iPhone Turn-by-Turn Directions Via Subscription? No Thanks
Hey, AT&T is a carrier, OK? They live and breath subscription models. So I don’t blame them for bringing their Navigator GPS app to the iPhone in the same manner as they do their other GPS phones. Still, no thanks.
It’s not just the subscription model, but the maps aren’t even local to the iPhone. If I’m in the middle of nowhere, can we assume that maybe I won’t have a carrier signal sufficient to get me out of there? Bad enough I have to hope for the GPS signal, but being dependent on the vagaries of a carrier’s signal in the boonies is a risk I should be able to avoid. I want my maps with me, not in the cloud somewhere.
This is what I want from a turn-by-turn app:
- Purchase outright (no subscription)
- Allow for in-app purchase of new or updated maps, but don’t require them, and don’t hard sell it. I see no reason to upgrade maps more than maybe once a year.
- Maps downloaded and local on the iPhone.
- Reasonably priced
The latter is obviously up for debate, as we all have opinions on what’s “reasonable.” Tom Tom did not discuss pricing when they demoed their app. However, one can get a relatively cheap Tom Tom device for perhaps $100. I want their app to turn the iPhone into such a device, but I should not have to pay for the hardware again. I do realize good software is worthing paying for, so I’m not expecting a 99-cent, or $10, or even $20 app. I can understand it’s worth more than that.
For me, if it’s in the $40-$50 range — and assuming it gets good reviews — I’d snap it up without hesitation. My enthusiasm will wane rapidly after that, and if it approaches the $99 mark, I believe they’re pricing it like a standalone device even though they’ve saved the cost of hardware. In other words, a rip-off.
This is especially true since Tom Tom showed a hardware accessory that will hold the iPhone, boost its GPS signal, charge it, and allow hands-free communication. This looks like a great add-on, but is all the more reason the iPhone app itself should not approach the price of a self-contained unit.
Tom Tom, in my opinion, has a chance to make a killing here by being first to market with the kind of GPS app a lot of people are looking for. I hope the bean counters don’t try to take advantage and price themselves out of it.
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Jason Ball on June 24th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Navigon are the first company to release a turn-by-turn navigation app for the iPhone. TomTom look like being second.
Daniel on June 24th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Yea, though they charge it way off 699 SEK (~$94 USD) I would have bought it right off if it was charged ~ $60 USD but now I’m struggling to hold to the cash.
Paul on June 24th, 2009 at 7:42 am
MapQuest has a FREE application as an alternative to Google Maps that has turn by turn directions and a few other features that are lacking from the GMaps app.
Brandon Eley on June 24th, 2009 at 8:01 am
I gave up on Turn by Turn on the iPhone. When the 3G came out I was really excited about it and held off from buying a GPS for my car… but after almost a year I just figured that was one thing I would have to concede that the iPhone wouldn’t do as well as a dedicated device.
I went and bought a Nuvi a couple months ago since I’m traveling a good bit this summer. Honestly, I think it’s a better solution anyway. I can still talk on the phone and play music through the iPod while I’m driving, which would be difficult if not impossible when using a GPS software.
I think it would be useful for walking directions, but Google Maps and the new digital compass will probably take care of that need for me.
nicks on June 24th, 2009 at 8:15 am
if it is possible, this is gonna get cracked the shit out of…present company included…
Galley on June 24th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Whomever can bring in an app for $40 will do very well. They’ll make it up in volume.
Eric on June 24th, 2009 at 9:13 am
There is ZERO chance I’m going to buy a subscription model. Update and add maps occasionally, yes. But $10 a month? What idiot thought this would fly?
pdferguson on June 24th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I agree with Brandon, and went through the same series of events he did (waited, then broke down and bought a Nuvi). Given the cost and capabilities of these devices today, turn-by-turn directions on the iPhone is somewhat of a solution looking for a problem.
The main problem with the current generation of iPhones is the amount of memory needed to store the maps in the device, which pretty much rules it out at this point. When 32+ GB iPhones are the norm, then it may be reasonable. I don’t see a cloud-based solution being practical for a long, long time, because we all know how unreliable the cell system is for this sort of application; even the current Maps application is unusable or marginal too much of the time.
Wayne on June 24th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
The GPS on the iPhone does not seem to work unless there is a data connection. I travel in a number of places internationally where AT&T does not have a data roaming agreement with local service providers, so I get no data connection. When I’m in an area without data service, the GPS on the iPhone doesn’t work. And I’m not talking about just Google Maps, even apps like GPS Kit can’t return a latitude and longitude reading unless there is a data signal present.
So, in relation to your article, whether you get turn by turn from a subscription model or from downloaded maps, the iPhone can’t (or won’t) provide GPS capability without a data connection. Perhaps there is a way around this in the API, but I’ve tried several GPS apps in these countries and none of them work if data is not present.
Billy on June 25th, 2009 at 7:45 am
@Wayne
I’ve been using G-Maps US West for (non-voice) Turn-by-Turn since it’s release and it works fine with or without a data connection.
Right now there’s no voice, but I’m hopeful that they’ll update. The price is much more reasonable than anything out there at the moment.
Howie Isaacks on June 24th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I’ll just stick with my Garmin Nuvi. It does the job no matter where I happen to be. I just have to remember to take it with me when I get out of the car, or tuck it away out of sight in case someone decides to steal it.
