CoPilot Live 8.0.0.644 vs Telenav 5.5.43 vs Garmin Mobile XT 5.00.20wp on the HD2

[darnell]

This is similar to a comparison I did on the Touch Pro, but this time for the HD2 and navigation apps I've been trying out on it.
I wanted to try and list a feature comparison for some I've used and how they perform on the HD2. I'm using the T-Mobile (USA) HTC HD2. Maybe some of you who have used one of these applications on the HD2 might care to mention things that could be added to this list.

Also, it would be great if even more navigation apps were included. If someone wanted to list features for another that is not already listed, using what is below as a template, I could fold it into this post.

I'd like to get as many as possible listed, so HD2 owners can make an informed choice.

So below are a list of features, and whether one of the listed navigation applications supports it.

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WARNING, CoPilot has an ACTIVATION LIMIT. If you hard reset or ROM flash often and have to reinstall/reactivate over a set number of times the product will stop working. Some of us are running into this issue now and can no longer use CoPilot, because we're not paying again for something we already purchased and only reinstalled to the same device.

Read details here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=9265042#post9265042
I have never seen this sort of activation limit with any other product.
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Spoken directions:
CoPilot Live: Yes and even speaks street names (Example "Turn left on Johnson street") One of the customized voices has to be used to take advantage of the spoken street names.
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 HD2 screen:
CoPilot Live: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Pinch Zoom:
CoPilot Live: No
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: No

Accelerometer aware:
CoPilot Live: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: No, must put entire device into landscape mode for Garmin to work in landscape mode. Just turning the device sideways while having Garmin running will not make it change from portrait to landscape, it will just keep running in portrait mode.


Data connection required:
CoPilot Live: No, maps stored on MicroSD card, or internal memory if enough space is available for the maps being used. Additional information such as traffic data can be looked up via a data connection if in data range.
Telenav: Yes, maps and all information sent over the air.
Garmin Mobile XT: No, maps stored on MicroSD card. Additional information such as traffic data can be looked up via a data connection if in data range.

Traffic conditions provided:
CoPilot Live: Yes, via Premium Live Services
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Weather information provided:
CoPilot Live: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Able to save current location:
CoPilot Live: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Area fuel Prices:
CoPilot Live: Yes, via Premium Live Services
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Search for stores, shops, banks, etc.:
CoPilot Live: Yes, via Premium Live Services
Telenav: Yes, via Telenav search utility.
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes, via Goggle Local Search.
(Garmin Mobile XT has Goggle local search fully integrated.)

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

Flight Status information:
CoPilot Live: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Speedometer:
CoPilot Live: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Can display names of POIs (Points of Interest) in the on screen map when driving near them:
CoPilot Live: Yes
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Can display names towns, bodies of water, etc.:
CoPilot Live: No (While it can display names of POIs, if driving over a body of water or into a major city it does not display the name automatically in the on screen map.)
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes



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

Detours:
CoPilot Live: Can detour based on avoiding a specified section of a provided route, or just clicking the "Detour" button automatically devises an alternate 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:
CoPilot Live: One way, from within CoPilot you can search your Contacts and select one as your destination.
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, but it only adds the Garmin search string that the application uses for a destination. Garmin requires that it set it's own special marker for any destination from Outlook, before it will route a course to that destination.

Home button, one button for route to get home:
CoPilot Live: Yes
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:
CoPilot Live: Yes
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Adjustable route styles, for highways, avoid highways, pedestrian, etc.:
CoPilot Live: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

Means to repeat last spoken instruction:
CoPilot Live: Yes, just press the written on screen instruction
Telenav: Yes
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):
CoPilot Live: Yes
Telenav: Yes
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes

On screen turn signals can show more than one turn at a time when they are close:
CoPilot Live: Yes
Telenav: No, the map will display the turns if close enough, but the turn signal indicator graphic can only show one at a time.
Garmin Mobile XT: No, the map will display the turns if close enough, but the turn signal indicator graphic can only show one at a time.


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

Displays road speed limit on highways and some surface streets:
CoPilot Live: 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.:
CoPilot Live: No
Telenav: No
Garmin Mobile XT: Yes.

Stops giving directions once destination is reached?:
CoPilot Live: 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.:
CoPilot Live: Yes, automatically continues with directions to prior destination.
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:
CoPilot Live: ALK Digital Maps
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.)

Map updates:
CoPilot Live: Yes, you can read here for details.
Telenav: Yes, last time I checked I think they were updated quarterly.
Garmin Mobile XT: No. The maps in this app have been the same since the product was released in 2008. I asked Garmin support if they ever plan to update the maps and they told me there was no known plan to provide a map update or release any new version of this software.
UPDATE: There may be a way to update Garmin Mobile XT maps.

Storage Card:
CoPilot Live: Depending on how many maps you need, you can load them onto your personal MicroSD card or the device's internal memory. The software is unlocked within the application via a code provided, not any proprietary MicroSD card.
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:
CoPilot Live: CoPilot Live with North America maps is $29.99. Premium Live Services is an additional $19.99 for 12 months of that service. Map updates are always free for the most current version. Read details about the map update release schedule here.
Telenav: Available for temporary free trail, but costs an additional $9.99/month
Garmin Mobile XT: Can be purchased online for about $80-$100. I got it off Amazon.com for a little less than $80.

