated routes, points of interest and so on. It doesn't say anything about whether it's a one-time fee or if we're going to pay it quarterly or otherwise, just no information. Even Navigon is not clear on this. On his Facebook page, he once replied that it was a one-time fee, but in a subsequent comment he denied this information and claimed that it was for 2 years.
If you have problems on the way
One more navigation add-on looks promising. His name is Mobile Alert and you pay for it 0,99 euros per month. According to the description, it should provide a kind of network of users who report and receive traffic complications. It is interesting that I suspect that Sygic navigation or Wuze offer this functionality for free or for a one-time payment. The Vuze application directly bases its marketing on this. We'll see if it takes off in our area, especially since Navigon says right next to this functionality that it is currently available in Germany and Austria.
In connection with this, I am waiting for one more function, which unfortunately has not yet received an update. It is about Live Traffic, when Navigon should report traffic complications (directly from official sites, I suspect TMC), but unfortunately the Czech Republic is not included in the list of available countries again. However, I admit that even the other navigation that I have in my car cannot use this function very well even though it constantly reports, "beware of traffic complications". I don't know this issue in depth, I'm just a simple user, so I'd rather put up with this shortcoming and rely on the radio and my intuition.
Information noise
Using the new navigation raised a few questions about the new maps and the FreshXL service, so I asked Navigon directly. Unfortunately, I have to say that the communication was not the best. I first sent questions to presse@navigon.com, which is for journalists, but the email came back as undeliverable. As a fan of theirs on Facebook, I posted a query. It took 2 days and I received an answer to write to another address that already worked and the answers came back to me roughly after 2 days. I practically waited 5 days for a response, which doesn't sound like the best PR, but at least they apologized for the late response. Unfortunately, they didn't exactly answer my questions.
I also prepared some questions for Navigon. Their wording will be published today on our Facebook pages. If you also have a question, write.
Hello, it's been almost two years since I bought an iPhone navigation system. At that time, according to all available information, the iGo card fell. I am very satisfied with it, but I only have maps of the Czech Republic and SK, now I would like to go abroad, so I am thinking of buying a new navigation for the whole of Europe. Can you advise which one to buy and what are their biggest advantages? I probably care most about accuracy and house numbers. I have a holder in my car from this one. Thanks everyone for the advice. That Jablíčkář, don't you want to do some comparison of current navigation after a long time?
What I miss in the article is that the new version only works on iOS 5, so 3G owners are out of luck. It is probably much more demanding than the last number one version, which still loads very slowly on 3G.
What's up with "Danger", doesn't it work more on the principle of finding a detour? At least with classic navigation, when I see that there is a traffic jam or road closure somewhere and the navigation wants to drag me along the way, I select an obstacle on the route and how many meters it occupies, and the navigation then selects a suitable detour. No internet needed for this.
TMC really doesn't work very well here. Only once did I manage to have the navigation select a detour so that I wouldn't get into a queue due to a wrecker, and after getting off the highway I ended up in another queue that wasn't entered in TMC :-). On the other hand, it worked perfectly in Budapest, for example.
To Jou: If you want mobile, I would recommend Navigon. I am quite satisfied with it, but classic external navigation still seems to me to be a better solution.
I think the author meant Waze, not Vuze :)
Thanks for the fix.. fixed. I don't know why Wuze sounded in my head ;(
Unfortunately, it can't be installed on 3G... :(
Well, I have serious reservations about Navigon. I also use Tomtom EU and Dynavix CZ. Navigon doesn't hesitate to send me through a double full stop even if the overpass can be used to turn right, it doesn't hesitate to send me to a footbridge and a dead end street, as if it's passable...and the navigation shouldn't do that (e.g. route Frýdek - Místek - Malenovice). ...weak route zooming and, in addition, complex intersections merged...one does not know where it actually is....on Windows Mob I also tested iGo and Route 66, which have the same map background as Navigon...I always ended up with Tomtom...in addition, you cannot install POIs in Navigon .
So not much for me.
I have a problem in that Navigon has never sent me to the ksa in any way ;( I guess I'm driving the wrong way and I'm driving to the relative corners of our country. I'll try to deal with it somehow and try it a little deeper.
The route Frýdek - Místek – Malenovice is somewhat bewitched - I recently went to Malenovice and it took me through Lysa :-))) Because I don't know the area, I spent an hour trying to get out of Ostravice along the goat trails because "I really MUST go" , after I got the hang of it, I looked at the map and arrived there classically following the signs :-)))) they probably made the documents there according to the image from Googlemaps ;-)
I also have these experiences with Navigon here. Concrete examples: From Serbia near Beroun to Řevnice - it leads over a footbridge. I reported it as a map bug. They improved it in the next version, but still led the way to a dead end for the change. Another example – from Prague to Pikovice. In Pikovice, instead of going around the road, it leads through impassable forest roads. In Moravia, from Vítkov to Prague, I was forced to work on the construction of the highway from Ostrava. Of course I had local communications turned off. In Némecky in the Frankenjur, Navigon quite often guided me over roads intended only for agricultural and forestry transport. However, I can't complain about the management in Spain and the US - in California, where all the roads were fine.
