OT: My personal test of 20 free offline Android gps map routing applications

[Danny D'Amico]

Wholly OT: I will respond to questions, and queries, but otherwise this will be the only post on this topic for my friends on a.h.r who may be interested in offline map routing programs.

I posted this to: alt.satellite.gps,alt.comp.freeware, & to comp.mobile.android (which is a rather new newsgroup).

Here's my overall quick summary of 20 suggested free offline map apps: (Please suggest any other offline map app you want tested!)

Top five *offline gps map routing Android free apps*:

1. MapFactor: Navigator, v1.0.35, Database = OSM By far, the most logically intuitive GUI for an automotive GPS navigation system. PRO: Has a businessrivate odometer which might be handy for tax purposes. PRO: Search has options for nearest to map center, gps position, or destination. PRO: Map view is easily switched between close, medium, and full-trip views. PRO: Navigate easily allows waypoints to be enabled or disabled CON: Does not speak road names (if it only had TTS, it would negate the need for OsmAnd~) CON: Printed guidance at the bottom of the display is far too small for automotive use CON: Enabling "Save as .GPX" crashed my phone every time it was enabled

1. F-Droid: OsmAnd~, v1.5-ARM (X-86 & MIPS builds exist), Database = OSM Speaks road names! (TTS) in addition to spoken directions (British English) PRO: Users are encouraged to add their own POIs, addresses, and map improvements! PRO: Opensource plugins are readily available to enhance functionality PRO: Has an easy to use recording mode to save & replay your tracks PRO: Buttons click when you type them in a search CON: Can't route greater than 100 miles without waypoints (and it won't tell you that it won't) CON: Crashes a *lot* on my stock Samsung Galaxy S3 (Android 4.3) CON: Impossible to set a Favorite from the Favorites menu! Con: Direction guidance annoyingly says "milly" & "millies" instead of "miles")

2. Aponia: Be-On-Road, v3.9.26239 Database = OSM Logical initial MAP display PRO: Can find POIs that are along the route you've selected (more apps should have this!) CON: Does not speak road names (TTS). CON: Impossible to add a Favorite when in the Favorites menu! CON: Impossible to change the name of a Favorite without first deleting it! CON: Can't organize Favorites other than alphabetically! IRK: Favorites=Map->Menu->POI->Favorites->FAVORITES->My POI->favorite IRK: Menu->POI->Favorites->Favorites->My POI->SELECTION->Navigate

1. Geolife: NavFree USA, v2.1.17, Database = OSM Slick-looking GUI (but looks are deceptive) CON: Does not speak road names (TTS) CON: Impossible to add a Favorite when in the Favorites menu! CON: Impossible to change the name of a Favorite without first deleting it! CON: Miserable mechanism to rename favorites (basically it can't be done) CON: Even after rebooting, and deleting, it wouldn't rename a favorite! CON: Can't organize Favorites other than alphabetically! CON: Adware is somewhat obtrusive (not horrid, but not good) CON: POI search doesn't give street address (so they all look alike!)

2. Zoff, ZANavi, v2.0.19 (OSM maps) Speaks American English TTS road names beautifully in addition to spoken directions PRO: The road-name display is the easiest of them all to read (outside of Google Maps) CON: User interface must have been written on Mars, it's that unintuitive! CON: No concept of favorites (they only have "Recent Destinations") CON: Only accepts GPS coordinates in degrees-minutes-seconds (not decimal degrees) CON: Many features are half baked so I must consider this beta software

Backup programs *to make up for offline deficiencies* in the above apps: A. Alk: CoPilot GPS free, v9.5.0.400 Database = Navteq

One free Navteq map download is allowed (these maps are fantastic!) PRO: Offline address search in Navteq maps works beautifully! PRO: The Navteq POI even provides phone numbers PRO: Logical initial MAP for a GPS navigation system. PRO: Calculates alternative routes to destination. PRO: Can easily drag route to change it as desired. CON: Only one free Navteq map download is allowed. CON: Voice guidance dies after 14 days (but the maps & routing still work in the crippleware) IRK: Favorites=Map->Menu->Main Menu->My Places->Favorites

