As stated in my
earlier blog I have been playing around and evaluating different GPS software on my n95 over the past 8 months. I would like to share my experiences and tips on using the GPS bundled with the N95 in Bangalore.
My whole fascination on GPS started on my last US trip in Nov 07 where I had the opportunity to use GPS on my rental car.This amazing piece of technology really amazed me and the sound of the lady's voice in the navigation system saying "you have arrived" (these words are spoken when one reaches a desired destination using the GPS system) sounded very much like "hey dude...looks like you have now really arrived in life !!". That's the feeling of the "wow factor" I experienced.
Though GPS technology is not "breaking news" to people in Europe and the US, but in India its still in its nascent stages and there are players emerging both in the car navigation (eg satnav) and mobile GPS navigation area. All modern PDA be it the iPhone,G1, Nokia N series or the more recent Windows Mobile based PDAs are either coming pre-loaded with the GPS module or are suitable for GPS navigation via a bluetooth GPS module and software from a vendor (eg satnav).
Here are the various softwares I evaluated on my N95.
Nokia Maps 2.0 - This is the default GPS application that comes bundled in all the recent Nokia N series symbian 3rd edition phones. If you have an older version of the the Nokia Maps application you can download the latest version from
here. There are also instructions on e same site to install the Nokia Maps 2.0 application using the PC Suite (comes bundled in the DVD you get). The page also has details about "Nokia Map Loader" which you can use to install maps specific to your region.Nokia Maps 2.0 uses those maps loaded via Nokia Map Loader for navigation.
Here are the some of my experiences using Nokia Maps 2.0 in Bangalore.
- Nokia Maps 2.0 has voice guided navigation and directions. You can enter your source and destination locations and Nokia maps would generate the route and then also provide voice guidance to you at every step. This is similar to a car gps voice navigation system. The other advantage is you do not need a constant internet connection via your data plan since the maps are pre-loaded, however there may be limited functionality available to get "Places of Interest" and route generation. Having a data plan helps you use the A-GPS (Assisted GPS feature) which helps connect to the GPS satellites faster.
However a key point to note is that the maps (for Bangalore) atleast don't reflect real life ground realities, considering that a place like Bangalore is going through so many infrastructure changes and road modifications. Given the same I have found the maps and navigation pretty accurate for major roads and areas in Bangalore, but expecting 100% navigational accuracy in every nook and corner of Bangalore is far fletched.
Another key point to note is that the voice guided navigation feature comes pre-loaded only for the first 3 months of usage. Post this to get voice guided navigation working you would need to subscribe for a fee (see earlier blog). However if you do not want navigation and just want to know where you are in the city you could do even without voice guided navigation. The pre-loaded maps would tell you where you are at every step (by pressing 0 when the Nokia Maps application is running) and you would not even need a internet connection.
Overall the Nokia Maps 2.0 application is a great for voice guided navigation and in general in giving GPS co-ordinates on a city map. It is the closest you can get to a real life car GPS navigation system on your mobile. However in my opinion the annual subscription fee is the only downside and I feel a reduced fee would help popularize Nokia Maps to a further extent.
I will be posting a video detailing the use of Nokia Maps2.0 in Bangalore in a later post.
Google Maps- This is mobile version of the popular Google Maps on your desktop/laptop. However unlike Nokia Maps it does not have voice guided navigation and directions. Also google maps requires an internet connection and does not come pre-loaded with any maps. Overall it shows up the GPS co-ordinates beautifully on the city map and also shows places of interest. Google maps also comes with different types of view (satellite, map etc). It can also track your position relative to you operator's towers and show it a circular radius (this feature does not require GPS and can be seen on any mobile with google maps and a internet connection). Performance wise Google Maps is great and if you are in no need for voice guided navigation and directions and only need GPS co-ordinates on a map, google maps is a great option, if you have a data plan (internet connection on your mobile)
Mobile GMaps- This is a freeware and a pretty popular GPS software. It has all the features of google maps and more, but again no navigation and directions. In addition to what is available on goolge maps, Mobile GMaps also shows the compass direction, speed and actual GPS co-ordinates at every moment.However again no pre-loaded maps and you need a data plan to real see the power of this application. You could actually use this on a flight, car or train journey and constantly monitor your progress on a map with details like speed and co-ordinates.Its great fun !!!
Nokia Sports Tracker- This is a application built for sports enthusiasts and uses the GPS functionality to the full extent. With Sports Tracker (as I mentioned in a previous
blog) you can do something similar to what you do with Mobile GMaps. You could switch on this application and take a walk or jog or even a plane or car ride. The application will store all kinds of data for you like speed, altitude, calories burnt, directions etc. Once you are done you can upload each activity on nokia's sports tracker website and then analyze how you ran or where all did the plane take you during your flight , and all this is shown on maps.Beautiful !!
