SatNav-Discounts

Mobile GPS

Dedicated Sat Nav (PND) or GPS on your Mobile Phone?

Page created October 2011

As smartphones such as the Apple iPhone and HTC Galaxy are becoming more popular, there’s a lot of talk about using your phone as a sat nav rather than buying a dedicated personal navigation device (PND).

TomTom & Garmin provide their software for use on mobile devices such as the iPhone, and TomTom even have a dedicated iPad version.

In our opinion the ipad is a bit large to use as a sat nav, but there’s plenty of 7″ tablets that can do the job perfectly. See our tablet comparison pages here.

So which is best – a dedicated sat nav device or a software on your mobile phone?

Dedicated Sat NavMobile Sat Nav
Our opinionWINNER!LOSER!
Screen sizeVaried screen sizes available, from 3.5" to 7" widescreen. Smartphone screens are often too small, making postcode entry awkward, and making maps difficult to see. Screens on bigger devices such as the iPad are often too big.
AudioBig speakers take into account car cabin noise.Small speakers on mobile devices often can't be heard when travelling at speed. External cradles with built in speakers can alleviate this problem at an extra cost.
GPS Coverage / DataAll the maps are stored on the device, so no mobile phone signal needed (except for live traffic info, where data costs are covered by your live sat nav subscription).Some apps download maps on the fly, which requires a strong mobile phone signal and uses up your data allowance. If you get lost in the countryside with no mobile phone signal, your mobile GPS may not be much help! If abroad, data use can be extremely costly!
MobilityKeep it in your car glovebox, no need to cart it around.It's your phone, keep it with you.
Battery LifeSat navs are hardly known for their great battery life, but you should be okay for up to 4 hours driving without having to plug it in.The constant GPS coverage, bright screen and audio zap a mobile phones battery like there's no tomorrow. Basically, you need to plug it in to a car charger.
CostA basic sat nav is barely more than £50 these days.Some very basic mobile apps can be obtained for free, but if you want something decent from TomTom or Garmin you'll pay in the region of £40. Plus you'll need a mount or cradle to stick on your windscreen, and help alleviate sound and battery problems (around £50).

 

If you decide that using your mobile as a sat nav is the way to go, then you need to get hold of some suitable software. See our table below.

Cost
(UK Maps)		AndroidiPhoneNative iPadPre-installed
Maps
Google MapsFree
CoPilot£19.99
Garmin£39.99
Navigon£39.99
TomTom£49.99Soon

If you go for the TomTom iPhone app then you may want to consider the TomTom GPS docking cradle. Check prices on our TomTom iPhone price comparison page.

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