XRoad G-Map app brings bona fide navigation to the iPhone

by Darren Murph posted Dec 23rd 2008 at 1:39PM

At long last, iPhone users who have grown increasingly frustrated by using Google Maps as their primary navigational tool can find relief... sort of. Available right now in the App Store, XRoad's G-Map application requires no internet connection whatsoever in order to function; rather, it packs oodles of maps into a 932MB package that covers most of western America and a few sporadic locales on the east. We're a bit baffled (and angered) by the not-at-all-comprehensive coverage, but we suppose we can expect updates to patch the gaps in the near future. It provides most of the same amenities you're used to seeing on real-deal GPS units, including POI editing, memo capabilities, location searching, etc. A word of caution, though: early reviews don't seem too stoked about it, so you may want to gloss it over good before hitting your card for $19.99.

[Thanks, Karel]

Gallery: XRoad G-Map app brings bona fide navigation to the iPhone

Filed under: Software, Apple, iPhone OS

Tags: app, app store, apple, application, AppStore, G-Map, gps, gps app, GpsApp, iphone 3g, iphone apps, Iphone3g, IphoneApps, ipod touch, IpodTouch, nav, navi, navigation, XRoad

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

SPOKE @ Dec 23rd 2008 3:57PM

That's one big ass jug handle/rotary/roundabout - depdending where you are from.

Low Ranked

Al @ Dec 23rd 2008 3:14PM

A sat nav app that isn't really sat-nav. FAIL

Neutral

SPOKE @ Dec 23rd 2008 3:56PM

It is sat-nav, just the maps arent downloaded as they are displayed - they are in a database that lives ON the phone. You silly little man.

Neutral

Taylor. Yes, Taylor. @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:30PM

A comment proclaiming a failure when there isn't one? Fail!
-Taylor

Neutral

Brad @ Dec 25th 2008 2:31AM

Sorry, to defend Al here:

The software does NOT make use of real-time positioning. It gets your starting location, and then it "guesses" how long it'll take you to move to the next location based on the speed limit. If you miss a turn or get stuck in traffic, it just happily continues on. Apple has blocked use of the A-GPS chip for "navigation purposes" and this app didn't magically find it's way around.

Neutral

Darkhand @ Mar 10th 2009 12:13AM

according to the ap it says

"Automatic current location update through GPS Tracking"

If that doesn't mean turn by turn w/GPS can someone tell me what that means?

Neutral

liuping @ Mar 10th 2009 9:28PM

I definitely uses the GPS, it just does not sample frequently enough to detect small changes. For example it may think you're continuing on the highway for a few seconds, when you actually took an early exit. It will correct your position after a bit.

All GPS system use a combination of GPS signal, inertia and "snap to road" to keep your icon on the road in the display.

On the Building GPS systems I have in both my cars, I get the same problem, it's just a little more frequently in G-Maps.

Neutral