TomTom vs. Navigon

[burtba]

I'l have to be contrary and vote for Mobile Maps by Sygic. Comparing features on the iTunes page, it seems to have more. But I cant give a comparrison. I use to use Co-Pilot for Windows Mobile. I am happy with Mobile Maps by Sygic. Very customisable. Good Australian maps. Good clear voice.
I guess one thing we all need to upgrade is our holders if you've just upgraded from 3G or 3Gs to iPhone 4, as I have. Now I need a new holder for my windscreen

 

[Mac In School]

My house was built in 96, TomTom has our street, Navigon doesn't. It was just the opposite for another user who's house was built about the same time.

And mine takes me to the wrong place when looking for houses that are 30 years old.

 

[DaSal]

I was wondering... My brother has Navigon on his HTC, and I have TomTom on my iPhone. Navigon on his phone has this feature where it can navigate him to a nearby parking lot or parking garage. Say you want to go shopping in an unknown city and have it navigate to the city center, it can then navigate you to a parking lot.

I can't seem to find this function in the TomTom? It lets you turn on parking lots that will show up on the map, but it won't automatically navigate you there? Even tapping the lot on the map won't do anything but show it's title... It won't give you an option to navigate you there?

Is this possible in the TomTom app?

 

[der-kaiser]

Does anyone know if Traffic Live is available for Navigon Australia? I don't see it in my version.

 

[navguy]

And mine takes me to the wrong place when looking for houses that are 30 years old.

Become part of the solution by submitting TomTom/TeleAtlas corrections via: http://mapinsight.teleatlas.com/mapfeedback/index.php

works well, and it's easy

 

[tigress666]

And mine takes me to the wrong place when looking for houses that are 30 years old.

Is yours Navigon or Tomtom?

 

[Bootsie]

Wow I can't decide which of these to get!

They both have so many pros and cons. And I also can't decide if I should just get the my region version from Navigon...

Is there any way to view their maps before buying them to see which is more accurate in my area?

I wish that they had a trial version of each of these, even if it was only a trial of a few days it would really help my decision to just be able to play with both.

I have never bought a GPS unit or app, and I am still debating on buying a stand alone unit or the app, but it sounds like the apps have gotten so good that you don't really need a stand alone unit.

Man I wish there was a more clear winner! But with the sale right now maybe Navigon is the current clear winner...

 

[BigRedOne]

I just purchased Navigon USA for half price. I also purchased traffic live, I guess for the regular price. No real experience with it, but it sure is impressive just using it around my neighborhood. I think this is going to be a very good app to have available, and for half price just makes it sweeter.

Just downloaded the Panorama as well, cheap enough so decided to check it out.

 

[Mac In School]

Is yours Navigon or Tomtom?

Navigon.

I don't use it much, but i'd say it's failed 3 out of maybe 12 times now.

 

[redman042]

What's the deal with browsing maps in TomTom? I keep reading that you can't easily pinch and scroll the map around freely to view the surrounding area. Also I've read that it's locked in during driving. Is that true?

For me it's pretty important to have full control of my map in order to look around the area, see traffic conditions, etc.

 

[Rayfire]

I'm still thinking if I should wait for TomTom to go on sale too or just go for Navigon's 50% off... tempting

Some posts here said they first bought Navigon but after trying TomTom they finally just sticked to TT. A very nice post also about how great these two products are, Navigon is more on features while TomTom focused more on great routes. Going to Leavenworth, WA soon so a fully-robust GPS is a must (I had Magellan but they haven't updated their app).

EDIT: Went and bought Navigon and all the in-app purchases

 

[comatose81]

Thanks for the very detailed answers comatose81.

I find myself in quite a difficult spot. Navigon is so inexpensive right now, with the big sale going on. But TomTom sounds far more robust when it comes to routing and traffic. I really like that. But it'll cost me $70 for that with a year of traffic. Though I suppose it will pay for itself after a few long road trips. I will probably have to go that route.

Unfortunately I've never heard of TomTom having a sale. They don't seem to care what Navigon does.

