Don’t have GPS software on your iPhone? Looking for one of the best GPS apps available?

Achtung! Navigon have just confirmed that they would like to give one of our readers (iPhone owners) a chance to win a copy of their recently updated NAVIGON MobileNavigator GPS software for the iPhone. The Australian version is worth $99.99!

The competition is open to anyone with an iPhone in the following regions / countries:

• Australia
• Europe
• Eastern EU
• British Isles
• Iberia
• France
• BeNeLux
• Nordics
• Italy
• Mexico
• Brazil
• USA & Canada
• Middle East
• South Africa
• Turkey

How To Win NAVIGON MobileNavigator GPS for iPhone:

To be in the running to win NAVIGON MobileNavigator for iPhone all you need to do is leave a comment below describing how having this GPS software will make your driving experience better. The most creative entry will win. Pretty easy isn’t it? Leave your comment by the 22nd April 2010 and we’ll announce the winner on the following day – Friday 23rd April, 2010.

To help you out we’ll give you the product description and features of the NAVIGON MobileNavigator GPS App for iPhone here:

NAVIGON MobileNavigator iPhone GPS App:

With NAVIGON MobileNavigator you can transform your iPhone into a complete mobile navigation system. Experience the unique features and user-friendliness known from NAVIGON’s multi-award-winning personal navigation devices on your iPhone wherever you go. The software includes many of NAVIGON’s signature navigation functions such as Reality View™ Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, Speed Assistant and Text-to-Speech. Naturally  it features NAVIGON’s sophisticated and elegant map views including branded POIs along the route. NAVIGON MobilyNavigator – the ideal companion for all frequent travellers.

Features and range of functions of NAVIGON MobileNavigator for iPhone:

• Reality View Pro (realistic display of motorway interchanges and exits)
• Lane Assistant Pro
• Text-to-Speech voice guidance
• Real signpost display
• Turn-by-Turn RouteList
• Call POI functionality
• Simple, intuitive user interface
• Can be used in portrait and landscape format
• Precise voice announcements
• Intelligent address entry
• Speed Assistant with adjustable audio-visual warning
• Day and night mode for map display
• NAVTEQ premium map material
• Navigation is automatically resumed after an incoming phone call
• 2D and 3D map displays (bird’s-eye view)
• Quick access to user-defined POIs in the area and along the route
• Take Me Home function with a single click
• Automatic language selection to match the iPhone’s user language
• Route Planning
• Automatic Day/Night adjustment
• Integrated iPod control
• Location sharing via Email
• Enhanced Pedestrian Navigation
• Google Local Search
• Coordinate Input
• SOS/Direct Help
• Manual zooming in 2D and 3D while navigation
• Favorites are being displayed in the map
• Country Info when crossing borders
• Switch between “Music” and “Audiobook” mode for iPod playback
• Phonebook contacts and contract groups can be selected as navigation destinations
• NAVIGON Traffic Live in USA and Canada (Available through In App Purchase)

THANK YOU NAVIGON!

NAVIGON MobileNavigator iPhone WebPage

More NAVIGON news! NAVIGON, who have just announced 24 months of free map updates for new GPS owners (limited time only) have released their update 1.5.0 of the NAVIGON iPhone App. The update will include a host of new features and is complemented by a reduction in price to $69.99 (usually $99.99) until April 12 and is available through the iTunes App Store.

The new features of NAVIGON GPS iPhone App include:

• Safety Camera alerts for all fixed speed and red light cameras around Australia
• Twitter and Facebook Interaction that allow users to post current position, destination and ETA
• Panorama View 3D that provides three-dimensional maps, delivering an accurate depiction of the surrounding environment
• Personalised route recommendations via NAVIGON MyRoutes

I personally especially like how they’ve incorporated Twitter with their GPS app – I’m also using CoPilot for iPhone and it only integrates with Facebook which I use less than Twitter. I’m a happy camper now and will revert back to NAVIGON just show I can bug people with more about my whereabouts!

