Does Android have good navigation?
- Thread starter matoind
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aradhakr84
Discoverer
Ovi Maps (Nokia) is totally free and is preloaded into SD card. It even has maps for Iran, phillipines and Iraq which is pretty impressive. Ovi maps has better support and Nokia owns Navteq which is used in Garmin devices. This means you can have independent standalone navigation. Google Maps (Android) requires an internet connection. I am having this trouble in India with Google maps. In my city Denver (USA) I can use GPS and track my location without WiFi or 3g. But in India I am having trouble to lock unless I have some kind of Internet connection. This can be expensive if you use GPS navigation to drive due to usage of internet.
I tested out my Android G2X handset with my cousin's Xpress Music. Guess what, Ovi Maps was able to lock more quickly and mine couldn't.
I tested out my Android G2X handset with my cousin's Xpress Music. Guess what, Ovi Maps was able to lock more quickly and mine couldn't.
The word "Android" is just the opposite of the word "Stringent". Means, there are lot of different navigations that are available. It all depends on what you prefer. I basically prefer LauncherPro, but there are few people who like SPB Shell, Sense UI and if you get into custom rom like cyanogenmod, there are TOOO many small features that will make you beg for android. Ex: I guess you already knew about the classic "Notification Bar" that had been recently copied in iOS and Symbian Belle. What this notification bar basically does is (apart from notifying), allows you to toggle between wifi on/off, gps on/off, bluetooth on/off, silent/vibration, auto rotation (available in LG, Sammy and New Sense UI). But the Cyanogenmod lets you go beyond it. It allows you to choose what toggles the notification bar can have and apart from the above it also adds up display brightness, music, 2g/3g switching etc. And that's not all, it allows you to get into that particular settings page directly, if you long press the icon.
What I've explained above is just a small percent of what cyanogen a.k.a android o.s can do. Some of the other features that cyanogen packs are bottom slide notification bar (with big displays, it's harder to pull out the notification bar from the top, with cyanogen, you can drag it from bottom of the screen. No unlock screen, blazing fast UI and much much more that I can't remember...
Edit: Cyanogenmod is currently being cooked for SGS II. But I'm more than sure that you'll be happy with SGS II + Launcherpro
What I've explained above is just a small percent of what cyanogen a.k.a android o.s can do. Some of the other features that cyanogen packs are bottom slide notification bar (with big displays, it's harder to pull out the notification bar from the top, with cyanogen, you can drag it from bottom of the screen. No unlock screen, blazing fast UI and much much more that I can't remember...
Edit: Cyanogenmod is currently being cooked for SGS II. But I'm more than sure that you'll be happy with SGS II + Launcherpro
I am probably confused, but can you please tell how this one answers the OP's question about "Navigation on Android"
--- Updated Post - Automerged ---
There are some folks who have managed to get some 'hacks' to get it to work - I think raksrules is one of them. I have however given up on my efforts to get FREE OFFLINE navigation on Android, the way it is available on Ovi Maps. I use navigation a lot to be able to give up this ability to upgrade to a 'better' phone.
emmarbee said:
--- Updated Post - Automerged ---
matoind said:
There are some folks who have managed to get some 'hacks' to get it to work - I think raksrules is one of them. I have however given up on my efforts to get FREE OFFLINE navigation on Android, the way it is available on Ovi Maps. I use navigation a lot to be able to give up this ability to upgrade to a 'better' phone.
aradhakr84
Discoverer
I guess "emmarbee" was probably misunderstood navigation with UI. Or maybe he is trying to convince the OP to buy android 
Personally I am using Nokia OVI maps and seen SGSII being used for navigation.
I love OVI Maps' turn by turn voice guided navigation & route recalculation nothing can beat it. I am still holding on to my 5800XM just for its navigation capabilities.
SGSII's google navigation, the locking of GPS is just as good as OVI maps.
Google Maps is NO MATCH to OVI Maps. This is just my personal opinion though.
I love OVI Maps' turn by turn voice guided navigation & route recalculation nothing can beat it. I am still holding on to my 5800XM just for its navigation capabilities.
SGSII's google navigation, the locking of GPS is just as good as OVI maps.