True, TomTom is more reluctant to put their app on sale while Navigon does it every time they release a new version. I would consider TomTom's price now kind of a perpetual sale - I paid $90 when I bought it.


You can't really go wrong wither way. If price is a big concern, Navigon has way more options with it's regional apps.

What's the deal with browsing maps in TomTom? I keep reading that you can't easily pinch and scroll the map around freely to view the surrounding area. Also I've read that it's locked in during driving. Is that true?

For me it's pretty important to have full control of my map in order to look around the area, see traffic conditions, etc.

Not sure what they're talking about. In TomTom you just go to the Browse Map option from the menu and you can pinch, zoom, scroll, whatever.

It's harder to get to than Navigon where you just tap the screen once to get to this option, but it's there.

Wow I can't decide which of these to get!

They both have so many pros and cons. And I also can't decide if I should just get the my region version from Navigon...

Is there any way to view their maps before buying them to see which is more accurate in my area?

I wish that they had a trial version of each of these, even if it was only a trial of a few days it would really help my decision to just be able to play with both.

I have never bought a GPS unit or app, and I am still debating on buying a stand alone unit or the app, but it sounds like the apps have gotten so good that you don't really need a stand alone unit.

Man I wish there was a more clear winner! But with the sale right now maybe Navigon is the current clear winner...

There is a clear winner - just decide what is important to you. If routing and traffic avoidance are at the top of your list, then it's TomTom because the routing between the two just isn't even close.

If you want the best looking map, best text to speech voice, and the more user-friendly interface, then it's Navigon.

Obviosuly, the routing isn't a huge deal to everyone since Navigon is outselling TomTom by a ton right now with their sale. So it may be the case that the routing in Navigon is adequate for most people and they prefer the look, features, and price of Navigon (the add one being discounted helps a lot too!)

 

[yoyon8]

Now Integrated in Yellow Pages app

Yellow Pages (free) the no 1 directory app has now integrated Navigon.

If you have Navigon, download Yellow Pages (Avantar) and will auto integrate.

Runs seamless, the perfect match.

 

[err404]

What's the deal with browsing maps in TomTom? I keep reading that you can't easily pinch and scroll the map around freely to view the surrounding area. Also I've read that it's locked in during driving. Is that true?

For me it's pretty important to have full control of my map in order to look around the area, see traffic conditions, etc.

In the navigation view, you can only use pinch-to-zoom. You can tap the ETA to see a quick overview of your route (including traffic delays) or you can tap the screen and select Browse Map for full Google Maps like functionality.

 

[fishepa]

I've had no routing issues with Navigon.

 

[Worf]

Few questions...

Anybody want to talk about the battery usage of each app?
Also the data usage as well?
Lastly, what happens in case of a lost signal? Any of these apps allow offline navigation?

 

[err404]

I've had no routing issues with Navigon.

No one has suggested that Navigon's routing is bad, just that TomTom's routing is notably better; especially when factoring congestion history for accurate ETA and/or alternate routes.

In general they both provide very similar routes, but TomTom may provide a shortcut here or there that Navigon misses. Also the ETA is shockingly good. It's rarely off by more then a few minutes.
Initially I second-guessed the ETA and assumed it was estimating far to long, but time and time again, it has proven itself correct.

Few questions...

Anybody want to talk about the battery usage of each app?
Also the data usage as well?
Lastly, what happens in case of a lost signal? Any of these apps allow offline navigation?

TomTom seems to use a bit less power, but it's close enough that it hardly matters. They both use a lot of power and I would recommend a charger for any trips over an hour. Keep in mind that the GPS power usage on the 3G/3GS is much higher then the 4 (the GPS on the 4 is also faster and more accurate). An iPhone 4 running either app will last almost twice as long as the older phones.
Since the maps (and TomTom's traffic congestion history) are stored locally, very little data is used. You will notice the following if data is not available:

Google POI searches will not work
Live Traffic will be unable to update
Initial GPS lock will take far longer (minutes vs seconds)​

Everything else will work fine w/o data service.
Lastly, keep in mind that these apps push the size limits of the App Store and require several GB free to install.