B. Google: Maps, v7.4.0 Database = Google

Most accurate of all the maps; and fast drawing too! PRO: Clearly shows the next turn and how far away it is. PRO: Clearly shows each turn in sequence at any time. CON: Directions and navigation are not available offline. CON: Does not speak road names (TTS) when offline. CON: Map cache tiling is not intuitive (typing "ok maps" for example) CON: Can't create or change the route once you go offline. CON: POIs & street addresses are not cached in the offline maps HNT: Backup /sdcard/Android/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/cache/

Tested apps which *didn't make the top five* for a variety of reasons: a. Sygic: GPS, v13.2.2 Uses TomTom maps

Not freeware; so it shouldn't be on this list (7 day free trial only) CON: After timing out, the program simply refused to run (so I deleted it) PRO: POIs and street addresses are available offline PRO: Phone numbers in POIs (and they're callable from the map app) PRO: Locates POIs in the defined route, even offline. CON: The next turn isn't shown until you're only a couple miles away!

b. MapsWithMe: Maps With Me Lite, OSM data

I can't think of a single thing good about this program. CON: Doesn't route; doesn't talk; doesn't do anything but show your postion. CON: Crippleware does not have a search capability CON: Half the icons on the front map don't work in the crippleware. CON: Phones home by default unless you turn it off in the settings.

c. Telenav: Scout, v1.6.1.7610003

Complains "Unable to reach server" Hint: Remove Sim card before installing & give it a bogus phone number.

d. CloudMade: MapDroyd, v2.0.4, OSM data

I can't think of anything good to say about this map application CON: Really really really slow map drawing (I'm not sure why). CON: Can't route; can't talk.

e. 66: Navigate 6, v5.13.46.DB3B2C1.73F9DB5

Uses TomTom maps; routing is not free & maps time out in 30 days

f. Prodevelop: gvSIG Mini Maps, v1.2.3 PRO: The route "to here" usability should be a nice feature CON: The program crashed on me so many times I gave up. CON: The maps wouldn't start downloading (and they were only tiles anyway)

g. Google Waze PRO: Crowd-source up-to-date traffic information CON: Does not work offline, so it was not tested

h. Mictale: GPS Essentials, v3.2.9

Automatically caches map tiles that you specifically have looked at. PRO: Bills itself as the Swiss Army Knife of GPS applications CON: You only see gray area for map tiles you haven't cached. CON: Confusing interface. I just can't get it to do what I want.

i. Code Sector: Maverick Lite, v2.2, OSM & MapQuest & Microsoft & others

Maps are great! (Microsoft & MapQuest at least) PRO: Address search is pretty good but only works online. PRO: Once you've found an address, you can auto-open in another program! INF: It's good mapping software but I don't see any routing at all? CON: Crippleware won't search POIs but will allow Lat/Lon entry. CON: Won't save anything for future use other than saved wavepoints. CON: Can't do an address search offline. CON: Doesn't cache maps offline all that well (unreliable).

j. Ulmon, City Maps 2Go, v3.8.0.14, Database = OSM

The maps are readable and the POI search is easy to use CON: Does not route! (Will only *show* your position on the map) CON: Limited to 5 free maps but California itself has 58 counties! CON: Crashed dozens of times on my Android 4.3 Samsung Galaxy S3

These *hiking apps* were tested off road off trail offline: a. Google MyTracks, v2.0.5

Gorgeous and accurate topo maps PRO: Tracks easily. PRO: Exports KML nicely. PRO: Nice distance, elevation, speed, time plots. CON: Can't zoom to the level that you want to for off-trail hiking.

b. Atlogis, US Topo Maps Free, v1.1.0

You can pinch-zoom to the level that you need for offtrail hiking. CON: Maps are older versions of USGS paper maps (not the newest versions). CON: GUI for creating tracks and exporting them is not intuitive.

c. Asamm, Locus Free, v2.17.4

You can pinch-zoom to the level that you need for offtrail hiking. PRO: Shows GPS coordinates at all times CON: Ads are a bit intrusive compared to the other free offline maps

[DerbyDad03]

...Lots of good info snipped...

Can you explain the purpose of an offline map routing program?