With Navigon 2.0, I miss the display of a 2D map after tapping on the map, and when viewing the entire route, the ability to jump to the starting point and back to the entire route when I zoom in on a part.
Navigon communicates confused about map versions and updates. Even after a long conversation with the gentleman at their technical support, I did not find out if, for example, if I have Navogon USa, where I don't know when I will go, if I will be able to download the map in 5 years, for example, and if it will be up to date on the day of download, and if they guarantee that on the map will be on their server. This is a stumbling block for the new solution. Maps can only be downloaded via Wi-Fi and nowhere do they say how long they guarantee the existence of maps on their server. Also, I didn't read anywhere how long it will take to update the maps if I buy Fresch maps. A year, two? Show? Communication confused, unclear.
...yes, and I also bought 3D for Navigon and although I live in the Beskydy, when I look at the display I think I'm in Hana.
Well, I've also had a Navigon for about two years, but what Garmin did with it or who bought it, it's totally messed up from my point of view. The application is less clear and intuitive to set up than the original and wonderful trick to immediately click on the route as fast, shortest, beautiful and optimal when choosing a route, and I used it a lot. Now he has to painstakingly click through to the election every time and check it there. The speed and convenience of the settings is second to none, it starts noticeably slower (although it seems a little more flexible during the navigation itself). The theoretical advantage of downloading a smaller amount of data is uninteresting due to internet speeds. The unnecessary complexity of further downloading and clicking through to data and maps and the need to be connected to the Internet and I still have to download at least 400 megabytes of data, probably repeatedly, given that Apple will release four updates during the year, which will actually delete everything, unless I use the new installation facilities to install only a differential iOS. However, those who prefer to have a backup and an archive of iOS versions download everything again and again anyway. If it were possible to export the downloaded maps to the iTunes library and thus have them backed up, that would be different, but like this? Let them go to hell...I'm pissed... What worked well they screwed up.
What you describe is also in the fixed Navigon navigation system. So it was probably about uniting them. Unfortunately, they probably confused what the model should be. Drive was really good navigation, unfortunately last week in Germany it sent me in the opposite direction. However, Sygic is no better, it also led me down meaningless paths. So everything has its pros and cons and we have to be guided by common sense and not use navigation blindly.
I would be interested in a review of the latest version of Sygic navigation - are you planning something like that?
We'll see what can be done, anyway I'd like to do something like that.
I've tried Navigon's tech support and it's absolutely hilarious (or laughable). After the update, Navigon would not start and reported that it could not connect to the Navigon server. This is the described update error. The solution is to delete and reinstall. Unfortunately, you will lose all your saved Favorites. I contacted technical support and I have never experienced such amateurism. "Nothing can be done, everything has been deleted, Favorites cannot be retrieved from the iPhone..." and similar answers. So I installed iPhone Explorer, took a look, and lo and behold, I downloaded the Favorites file. They disappointed me enough. We have exchanged about 10 emails so far; but I had to figure everything out myself. I wonder if they will be willing to pull the Favorities from that file.
After the second navigation, the favorites appeared again out of nowhere. I was also upset at first that they were gone. I used Explorer to backup the maps, what if they are no longer there next time.
Otherwise, I would rather welcome a review of Dynavix, there are relatively positive opinions about the store. I have decided that if the new owner of Navigon doesn't fix the application and the whole system quickly, I will buy another navigation system.
I also deleted my Favorites when the update failed, so I restored the backup, my old Navigon was uploaded, I backed up my favorites there (sent by email, there is such a function) and in the new installation I uploaded again from email and I have everything I had there in the last destinations and in the favorites. A bit tedious, time-consuming, but it was saved. It is necessary to make a backup of your favorites for email from time to time and you can avoid such a problem. But I know from my experience that you only start backing up when you lose data.
Petr
And what about those who have an iPhone 3G? They paid for the app, now what? End? Did they throw the money out the window? Navigon should have warned all 3G owners that they are only downloading the paid application for a limited time because the new version will only be available for newer iPhones. Yes, everywhere in the world this phone is a completely ordinary toy for children for a few bucks, so they throw away the old phone and run for a new one. But here in the east, this phone is being made hogo fogo for outrageous obscene money! I can already see how everyone who has a functional 3G in super condition will throw it away and immediately go buy a 4GS!
Did Navigon on iPhone 4S show the current speed with a delay of about 2-3 seconds? even on the map sometimes it shows the current location :-( but it doesn't happen on Waze...
At the same time, Navigom runs as the only application, everything is turned off. I was hoping that after the upgrade (IOS and navigation) it would get better, but it didn't help :-(