 

[redman042]

Well, after a lot of consideration, I went with Navigon. I picked up the US version along with traffic and panorama view before the sale ended. What a terrific deal that was!

The better routing of Tom Tom was tempting, but the price wasn't, coupled with the fact that Tom Tom is inferior in a number of other ways. After reading a lot of different posts, it seems to me that the routing quality is not hugely different for the most part. And I've read comments from some people that the automatic traffic-based rerouting on Navigon works quite well. There's that post from the guy in Southern California that said it saved him over an hour stuck in traffic on the freeway. That's pretty much all I'd ask for. I realize the ETA's won't be as good, but I always try to allow extra time anyway.

Anyway, I've been playing with it for the past two days, and it's great. The traffic function appears to work really well, though I haven't put it through the paces yet. I'm happy with the performance of this app on my iPhone 4. And the panorama 3d view, while mostly eye-candy, does have some real value. I've compared it to standard 3D. The rendering is completely different with Panorama -- roads are more detailed and you can see them much farther off into the distance. It's definitely a little easier to see where you are going. At the discounted price, I couldn't go wrong. Even at full price, it's worth it to someone who really cares how maps look. Not everyone will, but I do.

 

[james4513]

Very happy with Navigon. Has the best features and has not crashed once in 6 months of use. The latest update has it springing ahead clearly. Just tried the Yellow Pages app - very nice!

 

[chanerz]

for me i love my tomtom.

 

[fhall1]

I procrastinated enough but like redman I finally gave in to the half price sale and bought Navigon USA, traffic and panorama. Now I'm thinking about pairing it with the TomTom mount to get the best of both worlds....anyone else running this combo care to share experiences?

 

[Jaro65]

I just purchased Navigon USA for half price. I also purchased traffic live, I guess for the regular price. No real experience with it, but it sure is impressive just using it around my neighborhood. I think this is going to be a very good app to have available, and for half price just makes it sweeter.

Just downloaded the Panorama as well, cheap enough so decided to check it out.

Good for you. I bought the whole pack a week or two ago - at the full price. At least now that it's on sale I bought the European maps as well. Navigon is great, but it doesn't tell me on which side of the street is my destination (unlike my Garmin unit). But, all in all, Navigon is quite good. It is nice not to have to carry around a dedicated GPS device.

 

[myMacRumors]

Navigon is great, but it doesn't tell me on which side of the street is my destination (unlike my Garmin unit).

Navigon gives your destination on left or right via voice or Turn-by-Turn List.

It does not give "well advance" voice destination on left or right. An improvement is in progress...

From Turn-by-Turn List, usually on last item (destination) is on left or right.

 

[err404]

Navigon gives your destination on left or right via voice or Turn-by-Turn List.

It does not give "well advance" voice destination on left or right. An improvement is in progress...

From Turn-by-Turn List, usually on last item (destination) is on left or right.

Sadly TomTom handles this very poorly. While the maps contain the data and you can see the destination side if you manually zoom in on the map, there is no indication visually, vocally or in the directions list.

 

[malnar]

No one has suggested that Navigon's routing is bad, just that TomTom's routing is notably better; especially when factoring congestion history for accurate ETA and/or alternate routes.

In general they both provide very similar routes, but TomTom may provide a shortcut here or there that Navigon misses. Also the ETA is shockingly good. It's rarely off by more then a few minutes.
Initially I second-guessed the ETA and assumed it was estimating far to long, but time and time again, it has proven itself correct.

I have to disagree. I have both with traffic and found TomTom's routing to be pretty bad, reliably sending me right into the very heaviest of traffic while Navigon's traffic routing urges me around traffic issues much more often. Navigon's routes in general are also much better. TomTom routinely found oddball routes that not only didn't save time, they were usually aggravating and slower than the ones they were attempting to route me around. I've given up on TomTom - Navigon is clearly superior in my usage. In fact, I'm dumping my dash-mounted Magellan with traffic add-on because the Navigon app is better!