I use the Google Navigation app and my issue isn't data usage, it's how badly the GPS sucks the life out of the battery.

What is the advantage of an offline navigation app?

BTW...I was in NYC for a business trip last year. While walking through Central Park, I saw a sign for an app that allowed you to take a walking tour of the park, with GPS. It opens with a map of the park, and when you choose My Location it pinpoints where you are in the park, right down to the walking path level. Well, a few months later SWMBO and I were walking through a park while on vacation in California. We came to a T in the path we weren't sure which way to go. I opened the Central Park app, which opened with a map of Central Park, as expected. I tapped My Location and the map changed to our exact location and we figured out which way to go. Since that time I've used the app a number of times when walking in unfamiliar locations.

[Art Todesco]

Offline map routing is used if you don't have a data plan or you are in an area with no cell service. You typically get the map before leaving, using wifi.

Yes, that's true. But that's what car chargers are used for. If I'm going to use it for a long time, I plug in.

[Danny D'Amico]

Hi SMS, Long time, no see. (Someday, we should meet, face to face, mano e mano)...

Anyway ...

I know Lawrence Expressway rather well, having worked at NSM in my earlier days, over by Kifer. I agree. Nobody would call it G2, just like nobody in California seems to know what a mile marker is nor what an exit number is (nor the direction that all exits count in). They *do* call it "the" 101, though. :)

Regarding the tools ...

That you sprung for CoPilot is interesting, as, it's the *only* one tested worth paying for (IMHO), since, the Navteq maps are great; and hthe POIs work offline nicely so do the phone numbers integrate nicely with the phone (try that you dedicated portable GPS units!); and the CoPilot routing allows easy alternates from the start. You can even *drag* routes with your fingers!

The only thing lacking in the CoPilot freeware is the TTS and Voice Guidance.

SMS: I have one bit of confusion about CoPilot speech. It seemed to me, that during my 14-day trial, it only spoke spoken directions (i.e., turn left, turn right, etc.); but not TTS road names (i.e., turn left onto G2, turn right onto Lawrence Expressway, etc.).

Can you confirm that the payware CoPilot does both the spoken directions (aka "voice guidance") and spoken street names (aka Text-to-Speech)?

Danny

PS: The Pool Guys, in Saratoga, changed their chlorine policy due to HASA changing the way they reimbursed them ... (I tried to hail you on that when it happened.) It's now buy 6 gallons, get two free (plus coupon incentives). FYI ...

[Danny D'Amico]

To do map routing when (a) you don't have a data plan, or (b) when you're far from a cellular signal.

I don't have a data plan on my cell phone.

So I have to be a bit more clever about how to get my map directions once I get passed, oh, about the end of my driveway.

Agreed. GPS sucks that power, making my phone hot!

I have to keep my Samsung Galaxy S3 on the cigarette lighter

3.1 Amp dual-port USB charger when the GPS is turned on; otherwise, that puny battery is dead within a couple of hours.

Only two that I can think of: a) Works for people (like me) who don't have a data plan b) Works when you're out in the boondocks

You have to try the Google "My Tracks" hiking app! It's really nice for topographical hikes, like those SMS and I have out here in the mountains.

[Danny D'Amico]

Yup. He said it better than I did.

Luckily, for almost all the offline apps, the entire state of California is a single one-time download.

There's one other advantage, but it's not due to the offline nature. Most of the offline-map programs are OSM. OSM maps can be modified by you. If you like tinkering with your maps, maybe the OSM maps are the way to go.

Indeed. I researched car chargers, and, after testing a few, I only suggest the dual-port 3.1 Amp chargers. You can't go by price (e.g., Apple single-port 2.1 Amp chargers cost twice what I paid for my 3.1 Amp dual-port charger).

The reason for the funny amperage numbers is that an Ipad takes 2.1 Amps while most heavy duty smart phones take about 700mA to about 1 Amp.

So, a 3.1 Amp charger is typically a 2.1 Amp port plus a 1 Amp port.

Caveat: Watch out when you buy the USB car charger. The lousy ones are really sneaky about how they define the amperage as "total" amperage, which means that, even if it has two ports, you can't get the advertised amperage unless you use only one of those two ports and leave the other one empty.

