Yet Another Choice for GPS on Your iPhone/iPod Touch

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/18/copilot-live-throws-a-hat-in-the-navigation-ring/' target='_blank'>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/18/copi...avigation-ring/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Well, another day, another iPhone GPS app is released to the eager hordes. One of the latest entries is CoPilot Live."</em></p><p><em><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1250707285.usr105634.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></em></p><p>The latest entry in the GPS wars, also available in the UK iTunes store, retails for $34.99 USD here in the States. It is full featured, no subscription, and among the highlights are ability to get real time weather at your starting or ending point, stability and accuracy with the GPS system, and configurable map screens. But there are some glitches to go along with the highlights, such as incomplete mapping and points of interest. Anyone out there using GPS on your iPhone/iPod Touch? If so, which one and how is it working for you? I'm still in the market, but nothing out there has convinced me.</p>

[gmontielh]

I still use my Garmin 765 for GPS. Quite accurate and useful but not as address updated as Google Maps. That despite that I did an update about 6 weeks upon a reminder from Garmin. I gather from GPS using friends that their units have no good updated map as as Google. That's one thing holding me back about purchasing any of these applications.

Also I find that advantage, if you are driving, with the iPhone version as the screen is significantly smaller than the Garmin's and also with the smaller speakers unless you use another accessory to listen via your car speakers. The bigger screen and speaker advantage is obvious.

The price for the CoPilot is very competitive (and tempting) compared to Navigon's and Tom Tom's. Both I consider uncompetitive when you already have the unit (the iPhone with the GPS chip built in) and they only bring the software to the table. And I won't go discuss AT&T offering 'cause I can get a bleeding ulcer...

Now, what would be of this GPS market segment if Google decided to get into? Any speculation about what their cost will be?

[Brad Adrian]

I wasn't too sure how much I liked my AT&T Navigator after about a month...

UNTIL it correctly alerted me to a traffic snarl which couldn't have been more than 10 or 20 minutes old. I don't expect split-second updates, but that seemed pretty fast. Plus, the lookup of nearby sites/restaurants/etc. is VERY fast, and at $10/month, I can use it and benefit from all the ongoing updates for months for what a standalone $250 unit would cost.

The first 30 days is free, and after that you actually have to OPT-IN, which is a nice switch. I'm sold on the Navigator.