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

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?