As always, price is no indication of quality. You have to know what you are buying ... caveat emptor.

[Danny D'Amico]

This is a good point, which, I, not having a data plan (and therefore, never having worried about data usage), didn't realize until you had said that.

Q: Why bother with offline GPS freeware mapping programs? A: Saves on data usage if you don't have an unlimited data plan. A: Works when you have no data plan. A: Works when you have no cellular signal.

Q: What's the disadvantage of offline free GPS mapping programs? A: You have to be more clever about your choices. A: You have to download the state (or country) map online. A: Most aren't as accurate as Google Maps is. A: Most aren't as easy to use as Google Maps is.

Q: What's the advantage of these GPS mapping applications? A: Some have features that Google Maps doesn't have. For example, A: Some can search in the direction of the destination. A: Some allow dragging of routes & alternate route choices A: Almost all have more settings than does Google Maps A: Most display more information than does Google Maps (although Google Maps has perhaps the most intuitive display) A: Some (e.g., Sygic) have really really pretty displays!

Having said that, Google Maps is the standard by which all offline map programs must be compared, even as Google Maps is almost useless offline, except as preloaded static tiles.

[The Real Bev]

If you don't use the phone much, T-Mobile gives you a pre-paid plan for $10/year which gives you ~30 additional minutes which roll over every year once you've bought $100 worth of time. Talkatone gives you VOIP to any ordinary phone as long as you have wifi (that doesn't block VOIP, of course). Not good for compulsive babblers, of course, but perfect for people who only make "I'll be there in 5 minutes, don't leave" etc. calls. I've got something like 700 minutes and I'll get 30 more in February. My greatest fear is that T-Mobile will be absorbed by somebody who eliminates the $10 plan :-(

I can run GPS on my BLU Dash 4.5 all day. I hate seeing remaining battery power less than 50%, but it's not a problem as long as I can recharge it overnight.

Worst problem is the minimal internal storage and refusal to use the external card to store/run apps :-(

I tried using that, but it seemed to drop out quite a bit. 'GPS Status' seems to help maintain GPS contact, as well as showing which satellites are being used, but I have no explanation for why that might be.

Real nuisance to have to wait for the first fix, which takes between 2 and 5 minutes :-(

[Danny D'Amico]

I just opened up my CoPilot trialware which confirmed your $7 "Holiday Sale" but I have a question, being a frugal consumer.

The offer doesn't explicitly state "TTS" (text to speech) road names. It talks about "voice guidance".

In the past, I've been burned by buying, for example, the Magellan Roadmate, which had the one but not the other; and I had to buy a Garmin nüvi just to get both.

So, I learned, if the box does not explicitly state TTS spoken street names, then the "voice guidance" isn't as useful.

Having said that, here's the exact words of the offer, which, to me, imply they don't have TTS spoken road names for that $7.

Worse yet, they "imply" that the $7 is for a one-year license only - albeit - I have to infer that from the blurb below ...

--- begin verbatim --- transcribed off my Android phone --- Holiday Sale - Up to 30% off CoPilot Start the New Year Headed in the Right Direction! Wherever you or your loved ones are driving in 2014, CoPilot's got you covered. With quality offline maps stored on your phone/tablet, and clear turn-by-turn directions, you cna navigate safely into the New Year.

30% off select CoPilot Premium apps from now until January 6th!

CoPilot GPS customers - Get 30% off (that's just $6.99!) unlimited use of voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation and

3D maps from now until January 6th!

Happy Holidays

--- end verbatim --- transcribed off my Android phone ---

[Danny D.]

I've had that T-Mobile plan in the past, and it's pretty good.

In fact, I had Verizon for my first (analog) phone, and, used Verizon for years - that is - until they thought it was funny to restart my 2-year contract under different terms simply because I had a broken phone swapped out under their repair plan.

So, I had moved to AT&T - whom I had for a few years - until they thought it was funny to charge me for a data plan I didn't want on what they arbitrarily call a smart phone.

