Sprint Navigation 2.1.10 vs Telenav 5.1.16 vs Garmin Mobile XT 5.00.20wp on the TP

[darnell]

I've always heard people speak of how they prefer one navigation package versus another. I wanted to try and list a feature comparison for some I've used. Maybe some of you who have used these 3 might care to mention things that could be added to this list. So below are a list of features and whether one of the 3 supports it.

Spoken directions:
Sprint Navigation: Yes and even speaks street names (Example "Turn left on Johnson street")
Telenav: Yes and even speaks street names (Example "Turn left on Johnson street")
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes, but does not speak street names, just says "turn left in .2 miles".

Graphics all sized well for the Touch Pro VGA screen:
Sprint Navigation: No, some buttons are too small. Lots of "jaggies" around graphics.
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Data connection required:
Sprint Navigation: Yes, maps and all information sent over the air.
Telenav: Yes, maps and all information sent over the air.
Garmin Mobile XT: No, maps stored on MicroSD card. Information can be looked up via data connection if in data range.

Traffic conditions provided:
Sprint Navigation: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Weather information provided:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Able to save current location:
Sprint Navigation: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Area fuel Prices:
Sprint Navigation: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Search for stores, shops, banks, etc.:
Sprint Navigation: Yes, via Telenav search utility.
Telenav: Yes, via Telenav search utility.
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes, via Google Local Search.
(Garmin Mobile XT has Google local search fully integrated.)

Photos of area and attractions:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes, via Panoramio Photos.
(Garmin Mobile XT has Panoramio Photos fully integrated.)

Flight Status information:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Speedometer:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Can display names of area parks, bodies of water, etc.:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Soft Qwerty:
Sprint Navigation: Yes, uses your default soft qwerty.
Telenav: Yes, uses your default soft qwerty.
Garmin Mobile XT: No, has a built in alphabet sorted soft keyboard.

Detours:
Sprint Navigation: Can only detour based on avoiding a specified section of a provided route.
Telenav: Can only detour based on avoiding a specified section of a provided route.
Garmin Mobile XT: Can detour based on avoiding a specified section of a provided route and also detour for a specified number of miles.

Pocket Outlook Contacts Integration:
Sprint Navigation: One way, from Contacts you can select "Drive to" or "Map it" to open in Sprint Navigation. But Sprint Navigation cannot open your contacts.
Telenav: No, no integration with contacts at all.
Garmin Mobile XT: Two way. From Contacts you can select "Route to It" or "View on Map" to open in Garmin. Also, from within Garmin Mobile XT, you can open your contacts, select one to drive to or even manage contacts. You can also add an address that was entered into Garmin to your Contacts.

Home button, one button for route to get home:
Sprint Navigation: No, you can make your home address one of your "favorites" but must find it in the favorites list when you want a route to get home.
Telenav: No, you can make your home address one of your "favorites" but must find it in the favorites list when you want a route to get home.
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes.

Detailed GPS data, such as number of sats and signal strength:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Where Am I:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes, offers details about your current location via the "Where Am I" button.
("Where Am I" is not like saving your current location, but tells details about exactly where you are.)

Adustible route styles, for highways, avoid highways, pedestrian, etc.:
Sprint Navigation: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Apparent in motion lag? Does the software show what it actually knows of your location (which results in a noticeable lag when in motion) or does it seem to show where you actually are via predicting your forward progress?:
Sprint Navigation: Seems to show where it knows you are and so it always appears to be a little behind your actual location.
Telenav: Always seems to show exactly where you are. Either it is predicting forward progress to keep it more apparently accurate to the user or it updates maps at some crazy fast rate.
Garmin Mobile XT: Seems to show where it knows you are and so it always appears to be a little behind your actual location.
(I found Sprint Navigation and Garmin Mobile XT to be about equal in this regard. Telenav however it does it, the icon for you is always right where you actually are. This is based on my personal experience with these 3.)

Copy from other applications and paste into navigation app via CTRL-V:
Sprint Navigation: Yes
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: No
(Thanks to jaminmc for this one.)

Can talk on phone while navigating:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes
(Thanks to slypher for this one.)

Space bar repeats last spoken instruction:
Sprint Navigation: Yes
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: No

Audible instructions mentions 2 turns in the same sentence when they are close together (such as "turn left and then turn right" when the turns are very near each other):
Sprint Navigation: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes
(Originally, I didn't think Garmin Mobile XT does this, but then found during a drive that it does do it. But it seems Telenav and Sprint Navigation do it more often. In my opinion, Sprint Navigation and Telenav handle this feature a little better than Garmin Mobile XT.)