Google Maps is NO MATCH to OVI Maps. This is just my personal opinion though.
haa haa haa. my bad. I didn't read the line "it works in small town as well". :ashamed:
anyways, @OP - i'm currently having SGS and it's definitely not the best GPS device. Hasn't worked for me several times (infact it worked for me only once). And I read in many reviews that SGS II, though doesn't have the GPS lock problem, it is too slow in locking a position unlike HTC sensation. They made the test by checking how many satellites are being used and in how many seconds is the device capable of locking the position.
aradhakr84 said:I guess "emmarbee" was probably misunderstood navigation with UI. Or maybe he is trying to convince the OP to buy android
anyways, @OP - i'm currently having SGS and it's definitely not the best GPS device. Hasn't worked for me several times (infact it worked for me only once). And I read in many reviews that SGS II, though doesn't have the GPS lock problem, it is too slow in locking a position unlike HTC sensation. They made the test by checking how many satellites are being used and in how many seconds is the device capable of locking the position.
elvesbane
Contributor
I'd like to point out that Google Navigation software (with turn by turn instructions) is not available in India - some licensing issues, I gather. However, I have found the standard Google maps app's routing capabilities more than sufficient to get me to wherever I need to go. The map coverage is excellent as far as I can tell, but I've never been farther than 100km away from any major city.
This is not entirely true. The latest version of Google maps (freely downloadable from Android market) supports offline caching of any desired area (of any size) on the map. Of course, initial download of map data will require a data connection, and takes a bit of time, but afterwards, it'll use the cached data, and work even if a data connection is not available.
As far as I can tell, data usage due to A-GPS is miniscule, on the order of Kilobytes. The OP is talking about getting an SGS2, so I'd assume a good data plan is available. :cool2:
I've never used Nokia Ovi Maps, so I can't compare coverage. Isn't Google maps available on the Nokia X6? You could use that for a taste of the old Google maps, and see if map coverage is acceptable in your area. The new version of Google maps with vector data and 3D rendering is available only on Android, and it's worlds better than the old static tiling images method (I have an SGS2).
aradhakr84 said:
This is not entirely true. The latest version of Google maps (freely downloadable from Android market) supports offline caching of any desired area (of any size) on the map. Of course, initial download of map data will require a data connection, and takes a bit of time, but afterwards, it'll use the cached data, and work even if a data connection is not available.
aradhakr84 said:
As far as I can tell, data usage due to A-GPS is miniscule, on the order of Kilobytes. The OP is talking about getting an SGS2, so I'd assume a good data plan is available. :cool2:
I've never used Nokia Ovi Maps, so I can't compare coverage. Isn't Google maps available on the Nokia X6? You could use that for a taste of the old Google maps, and see if map coverage is acceptable in your area. The new version of Google maps with vector data and 3D rendering is available only on Android, and it's worlds better than the old static tiling images method (I have an SGS2).
viralbug
Forerunner
Ovi maps is really awesome.
Google maps is pretty good. If you want offline turn by turn navigation, check out Sygic maps. It's really nice.
One thing though. Samsung had messed up the GPS on Galaxy S and the Galaxy SII also does have issues in getting a GPS lock. IMO if GPS matters to you a lot, better get the HTC Sensation.
Google maps is pretty good. If you want offline turn by turn navigation, check out Sygic maps. It's really nice.
One thing though. Samsung had messed up the GPS on Galaxy S and the Galaxy SII also does have issues in getting a GPS lock. IMO if GPS matters to you a lot, better get the HTC Sensation.
nRiTeCh
Oracle
If this is the battle, then dump andrioid, stay with symbian. 
OVI maps are free and one doent require any network connection if the phone has a in-built gps--Intergrated GPS which imo all current gen nokia phones is equipped with
I have traveled to the remotest remote places across india & the gps signals went going even stronger as remote places are less cluttered with concrete like jungles and hence lots of place for the gps & maps navigation.
OVI maps are free and one doent require any network connection if the phone has a in-built gps--Intergrated GPS which imo all current gen nokia phones is equipped with
I have traveled to the remotest remote places across india & the gps signals went going even stronger as remote places are less cluttered with concrete like jungles and hence lots of place for the gps & maps navigation.
systembuilder
Contributor
yea, even though i am using android now, i have still not trashed my nokia because of the same reason.
Since Maps is more important to me as compared to other apps, I guess I will have to stick with Nokia. Or maybe keep it as a second device. It has helped me a lot even in smaller cities like Ludhiana! Probably a Windows mobile from Nokia may have best of both worlds.
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