Personally, I'm preferring CoPilot, because it speaks street names, does not require a data connection, has up to date maps and gives traffic details for where I live. But Telenav and Garmin never seem to display traffic information for local Chattanooga, TN traffic incidents. Garmin and Telenav only seem to display traffic data when I'm driving in larger cities.

[JQuill]

EPIC review...thank you so much for this

[darnell]

Originally Posted by JQuill

EPIC review...thank you so much for this

You're very welcome.

I've added a "Pinch Zoom" entry, since Telenav has that and the others currently listed do not have that feature. I also had to quickly add that Telenav does now have the speedometer feature.

[rawhide85]

darnell- Thanks for the very infomative review. It is users like you that keep us returning to PPC.

[sumo911]

Nice post, OP! But why no love for iGo8? I have it running perfectly on my HD2!

[darnell]

Originally Posted by sumo911

Nice post, OP! But why no love for iGo8? I have it running perfectly on my HD2!

Hi sumo911,

Please read over some of the earlier sentances of the initial post again .

Here's a portion:

Originally Posted by darnell

...
I wanted to try and list a feature comparison for some I've used and how they perform on the HD2. I'm using the T-Mobile (USA) HTC HD2. Maybe some of you who have used one of these applications on the HD2 might care to mention things that could be added to this list.

Also, it would be great if even more navigation apps were included. If someone wanted to list features for another that is not already listed, using what is below as a template, I could fold it into this post.

I'd like to get as many as possible listed, so HD2 owners can make an informed choice.
...

I have not tried every WM navigation app and don't have time to. I hope you can help contribute to this, by providing information for iGo8, based on the list of features provided. And feel free to include additional features too, in a similar format as those already listed. And I'll include how the apps I know about perform in regards to any additional features you might mention. But I hope at least you might be able to provide iGo8 information for the features already listed.

Together, we can make this a great resource for anyone looking for an HD2 navigation application .

[sumo911]

Got it, Darnell. I do appreciate your effort. Im not sure about ALL the features of iGo8 either, but i do use it sometimes, and it does work pretty well. I also just come across a patch which allows pinch to zoom capability!

[SendIt]

Wow, I've been looking all around for some good reviews for GPS software for the HD2 and your is very thorough.

My gripe is with your last statement of preference of CoPilot. While yours seemed to be very positive I have read MANY MANY MANY complaints about CoPilot having 2 major problems that pretty much make or break a GPS program.

1) Very outdated maps. From what I've read many people couldn't even located their own address due to the maps not having their address available. We're not talking about 1 or 2 year old addresses rather 8-10 year neighborhoods or homes that simply weren't on CoPilot. Worse than that is that supposedly CoPilot has a bad reputation for coming out with outdated maps, never updating them and if there are update they are very minor and don't add to the appeal of the maps or software itself.

2) Routing. I have read that the way it tends to route certain addresses is too long. As if the AI or whatever it uses to route you just can't understand the best way to get somewhere. Adding sometimes hours and hours to what can be a lengthy trip already (say from one state to another).

I have to admit CoPilot is VERY tempting to get. It's cheap. Has lifetime map updates (although that is a debatable pro). Not RAM crazy. Easy interface, etc. Still though THOSE TWO issues that I have repeated read about worry me and I am currently researching if they are still problems or if they have been fixed. Just had to mention this because it seems you have the most up to date programs and you have made a choice for a program I haven't heard too many good things about. I just wonder what you think and if you feel my argument is right or not.

[darnell]

Hi SendIt and welcome to the site.

As far as CoPilot 8 maps go, I can say from my own personal experience, that I find the maps to be as up to date as I've found so far. I know they're clearly more current than Garmin Mobile XT maps. I can only speak for my own use, but I think they are keeping the maps well updated.

Regarding CoPilot 8 routing, I feel claims of being taken "hours and hours" out of the way to be very incorrect. Just based on my own use. I've driven drives that take hours with it and it always gave me a decent route, which was similar or the same as we knew to be best. I will say, no navigation app I've ever used beats Garmin's routing, but when the maps are not current even the best routing is not enough.

I think routing is a sightly subjective view, so I didn't include it in my first post. (Sometimes views on a best route differ.) But while I don't feel anything beats Garmin, I've found any time CoPilot has deviated from what might be optimal, the difference was small. Similar to small routing differences I've seen in Telenav.

From what I've read, CoPilot map updates are free so long as you're using the current version. I really don't know what might be done once something such as a "CoPilot 9" is released. I've only read that map update are free so long as CoPilot 8 is current, nothing more.

I can't speak for what CoPilot might have been in the past, but its latest version is working well for me today.

[SendIt]

I have to say I can't really think CoPilot is that great. I recently have been trying it, but I am also a user of Garmin Mobile XT and TomTom. One big gripe that might not be a big issue, but still leaves me asking "why?" is that you have to pay for live traffic, gas prices and TTS while other programs are doing this for free. While it's not a lot (20 dollars for a year) I can't say I can find WHY pay for this feature when everyone else provides most of this for free. As far as how the maps were, they are pretty normal. I like it. I like how the POIs are shown on the map. Runs well (Maybe even better than the other programs). My biggest plus for it IT SUPPORTS HD2. Somehow someone finally decided to officially support one of the best phones that HTC provides (why are the others not doing this?). They even made it so NaviPanel works with it (Tmobile HD2). I can say that it's very affordable for anyone looking for a simple GPS program for their HD2. I do recommend it, but obviously shop around and see what you want.