So, I moved to T-Mobile, and have been using them ever since, without a data plan, and buying my smart phones on the net. I've studied them extensively, and know exactly which Android phones are the best value under $200 total cost brand new, taking into account variant system memory, RAM, display, and CPU power:

- Nexus 4 (at the $200 price drop)

- Moto G (orders taking now)

- LG Optimus L9

- LG Optimus F3

T-Mobile also allows automatic WiFi calling when you're at home, but you need a good antenna inside the house (which is the topic of a different thread on alt.internet.wireless that I'll tell you the punch line, which is the Ubiquiti UniFy access point:

I have Talkatone but the only time *I* use it is when my niece, studying overseas, uses it to call from her cell phone to mine. College kids always know how to save money!

When I switched from AT&T to T-Mobile, I was worried AT&T would swallow T-Mobile and we'd lose the ability to to not have to have a data plan!

[sms]

I was at NSM for many years too, 1993-2000. And I never use "the." I'm not from Southern California.

Interesting you should mention that because I found that on my tablet it speaks street names and my phone it doesn't. I need to check that again as perhaps a recent update removed the TTS.

[krw]

I just discovered (having driven 600mi yesterday) that even on-line routing doesn't require cell service the entire route. It seems to download the maps needed for the entire trip at the beginning. My cell phone doesn't connect to the data network when it's plugged into USB. I didn't pay attention and plugged in the power before waiting for it to connect to the cell network so didn't have a data connection all day. I still had navigation the entire trip, though.

Sure. The more the phone does, the more power it sucks down. Data service and the display are big power consumers. My phone won't last a half hour in navigation mode if it's not connected to power.

Doesn't require *any* data connection. The maps are self-contained, just like a stand-alone GPS unit.

[Danny D'Amico]

What program were you using for that navigation?

If it was Google Maps, it can route, if you start with routing, but it can't change that route, nor do a POI or address search once you're on the route.

If it's some other program, it might have the state map already downloaded, which is what all the offline programs do.

[Danny D'Amico]

Hmmm... I didn't realize data service consumes power.

Are you sure about that?

Certainly, on my Samsung Galaxy S3, the GPS consumes the power so much that the battery won't last 2 hours with GPS running and no external source of power.

[Danny D'Amico]

Yup!

In a couple of years, I can't imagine Garmin, TomTom, & Magellan still selling tons of dedicated GPS units.

They'll need to either go where the money is (e.g., aviation, military, commercial, automotive assembly, etc.), or, write kick-butt Android/iPhone apps.

I can imagine the marketing guys saying "We don't want to go the way of Kodak, now do we?" ...

[Danny D'Amico]

I was in building D. I won't say no' more, otherwise the NSA will be on to me ... Too bat TI took 'em over ... and Burr Brown ... sigh. All the analog icons ... dead. Turned into CAD departments. :)

[Danny D'Amico]

Interesting.

I scanned the CoPilot advertisement, and, it *might* be that you have to pay *twice* to get *both* the spoken directions and street names.

It seems, but I'm not sure, that the spoken directions come first, and, then, if you pay more? ... Then you get the spoken street names.

It's all so confusing ...

What I *do* know is that, in my first 14 days of testing CoPilot on Android, it did NOT speak street names. It only spoke directions.

voice guidance => turn left in 500 feet TTS => turn left in 500 feet onto Lawrence Expressway

[krw]

The Google (I think) app that comes on my (Verizon) Droid Razr.

I checked the route beforehand and knew where I was going. No need to update it. Well, until I got is "lost" out in the middle of Southern Illinois. Dumb program! YOY do they even *think* about routing people, driving cross-country, down one-lane county cow paths?!

No, just the normal maps. I was worried about losing data connection in the middle. Turns out that it doesn't matter if you're not changing anything. The point being that "online" navigation isn't as fragile as I (and many others, I'm sure) suspected. It works quite well (above exception noted).

[krw]

Sure, if it's transferring data, it's consuming power. The processor is also working harder.

GPS, alone, shouldn't take that much power. My next phone (probably at the end of next month) will be a RAZR MAXX, for that reason, though.

[krw]

Already been done.

Any company, if it doesn't reinvent itself will go that way. The question is when, and are they willing to compete against themselves (and their sacred, i.e. milk, cows) to delay the inevitable.