Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Best sat nav app with traffic rerouting

L

LERsince1991

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 24, 2008
1,245
37
UK
I'm trying to find out the best sat nav app with live traffic rerouting, ETA, speed cameras etc...

I am aware of the tom Tom app currently on offer at 30% discount but live traffic rerouting is another £30 or so a year. Is there anything cheaper which does the same or better job?

Thanks!
 
Ok will check it out.

Just found out the prices of tomtom
App: £27
Traffic: £20 yr
Speed cameras: £15 yr

So it's £62 for the year!!! -_-
 
I am using Sygic. It has tomtom maps and tomtom HD traffic for 10 euros a year. There are rumours that tomtom will buy them...anyway...best navigation software I have ever used and I have been through tomtom or garmin. I believe they have sales now...check it out!


LERsince1991 said:
I'm trying to find out the best sat nav app with live traffic rerouting, ETA, speed cameras etc...

I am aware of the tom Tom app currently on offer at 30% discount but live traffic rerouting is another £30 or so a year. Is there anything cheaper which does the same or better job?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Google Maps routes based on traffic. Why don't you just use that?
 
You are not wrong but the answer is simple...not everybody has an unlimitted data plan in order to use google...and even if you do...using data roaming, for example, is a pain so it is good to have preloaded maps. And let me add the possibility of ending in an area with no network coverage :rolleyes:


phositadc said:
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Google Maps routes based on traffic. Why don't you just use that?
Click to expand...
 
Yeah I was trying to forgive out exactly what google maps does. I have 1.5gb of data so that's fine! But does it reroute as traffic changes or just at the time of routing? Because I travel 3 hours a day and traffic changes significantly each 30mins.

Would be interesting to see what google maps can and can't do. Was trying I the other day and seems good but fairly basic? Does not say speed, eta or anything except purely navigation. Certainly something to give a go though!
 
Just like to point out that not all traffic services are equal.

Tomtom and Google maps traffic data don't cover all roads, just major ones. Waze covers all roads.

I believe that Tomtom live traffic updates every 15 minutes. Not sure about others.

Also waze data usage isn't that bad. It will cache maps and its all vector based as opposed to google maps.
 
hailst0rm said:
Just like to point out that not all traffic services are equal.

Tomtom and Google maps traffic data don't cover all roads, just major ones. Waze covers all roads.

I believe that Tomtom live traffic updates every 15 minutes. Not sure about others.

Also waze data usage isn't that bad. It will cache maps and its all vector based as opposed to google maps.
Click to expand...

So many things incorrect in this post, not sure where to begin.

All maps usually cover all roads...minor ones are obviously refreshed less as fewer users travel down them.

Google maps for iOS is vector based.

Waze is only as good as the users in your area, but I have to admit, since it is one of the few that actually shows traffic on the live screen, it is probably the best for live traffic info.
 
MozMan68 said:
So many things incorrect in this post, not sure where to begin.

All maps usually cover all roads...minor ones are obviously refreshed less as fewer users travel down them.

Google maps for iOS is vector based.

Waze is only as good as the users in your area, but I have to admit, since it is one of the few that actually shows traffic on the live screen, it is probably the best for live traffic info.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. Everything has moved on quite a lot since I last checked. You're right on all counts.
 
Ok so just checked out waze, google maps and orange maps and they all seem good, waze or google are better but hard to see what's best for traffic. I don't like the idea of the traffic info on waze relying on users. However it is unclear whether either of these can reroute automatically and inform you that it ha because the traffic has changed and a faster route is available. Or at least informing you it will hit traffic soon and there are no faster routes.

I am using this for commuting every day so want to avoid traffic when possible.

Can anyone find anything regarding the above?

Thanks,
Luke
 
Hello,

I drive for 5 hrs a day and have thrown my TomTom in the garage - i have used apple maps, waze and google maps.

I have my phone sim paid for by my boss - am i likely to get a telling off for using loads of data? how much data will i be using per app?
 
hailst0rm said:
I stand corrected. Everything has moved on quite a lot since I last checked. You're right on all counts.
Click to expand...

No problem...and I still have yet to confirm that ANY app I use actually re-routes due to traffic. Does it show up as a listed feature in any of the apps discussed here?
 
Waze does reroute due to traffic. I've had notifications while driving alone that's its rerouted to a faster route.

----------

Oh and tomtom isn't automatic but you can just press accept to the faster route notification.
 
Waze reroutes due to traffic, it's worth it in my opinion. Users updating the data may sometimes be more effective than a computer, especially when you're trying to skin off minutes on a clock.. It works well for someone like me who drives several hundred miles every week
 
So does waze purely use social/ user input or does it pull traffic info from other sources? Just wondering because surely there not that many people with waze in the larger picture and therefore won't pick up the traffic if no one reports it? Or does it combine user with other data to be more comprehensive?

Waze does sound good at te moment. Ether waze or google maps is the best free route then! What's better between them for traffic or do they use the same source except waze adds social input?
 
I believe traffic info from waze in the UK is purely crowd sourced. At first the traffic info wasn't that great but it has so many users now that the traffic info is quite good.
 
I can't stand Navigon. It seems to be way over optimistic on arrival times. It also suffers from small lane syndrome.

Much like Garmin sat navs it loves to send you down winding narrow roads. Not an issue in a city but a nightmare navigating in the countryside.
 
dhlizard said:
And I will be the third.

Navigon beats Google maps, Apple maps, TomTom and Garmin.
Click to expand...

Outside of the convenience of having it on my phone, the prices just seem to much. In the US, $40 for the app and then all the features one would want or expect are $5 to $15 add-ons...each!

If travelling in out of the way places was a key part of my job I would probably change my tune, but Apple Maps has actually been perfect in the large US cities I have visited. And now with Google Maps as a back-up for poi's, I'm covered...at no cost...

Oh..and I have used Waze as well, but traffic is simply not a huge issue where I live and travel most. And I really don't care for the UI, accuracy (constantly moved me over to adjacent side streets while driving down the highway at 70 mph) and it is very distracting. If Apple could simply integrate the live traffic notifications on the screen (as an option) and updated poi's, Apple Maps would be close to perfect for me....best UI, accuracy, speed for me so far in the US.
 
TomTom
Currently Traffic is only £18 for 12 months and if you download their Speed Camera app, you get 12 months subscription to speed cams free as well.
Next year, choose again
 
Navigon is a one time purchase, maps and app are regularly updated.
Look for it on sale (I paid $79 a few years ago and consider it money well spent )

Don't know about small lane syndrome with Navigon (I live in city), Garmin tends to take you longer distances just to have you drive on the freeway for 1/2 a mile.

That is aggravating !
 
LERsince1991 said:
I'm trying to find out the best sat nav app with live traffic rerouting, ETA, speed cameras etc...

I am aware of the tom Tom app currently on offer at 30% discount but live traffic rerouting is another £30 or so a year. Is there anything cheaper which does the same or better job?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

co-pilot :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back