Night mode. Automatically adjusted graphics after sun down for easier night driving:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Displays road speed limit on highways and some surface streets:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes. (This along with Garmin's speedometer are a big benefit. Assuming Garmin's speed limit display for a given road has not been changed before Garmin could update.)

Displays previously visited locations on driving map when driving by them, using the name given to them. Example, if you previously navigated to a place you named "Tony's house" when passing that place again when going somewhere else, it displays a special note on the map when passing "Tony's house" every time.:
Sprint Navigation: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes.

Stops giving directions once destination is reached?:
Sprint Navigation: No, if you go to the destination and keep driving it keeps giving directions.
Telenav: No, if you go to the destination and keep driving it keeps giving directions.
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes, once a destination is reached it stops giving directions for that destination.

If the navigation program is fully exited before reaching a plotted destination, will the program continue trying to plot to that prior destination when reopened? Until either the destination is reached or told to stop.:
Sprint Navigation: No, once exited when reopened it no longer gives directions to a prior destination unless a new session to navigate there is entered.
Telenav: No, once exited when reopened it no longer gives directions to a prior destination unless a new session to navigate there is entered.
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes, automatically continues with directions to prior destination.

Map provider:
Sprint Navigation: NAVTEQ
Telenav: NAVTEQ
Garmin Mobile XT: NAVTEQ
(I called Telenav at + 1 88 TeleNav 4 (1-888-353-6284) and they say they get their maps from NAVTEQ. I know this is a disputed claim, but Telenav says they get their maps from NAVTEQ and still only use NAVTEQ. At least that's what they told me when I called and asked them on 4/19/2009.)

Storage Card:
Sprint Navigation: Not required. No storage card is used, because all maps are pulled via the data connection.
Telenav: Not required. No storage card is used, because all maps are pulled via the data connection.
Garmin Mobile XT: Uses a proprietary MicroSD card, that must be used with the navigation software.

Price:
Sprint Navigation: Bundled with Sprint Everything Plans.
Telenav: Available for temporary free trail, but costs an additional $9.99/month for TeleNav Track Basic Plan.
Garmin Mobile XT: Can be purchased online for about $80-$100. I got it off Amazon.com for a little less than $80.

Well those are just some I've found and felt were worth noting. We can add more to this initial post as needed. I may try IGuidance and add it to the list too.

Overall, I find Garmin Mobile XT to be the best between Garmin, Sprint Navigation and Telenav. I feel the list of available features above explains why. It best suits my needs. With Garmin Mobile XT though, I did have one case where it sent me about a half mile in the wrong direction for a destination. This has only happened once. On that one occasion, I opened Telenav and it got me exactly to the destination. Other than cases of that sort, I'll be using Garmin Mobile XT.

I've found, that it seems Garmin Mobile XT always knows the correct side of the street a destination is on. Telenav and Sprint Navigation often call out the wrong side of the street. Not a very big deal, but knowing the correct side to look for something helps.

[jaminmc]

For Sprint Navigation 2.1.10 vs Telenav 5.1.16, I noticed that Sprint Navigation allows you to paste with CTRL-V, and Telenav just puts a square on the screen when you try to paste... SO I installed Sprint Navigation back.

[darnell]

Originally Posted by jaminmc

For Sprint Navigation 2.1.10 vs Telenav 5.1.16, I noticed that Sprint Navigation allows you to paste with CTRL-V, and Telenav just puts a square on the screen when you try to paste... SO I installed Sprint Navigation back.

Good one! I've added it to the list.

New additions are going in just above "Price".

[slypher]

I would also choose Garmin out of the options listed for the simple fact that you can't be on the phone with the others, however, the lag is way past usable for me.

Its around the 4 second mark, which, when you are moving 60+ MPH, will easily get you lost.

-s

[darnell]

Originally Posted by slypher

I would also choose Garmin out of the options listed for the simple fact that you can't be on the phone with the others...

I've added that you can talk on the phone while using Garmin. Thanks. That's a big plus I forgot about. And actually one of the main reasons I use Garmin .

I've also added several other things that I thought of today. Not all favor Garmin.

Garmin's display lag has not yet gotten me lost, but I do think Telenav predicting ahead or however they show were you really are is a big plus for it.

[darnell]

I've added some more items that I thought of today. All added just before "Price".

[Dr.8820]

darnell, great work! i see you were serious when you said you"d get to the bottom of this navi thing lol! once again, great job! per our conversation, i might hold off on the hard reset seeing that 6.5 will be out soon and it's gonna blank everything anyway.

[darnell]

I guess I could add an item about "ease of uninstall" .

[Dr.8820]

Originally Posted by darnell

I guess I could add an item about "ease of uninstall" .

lol!!

[RicardoG]

Garmin XT uses the NAVTEQ database which seems to be more up to date than the Telenav database used in the other 2 options.