Which Navigation App For SmartPhones is Best and Fastest?


Thread Starter #1
Joined
Mar 21, 2014
Messages
474
Likes
562
Location
Bangalore
Hello TAIgers,

I have been using the default google maps on my Samsung Galaxy S3 for many years now and it works very beautifully. The concern with that is it drains off my 2100mah battery so fast that I continuously have to charge it using in-car charger. Now if i do that, it gets heated up so fast that my S3 displays an on screen message saying "Your mobile is very hot and the charging cannot continue anymore." And with this it stops charging [cry]!!! Is it same with other navigation softwares for android smartphones?

I want to know how are other colleagues and friends using their navigation systems?
Which software is best for android smartphone which is best in both performance and battery drain(slower the better)?
 
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
490
Likes
281
Location
Trivandrum
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

try with offline maps from Sygic. Its FREE. Im using it for over 8 months, well satisfied with it.
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2012
Messages
1,024
Likes
247
Location
Bangalore
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

You can use offline Sygic Map, which is wonderful and no replacement to this.

2nd you can use Drive Here from Nokia Lumia. It will not drain the battery what sygic and google map do.
 
Thread Starter #4
Joined
Mar 21, 2014
Messages
474
Likes
562
Location
Bangalore
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

try with offline maps from Sygic. Its FREE. Im using it for over 8 months, well satisfied with it.
Thanks msjawahar. But how do offline maps identify your dynamic location on the route if GPS is not on? Or should GPS be on even for offline maps? Is this Sygic freely downloadable from android PlayStore? Apologise my ignorance here.

You can use offline Sygic Map, which is wonderful and no replacement to this.

2nd you can use Drive Here from Nokia Lumia. It will not drain the battery what sygic and google map do.
Thanks ERTIGA_ZMR, but I always had this doubt if it is offline, then how does it track my cars exact location and map that location onto the map location in my mobile software? Apologise my ignorance here. Drive Here which you mentioned is only just for Nokia Lumia mobiles or can it be downloadable for free for my S3 too?
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
490
Likes
281
Location
Trivandrum
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

Thanks msjawahar. But how do offline maps identify your dynamic location on the route if GPS is not on? Or should GPS be on even for offline maps? Is this Sygic freely downloadable from android PlayStore?
You need to enable GPS only then Sygic Maps will work for Navigation. Since you have downloaded the maps offline to your mobile, there is no need to connect online. Yes its freely available in PlayStore.
 
Thread Starter #6
Joined
Mar 21, 2014
Messages
474
Likes
562
Location
Bangalore
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

You need to enable GPS only then Sygic Maps will work for Navigation. Since you have downloaded the maps offline to your mobile, there is no need to connect online. Yes its freely available in PlayStore.
Switching on GPS in my S3, will it also heat up my mobile the same way as it was with GPS+mobile data on? How does this Sygic maps compare in performance (leaving off the faster battery drain problem) with Google maps?

Did you get a chance to compare the performance of both the navigation softwares in terms of guiding you visually as well as via voice instructions?

I ask this question, because have seen in other navigation softwares they donot update our location exactly (both visually and voice) and we end up missing some points or getting confused while driving.
 
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
490
Likes
281
Location
Trivandrum
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

Switching on GPS in my S3, will it also heat up my mobile the same way as it was with GPS+mobile data on? How does this Sygic maps compare in performance (leaving off the faster battery drain problem) with Google maps?

Did you get a chance to compare the performance of both the navigation softwares in terms of guiding you visually as well as via voice instructions?

I ask this question, because have seen in other navigation softwares they donot update our location exactly (both visually and voice) and we end up missing some points or getting confused while driving.
Since you were using data with the Google Maps earlier, the battery will drain fast. But still even if you use GPS it will also drain fast but quite less compared with the data.

Im using Sygic Maps in my android mobile and Nokia Maps in my e71. Both are good. But prefer e71 as the battery stays for a longer time. The current location is perfect in both the maps. The route map in the Nokia maps is better than Sygic in the areas that i traveled yet.

Just try to install it your mobile and travel in the route familiar to you, see how it guides you. You can know it better. [:D]
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
612
Likes
447
Location
Kannur, Payangadi
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

Dear Friend,

Google Maps.
Device: MM Canvas 4


Things I follow.
*I use to download the required maps prior to the trip, which helps in lesser data transfer and hence lesser battery usage and lesser heat generation.
*When I feel my phone getting heated I hold the it infront of the AC vent to cool. Yes, it works :)
*I use to press the lock button to shut the display(But still the navigation works, even the voice instructions.)when its requires lots of kms to be covered to reach the next diversion.