David on June 24th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
@pdferguson – I think you can still put a fair amount of detail even in a small map file. I used to use Mapopolis on my Palm T3, like 4 or 5 years ago. That gave me scrolling maps, turn-by-turn directions, and even spoke road names aloud — which precious few systems *today* seem to do well. It was like $100, and software only (Navteq maps, bring your own GPS).
But I was able to put detailed maps for my home area (Northern Virginia, Washington DC, and suburban Maryland), plus frequent vacation destinations, all on a county-by-county basis and, all told, taking less than half of my 128MB SD card.
Hell, even current Garmin maps come on a single DVD, which, even if it’s dual layer, would “only” be 9 gig. Find an easy way to reduce it to a county-by-county level, with maybe highway and major US and state routes for the full country, and it’d be an easy fit on the iPhone.
Ultimately, I gotta agree with the author — as this is a software product, you shouldn’t be paying hardware prices. And there’s a big psychological edge to some of the lower prices — $50, especially if it’s an annual thing, I’d probably do once. $30, or even $50, with a $15 annual update, I’d be a lot more likely to buy and keep up-to-date.
Shock Me on June 24th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I would be happy to make a one-time purchase of the basic app with a free local map and then use in app pricing for each region I enter. That way my phone isn’t cluttered with maps to places I’m not going. Google maps and GPS will work fine in the interim.
Jay on June 26th, 2009 at 6:57 am
I agree. I think that is the way to go. You pick a state and get maps for that state bundled with your initial purchase. You can then buy maps for other regions as you need. Your phone memory won’t be eaten up by maps that way.
Ron Breger on June 24th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
When I travel, I take my small portable Garmin and rely on that to get me where I need to go. It just works well. It’s a pain to try to use the iPhone for navigation in a car. However, when I am walking or not near my car, I use the iPhone.
Sometimes a dedicated device is best.
- Ron
http://www.BaywideTechnology.com
jamessye on June 24th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Or you could just use a map…. I’m just saying =]
sitting pugs on June 25th, 2009 at 6:07 am
“I want my maps with me, not in the cloud somewhere.”
–Hilarious!
Kenny on June 25th, 2009 at 8:54 am
I agree that this all sounds great, but this isn’t a new type of product for TomTom and their competitors. I have the TomTom software and maps installed on my old Windows Mobile device and if I remember correctly it was about $100 for the software/maps – and about $100 for a bluetooth GPS receiver.
TomTom list the North America map on its own as $70
TomTom will also try and sell their subscription model with this as it’s for a connected iPhone… this includes traffic alerts etc.
gngcreative on June 25th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Interesting discussion. I hadn’t realized the iPhone was sans decent GPS. Nothing against the iPhone, but since I’m with Sprint, allergic to AT&T, and not at all into iPods, I’ve not given it much of a look.
The Samsung Instinct has great turn-by-turn spoken and visual GPS courtesy of Navquest. Living as I do in Los Angeles, I find the live traffic info and ability to reroute around the traffic jams an occasional life saver. The fact that it integrates with the contacts list and Live Search (or anywhere an address shows up, for that matter) just puts cherries on the cake, imho. No subscription, no extra download, no licensing fee… seems to me a much better model from the consumer point of view.
Shock Me on June 25th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Since you have no need for iPods and just need a phone with good GPS and some other nice functions the Instinct is a good choice. If the iPhone did not exist I would now own an Instinct having seen it in action for many things. The Instinct is an excellent product.
I think there are many dedicated electronics the iPhone will NEVER replace (such as point and shoot cameras with decent lens and zoom capbility). I suspect that the proper business models for GPS will find their way on to the iPhone and be quite successful. Since I seldom travel and don’t have to deal with LA Traffic this is a feature I would use very seldom on either phone. Google maps with Compass and GPS on the iPhone work very nicely with paper maps I already own.
I could get by with a nice windshield mount and the software that comes with the iPhone. But hey if someone like TomTom come up with a good product that makes sense for me, I there.
Smith on June 25th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
I agree 100%. I will NOT subscribe for software. The fact that standalone GPS’s are now quite affordable and will probably outperform the iPhone makes the reasonable price point of no more than $49.99.
$120.00 a year….?! AT&T your nuts AND greedy IMO.
Due to the iPhone’s limitations, data connection, battery etc. An iPhone version of turn by turn will never be a hard core alternative, it will be closer to a “nice to have” feature in the event that your stuck in the middle of the city with a good battery condition.
GPS HANDHELD on July 3rd, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Hiii…its a good application but its size on memory is quite large …8GB iphone user need to think twice before installing it…and also there is voice directives in it…
cj on July 9th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
The people who buy the iPhone are not truly interested in turn-by-turn, talk to me while I am driving and tell me if I am going the wrong way computerized GPS/Navigation systems. Otherwise they would not buy it if they wanted that as a phone feature. I have waited for 2 years now and I am so disappointed. I have a Blackberry Bold which has great GPS voice navigation.
There truly is no comparison because I actually thought about really getting the Iphone 3GS, but when I saw the demo for the Maps + Compass, I was not impressed. I even tried the new software (for $9.99 upgrade) out on my Ipod Touch, which is almost equal to the original iPhone with no monthly payments or contract or ability to call, but I tried the updated app at home with wifi and I thought: How am I supposed to click on all those screens to 1) see what the street looks like of my destination or 2) turn the maps 90, or 180 or 360 degrees and 3) so forth….I think all those Iphone 3GS features are nice, but give me one more feature–click here to get voice turn-by-turn. Even if Iphone/AT&T charged me monthly $11 or so like Blackberry, it would be worth hearing that voice navigate.