MapQuest Releases Subscription-Based Turn-by-Turn Navigation App

[MacRumors]

MapQuest has App Store] and includes a 14-day trial of turn-by-turn navigation guidance. After this 14-day trial is over, users can purchase a subscription for continued service at various price points: one month for $3.99, three months for $9.99, or one year for $29.99. This pricing makes MapQuest Navigator a less-expensive option compared to other subscription-based navigation apps, including Gokivo + Yahoo! Local Search and the AT&T Navigator App that both currently cost $9.99 per month.

MapQuest Navigator's feature list includes both 2D and 3D maps, plus the following according to the MapQuest blog:- Route optimization to avoid areas with accidents, construction or other events affecting traffic
- Full route corridor download at the beginning of the journey enables the application to quickly re-routes in case of a missed turn, regardless of network coverage
- One-tap search for businesses along a route via a palette of on-map widgets in categories such as hotels, shopping, gas stations, coffee shops, parking garages and more
- More than 16 million points of interest and maps for the U.S. and Canada
MapQuest has posted a demo video of the app in action here.

Article Link: MapQuest Releases Subscription-Based Turn-by-Turn Navigation App

 

[Flowbee]

Despite the horribly annoying background music in the video, this looks interesting enough to drop 99 cents for a 14-day trial. If it works well, I think they set the subscription pricing just right.

 

[bretm]

Been loving motionx, but gave this a shot for .99 cents. It's prettier, reads street names, and has night mode. Beyond that it's much
more simplistic and just a wee but more than motionx. So for $4, I have both. We'll see who wins. I know who loses- the crazy navigons and Tom toms that don't want to cannibalize their standalone products. Perhaps they should stay out of the software biz then.

Edit: also like the look of the traffic notifications. Although motionx says it utilizes traffic info for routing, there is no indication of such. But motionx has a lot more options for now.

 

[bretm]

Despite the horribly annoying background music in the video, this looks interesting enough to drop 99 cents for a 14-day trial. If it works well, I think they set the subscription pricing just right.

Video doesn't work on iPhone. ?WTF?

 

[MacFly123]

This is AMAZING Pricing! I didn't even want a subscription model, but for $29.99 a year... WOW. I might have to get this! I love that it puts pricing pressure on the other guys too!

MacRumors, please give us a review of this.

 

[bigrash]

I'm not a big fan of monthly pricing for gps, but that's an excellent price. I might have to try it.

 

[MacFly123]

Can this not go in landscape mode?

 

[Golfer00ksu]

+1 for MR Review. Pricing is definitely on point.

 

[countrydweller]

I downloaded it, just playing around it has crashed about five times. Usually while searching for places.

 

[Angelo921]

This is a great deal, only $29.99 for the year. With Sprint I used this and was paying $49.99 for a year. It automatically updates with the newest maps of the roads also at no extra charge.

My question though is...

Does it have turn by turn voice directions?

 

[countrydweller]

This is a great deal, only $29.99 for the year. With Sprint I used this and was paying $49.99 for a year. It automatically updates with the newest maps of the roads also at no extra charge.

My question though is...

Does it have turn by turn voice directions?

Yes, it does have voice directions.

 

[Angelo921]

Yes, it does have voice directions.

Thanks, than its a GREAT DEAL!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DMann]

Great deal - for yearly subscription. Traffic conditions and spoken street names are a plus. It does work in landscape mode, and lane assist has yet to be revealed.

 

[fpnc]

Competition is good but before anyone settles on MapQuest they should give some time to MotionX Drive which is cheaper both monthly and on the year. Also, don't forget that you need cellular network connections in order to use either MapQuest or MotionX Drive. If you don't have cellular data coverage or have weak connections then these two products won't work.

Another relatively cheap option ($35) is CoPilot Live which has its own built-in maps so you don't have to rely on the cellular network.

 

[Angelo921]

Competition is good but before anyone settles on MapQuest they should give some time to MotionX Drive which is cheaper both monthly and on the year. Also, don't forget that you need cellular network connections in order to use either MapQuest or MotionX Drive. If you don't have cellular data coverage or have weak connections then these two products won't work.