I have done more than 8hrs of continues navigation in my phone, but doesn't had even once of over heating warning message.

When it comes really difficult for you to go ahead because of its heat generation, then disconnect the data transfer and continue just with the GPS signal(Remember, when you make a wrong turn rerouting feature will not work.)

Regards.,
Kiran.
 
Last edited:
Thread Starter #9
Joined
Mar 21, 2014
Messages
474
Likes
562
Location
Bangalore
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

Just try to install it your mobile and travel in the route familiar to you, see how it guides you. You can know it better. [:D]
Agree with you on the points you mentioned. Came back home from office, connected to wifi and started downloading sygic. Hell, the software itself is like 50MB. and above that the India data is like close to 780MB [cry]

And the most scary part is at the top of the download page in India download, it shows the total size as 4GB [surprise]. I dunno what is this all upto. And it is downloading from few hours now and it just completed like 150 MB. (I use Airtel BB, with 2MBPS speed, the max available in my area)

Is all this content of 780MB or 4GB compulsorily required to download before this runs?

When it comes really difficult for you to go ahead because of its heat generation, then disconnect the data transfer and continue just with the GPS signal(Remember, when you make a wrong turn rerouting feature will not work.)
Thanks Kichu for this nice idea. Never tried this myself. All this time I was thinking that data must be on for the google maps to work. And to relocate my cars position constantly i thought GPS must be on. Hence ended up switching on both of em and always draining my battery charge very quick. To hold the charge I was plugging in my car charger and charging on the go. Now, GPS, mobile data and screen were ON and charging was also ON. Above that my mobile was placed to the mobile holder on my wind screen where there was continuos sun shine. Alas what more to say. Alll togather almost killed and roasted my S3. But intelligent samsungs software (or must I say google's?) protected my S3 from getting a KFC. This was the main cause why I started this thread and am insearch of "cool" techniques and "cool" GPS navigation system.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
490
Likes
281
Location
Trivandrum
Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

u can download the state of your choice. no need to download data for all the state. remember this is just a offline install.
 
Thread Starter #11
Joined
Mar 21, 2014
Messages
474
Likes
562
Location
Bangalore
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

u can download the state of your choice. no need to download data for all the state. remember this is just a offline install.
msjawahar, i only see the maps for India and donot see any state wise listing in Sygic list. FIrst I choose Asia from continents, then India. Thats all. It starts downloading the 700 MB data [surprise]

Am i doing any wrong here?[confused]
 
Joined
Dec 8, 2010
Messages
8,137
Likes
1,790
Location
Hyderabad
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

I regularly use offline Nokia maps on my Lumia 620 which works excellent. Once I downloaded all India maps and I am done. I will switch on the GPS and it works great without any internet connection and no problem of battery draining and heat issues.
 
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
490
Likes
281
Location
Trivandrum
Thread Starter #14
Joined
Mar 21, 2014
Messages
474
Likes
562
Location
Bangalore
Re: Which navigator for smartphone is the fast and best in terms of performance?

Yes this is the one exactly I have tried installing it thrice. All the three times it downloaded around 700 mb of data and does not move forward to use that data. It is stuck in the same download page showing India maps as installed but will not work [cry] I patiently tried it three times sincerely and finally out of frustation uninstalled it and double checked it that is cleanly uninstalled from my S3.

Now, I have to use Google maps offline just with GPS on. I guess even this works beautifully and precisely as I did test it on a little route of 4 kms around my residence. I will stick to this g-map for my fridays trip.

I regularly use offline Nokia maps on my Lumia 620 which works excellent. Once I downloaded all India maps and I am done. I will switch on the GPS and it works great without any internet connection and no problem of battery draining and heat issues.
Gurrala, good to know about your nokia maps. About a few years back I did get a chance to see how Nokia maps works and it does work great offline [clap]. I just did test google maps without data connection on and it worked fine and passed my test. About the battery drain and heating issue I will only be able to know that after my Bengaluru-Subramanya-Dharmasthala-Bengaluru trip round about of 700kms trip on this friday-sunday!
 
Joined
Dec 8, 2010
Messages
8,137
Likes
1,790
Location
Hyderabad
Gurrala, good to know about your nokia maps. About a few years back I did get a chance to see how Nokia maps works and it does work great offline . I just did test google maps without data connection on and it worked fine and passed my test. About the battery drain and heating issue I will only be able to know that after my Bengaluru-Subramanya-Dharmasthala-Bengaluru trip round about of 700kms trip on this friday-sunday!
During my recent visit to Europe, I have installed Netherlands and France country maps before the trip and believe the offline maps worked excellent in Europe too and saved me many times for the new addresses I was searching for.
 

Top Bottom