Check out the review that I did on the NAVIGON iPhone GPS app last year - at its special price of $69.99 it’s a steal! Get it.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to review Navigon’s iPhone GPS app. I gave it a thumbs-up for its clean and easy-to-use interface and nice cityscape backgrounds. Today, Navigon have announced some major improvements to their already great iPhone App, namely in the additions of 3D terrain views which are powered by NASA, Social Media integration (Facebook, Twitter) and intelligent routing which provides multiple routes and more!

I’m going to see if I can jump onto the appstore and upgrade my version of Navigon pronto!

Here’s the press release below:

Sydney, February 10, 2010 —NAVIGON AG, the leading provider of mobile phone on-board navigation, today announced a significant update for MobileNavigator, the most feature-rich navigation app available on the iPhone platform. Extending comprehensive functionality, the update adds three innovative features: in-app connection to Facebook and Twitter, Panorama View 3D with 3D terrain views powered from NASA data, and personalised route delivery via NAVIGON MyRoutes, an intelligent direction provider.

“NAVIGON, the first in the industry to launch an on-board navigation app on the iPhone platform, remains ahead of the competition by consistently delivering first to market, full-feature updates. Apple’s App Store is ideal for delivering our latest innovations to our users,” said Gerhard Mayr, vice-president worldwide mobile phones & new markets, NAVIGON. “The upcoming fifth version not only redefines routing capabilities on the iPhone platform but also integrates social media connectivity, and outstanding, reliable 3D environment views.”

Further enhancing the proficient iPhone connectivity capabilities, MobileNavigator allows users to broadcast current position, destination and ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) to favourite social media outlets, Twitter and Facebook, without navigation interruption. This free addition provides easy access in-app icons that seamlessly launch, while the Twitter feature automatically limits input to the maximum 140 characters, and provides a character countdown.

Complementing the elegant iPhone UI, Panorama View 3D delivers 3D map views through digitised cartography rendered from NASA’s height and terrain data. The full 3D view delivers an accurate depiction of surrounding environment, and what lies ahead with digital landscapes that include elevations, shadows, and geographic images. Panorama View 3D is integrated in-map, independent from the phone’s data connection.

NAVIGON MyRoutes takes personalised route recommendations to a new level with intelligent, customised direction planning and is provided at no extra cost to MobileNavigator users. The feature analyses individual driving data and designs customised routes. Up to three choices with distance and ETA are clearly displayed in-map for each. One primary recommendation based on the user’s driving habits, the day of week and time of travel is provided and the additional two alternatives provide options to choose a preferred route.

MobileNavigator transforms the iPhone into an inclusive navigation device that relies on the GPS receiver, independent from a cell or wireless signal, to provide the most feature rich on-board navigation application. MobileNavigator offers a familiar, yet streamlined user interface that offers intuitive visual feedback and readily accessible connected features, which takes the efficiency of mobile navigation to new heights. It is the only on-board iPhone navigation app available that includes Google Local Search, Reality View Pro, branded in-route POI’s, seamless in-app iPod controls, enhanced pedestrian mode, and now in-map social media connectivity in one application.

Version 1.5.0 Feature Highlights:

Connection to Facebook and Twitter: This free addition to Navigon MobileNavigator provides a simple icon tap that posts users current position, destination, and ETA without navigation interruption

Panorama View 3D: True 3D in-map views obtained from NASA’s height and terrain data enable intuitive orientation of surrounding environment, and what lies ahead with digital landscapes elevations, shadows, and geographic images. Panorama View 3D is integrated in-map, independent from the phone’s data connection.

NAVIGON MyRoutes: Analyses driving habits, patterns, location, time/day and provides up to three routes clearly displayed in-map with ETA, distance and driving times for each and is provided at no extra cost to MobileNavigator users.