Another relatively cheap option ($35) is CoPilot Live which has its own built-in maps so you don't have to rely on the cellular network.

MotionX Drive costs $2.99. Is that a one time fee and than there is no monthly charge?

 

[Daiden]

I'm definitely getting this in a few days. The subscription fee is set just right, because I'll only need to use it for a few months and that'll be much, much less than the initial cost of TomTom.

 

[bretm]

MotionX Drive costs $2.99. Is that a one time fee and than there is no monthly charge?

Correct. It works. But it's another $3 if you want voice for a month. Or $25 for a year. No subscriptions. Pay as you want. It is a much deeper fuller option filled program. After playing with mapquest today it really is just a toy. And it gave me some horrible routes. Weird go around the block stuff. Motionx just works, and it works in 2d voiceless mode for free. 30 days free voice too. The answer is simple. For $4 you can try them both. Why even discuss it any further?

 

[Angelo921]

Correct. It works. But it's another $3 if you want voice for a month. Or $25 for a year. No subscriptions. Pay as you want. It is a much deeper fuller option filled program. After playing with mapquest today it really is just a toy. And it gave me some horrible routes. Weird go around the block stuff. Motionx just works, and it works in 2d voiceless mode for free. 30 days free voice too. The answer is simple. For $4 you can try them both. Why even discuss it any further?

because im bored LOL thanks for your reply

 

[Digipimp]

Personally I have been using Waze. Its free, the maps are less advanced but it does do voice turn by turn and even learns routes, re-routing and traffic live by other Waze users through crowdsourcing. They're updating it fairly regularly as well and once again free, no monthly fee either. It's social gps.

 

[md65066]

Cancel Subscription

So after you pay 99c for the app, and use the 14 days... what happens? does it ask to bill your iTunes account? Also, is there a area inside the app where you can cancel it if you do not like it within the 14 day trial?

 

[room237]

Oh I remember MapQuest. I stopped using it for directions because it would get me lost 50% of the time, and send me to roads that never existed.

 

[cytoxyn]

Since I primarily live in an EDGE coverage area only would anyone recommend this? I played around with roadee and that sucked since it needed 3G to really work and update maps.

 

[bozzykid]

Competition is good but before anyone settles on MapQuest they should give some time to MotionX Drive which is cheaper both monthly and on the year. Also, don't forget that you need cellular network connections in order to use either MapQuest or MotionX Drive. If you don't have cellular data coverage or have weak connections then these two products won't work.

Another relatively cheap option ($35) is CoPilot Live which has its own built-in maps so you don't have to rely on the cellular network.

MapQuest does cache the entire trip at the beginning, so it doesn't have issues drawing the map when coverage is not very good. MotionX does caching but AFAIK, it doesn't cache the trip from the beginning.

 

[theBB]

Correct. It works. But it's another $3 if you want voice for a month. Or $25 for a year. No subscriptions. Pay as you want. It is a much deeper fuller option filled program. After playing with mapquest today it really is just a toy. And it gave me some horrible routes. Weird go around the block stuff. Motionx just works, and it works in 2d voiceless mode for free. 30 days free voice too. The answer is simple. For $4 you can try them both. Why even discuss it any further?

Based on the info from their website, MotionX does not download any maps before the trip. They may implement that in the future, but right now that sounds like a significant shortcoming.

 

[bozzykid]

So after you pay 99c for the app, and use the 14 days... what happens? does it ask to bill your iTunes account? Also, is there a area inside the app where you can cancel it if you do not like it within the 14 day trial?

iPhone apps don't really have "trials". MapQuest will prompt you to purchase 30 days of service when the 14 days it up. It will then work like any app or in-app purchase. There is no recurring charges. So you only have to pay for 30 days when you use it. So if you don't use it for 6 months, there are no charges unless you want to use it (then you will have to purchase 30 days of service).