Pricing and Availability

MobileNavigator is available for AU$99.99 in the Apple App Store and is equipped with maps of Australia from NAVTEQ®. NAVIGON is showcasing the update prior to its launch in spring at the Macworld Expo show in San Francisco/USA, booth #575. The Panorama View 3D feature will be available via an in-app Purchase for AU$9.99.

Besides being available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, the NAVIGON app also runs on first-generation iPhone or an iPod Touch. Additional accessories are required for GPS navigation on these devices.

For more information, please visit: www.navigon.com/iphone.

Find NAVIGON on:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/NAVIGON_
Facebook: www.navigon.com/facebook

Flickr: www.navigon.com/flickr
Youtube: www.navigon.com/youtube

About NAVIGON:

NAVIGON AG are a world leading provider of premium navigation technology. NAVIGON delivers software on mobile phone platforms and for the automotive industry as well as branded personal navigation devices. NAVIGON’S MobileNavigator is the most feature rich on-board navigation app on the iPhone platform. Founded in 1991, NAVIGON employs more than 400 worldwide with a presence in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South Africa. – NAVIGON. And the world is yours.

I’m currently 37,000 feet above the ground, flying over the Philippine Sea en route to Tokyo, which is a good thing because it means that I have time to finally complete this review on Navigon’s Mobile Navigator GPS app for the iPhone.

It’s also my first review using my new 13” Apple MacBook Pro! More of this later.

For those who follow my blog, you would have read that I’ve also reviewed two other GPS apps for the iPhone: TomTom and CoPilot Live. Out of those two, I found that CoPilot was the better because of incorporation of zoom-pinch functionality on the 3D map as well as better response/performance of maps compared to TomTom’s which at times (time of writing) was annoyingly flakey.

So the question is, how does Navigon fare amongst these two?

Well in summary, I think that it sits in between TomTom and CoPilot in terms of overall value, performance and functionality. Let’s walk through some of the screen shots that I took and I’ll explain why.

Minimalist UI Design
One of the first things I noticed about the Navigon screens were how minimalist they were. As you can see from this screenshot, the default drive screens don’t overload you with information.  Despite the fact that this ultimately means faster screen redraws, it does leave one wanting, especially if you have been used to seeing things like estimated arrival times, travel speed and distance to destination. The user can easily add these options on the screen, I just thought it was an interesting choice to omit these by default.

Below is an example screen to show how it looks with more drive options turned on such as street names, current speed, estimated arrival time and distance to location.

There were some nice touches in the app like this screen that actually had a graphic for the instide of the Burnley Tunnel here in Melbourne. Most other GPS applications just go opaque due to lack of signal, but the  guys at Navigon seem to use GPS calculations to predict when you’ll reach the end to provide you with this light-at-the-end-of-the–tunnel image. I wonder if they did this for all?

Navigon iPhone GPS

Here’s another screen that I initially liked – it’s the night time drive screen showing a backdrop of the city skyline. It even looks similar to Melbourne’s. I thought there was some intelligent backdrop selection used here as I was actually facing the city at night when I took this, however it also showed the same city skyline when I was 40km away, headed in the opposite direction. Could confuse some drivers.

Navigon iPhone GPS Night Screen

One of the things that have plagued GPS spp users in the past, has been when to actually turn in multi-lane highway /freeway situations. Navigon addresses this with their Turn-Assist screens which show very succinct images of where exactly to turnoff. They even use the same color scheme and lettering used on Melbourne road signs to help. Excellent feature!

The voice-to-text GPS navigation was also easier to follow as it gave clear commands on when and where to turn.

Highly Recommended

In conclusion, I’d say that Navigon is an excellent value iPhone GPS app. I liked its non-cluttered screens, turn-assist display, performance and neat ‘exiting tunnel’ images. Menus and options are accessed easily and voice navigation is clear. Thumbs up from me!

No this is not my car, nor what I used to test Navigon. I just thought I’d include it for anyone still not sure what they wanted to get me for Christmas…

Mr.Gadget's Next Car?