Turn by turn directions in iOS 6 looks insane
- Thread starter chris
- Start date
Love the new nav with Maps. I used it a lot this weekend. It did go crazy on me once and started barking out directions left and right and didn't know where I was, but it's a beta so I forgave it. Other than that it's really nice.
I love that fact that it works on the lockscreen too.
I love that fact that it works on the lockscreen too.
Well, sometimes your iPhone will automatically lock after a certain amount of time. You'll see in the pic that the clock and slide to unlock are not in the way. Plus, it saves battery when you're driving down a long stretch of interstate and don't need to see the map. Just lock the phone and when you need it you can just wake the screen and the 'live' map is still there.
*For some reason I don't have the option to upload a picture to show you what I mean. What the heck? Im on my mac using safari.
*For some reason I don't have the option to upload a picture to show you what I mean. What the heck? Im on my mac using safari.
I always plug my phone into the car charger whenever navigating. The drives where I really need GPS are almost always longer than the battery would last, even if heavily conserved by keeping the screen locked.
Got a Rocketfish dual car charger for something like $15 at Best Buy some time ago. Has enough charging juice to power an iPad and an iPhone at the same time. One cable permanently attached to it, plus one USB port you can hook up a cable.
Also, I have had some experience comparing built in turn-by-turn and Navigon. If I ignore crashes, which seem to be rampant in both Maps and Navigon, I'd still have to give the nod to Navigon for accuracy and control. But that's to be expected from a seasoned, polished paid app. The free stuff is OK for getting the general idea, but it sometimes has me turning onto back roads to get to my destination, when the address is actually accessible right from a main road. If I didn't know that already, I'd probably be taking lots of "waitwaitwait there it was, screeeech" turns getting to my destinations.
I got lost in downtown Louisville once, and ended up taking a wrong turn into Indiana about three times, but I blame that on Louisville more than Maps...
Got a Rocketfish dual car charger for something like $15 at Best Buy some time ago. Has enough charging juice to power an iPad and an iPhone at the same time. One cable permanently attached to it, plus one USB port you can hook up a cable.
Also, I have had some experience comparing built in turn-by-turn and Navigon. If I ignore crashes, which seem to be rampant in both Maps and Navigon, I'd still have to give the nod to Navigon for accuracy and control. But that's to be expected from a seasoned, polished paid app. The free stuff is OK for getting the general idea, but it sometimes has me turning onto back roads to get to my destination, when the address is actually accessible right from a main road. If I didn't know that already, I'd probably be taking lots of "waitwaitwait there it was, screeeech" turns getting to my destinations.
I got lost in downtown Louisville once, and ended up taking a wrong turn into Indiana about three times, but I blame that on Louisville more than Maps...
There never was a map shown on the lock screen, so there is nothing to cover up. It is adding something that was not there before. Prior to iOS 6 if the iPhone locked all you saw was the standard slide-to-unlock screen (and notifications). Sure you would hear voice prompts if you had a turn-by-turn voice nav app running. But you could not see the app at all when the iPhone was locked. Now, with the new Maps app, you don't need to unlock for a quick glance at where you are and where you will need to turn next. That is a nice benefit in my opinion.
I don't know if other nav apps will be able to use the lock screen like that, but if not it gives the Maps app a little advantage in that area (for me).
The other thing, and again I don't know if other maps apps will be able to do it, is the banner that is displayed below the title bar while in other apps or at the home screen. It's a nice touch that will allow you to get back to the Maps app directly, and even display upcoming turns.
Ironically as I was testing Navigon to make sure it too didn't have the banner or lockscreen info (it doesn't) I ran into something that happens on an infrequent but still annoying basis: it claims it does not have enough of a GPS signal to navigate so only offers simulation mode. I can't recall a single time that the stock Maps app--old or new--has done that. Also, if you have a simulation mode, why the heck can't I use that when I want to?
Michael
I guess having the screen shut down while navigating would increase battery life if it's not plugged in to a power source. That would be the only advantage for me but I always keep my phone plugged in when using Navigon so I have no need for the screen to shut off and go to lockscreen. Having to reach down, push the home button, slide to unlock, (enter unlock code?) would be too inconvenient when driving. I would have to stop the vehicle. I'd prefer to just have the Nav app up the whole time and not have to deal with too many steps to bring it back up.
That was my point: you don't have to do any of those steps with the new Maps app: press the home button and, voila, there is the info that you need at a glance. I see that as a nice feature. Any nav app that isn't able to do that will be at a disadvantage, at least for me.
As for leaving the screen on, there is no way--that I can find--to do that within Navigon. Therefore I would have to dive into the Settings app, turn off auto-lock globally, then (hopefully) remember to turn it back on when I arrive. I won't do that, as I have been burned by forgetting to turn it back on, ending up with a very dead battery. (Really, the iPhone/iPad need to have separate auto-lock settings for when on battery or while charging. Laptops have had this for like what, 82 years now?)
When driving I generally have to use the iPhone for phone calls too, so even if I forced the screen to stay on I'd have to get back to the app. All that said I rarely look at the screen when driving, relying mostly on voice prompts. One thing I would like for the new Maps app--and any other nav app--is to recognize when a call is in place and cut the voice prompts down to a minimum. I was on the phone last week and I swear it would not shut up for a good 30 seconds or more. Hard explaining to someone else that you can't hear them because the GPS is having a case of verbal diarrhea that they cannot hear. For the record I don't remember if I was using the new Maps app or Navigon at the time.
Michael
Yes if connected to power and if you never leave the app. The new Maps app is the same way. But that only works if you don't use your iPhone for anything else. If you do that and don't return to the nav app the iPhone locks, even connected to power. The difference, however, is that with the new Maps app you don't need to unlock to check on where you are and where you need to turn next. With Navigon--and any other nav app--you do.
Maybe I didn't understand your question: "Why would anyone want the clock and slide to unlock overlays in the way of the map?" So let me turn it around, why wouldn't you want that feature? I can't see a downside to it.
Michael
I understand where you're coming from and see it as an additional feature. I just wished it worked better. It always takes me the long way to my destination. I'm hoping the add some features to tailor the route like a true navigational app. Similar to the navigation on Android or a dedicated nav app from the AppStore.
I am hoping that third-party apps can integrate like the new maps app does. Sadly, I doubt that will happen.
It was nice the other day to just use Siri and say "take me home" and without having to even respond again she started navigating.
Michael
That's a pretty neat new hidden iOS 6 feature. She busted out of the iPhone and took the wheel?
Well, yes. But only after hopping over to the Starbucks app and whipping me up a frap.That's a pretty neat new hidden iOS 6 feature. She busted out of the iPhone and took the wheel?
Michael
So I guess that voice turn by turn won't be for iPhone 4, just the 4s. Sad there is not that much that separates the two phones.
Not for me either, though I have not tested it much on beta 3.
I did drive to Huntington Beach, CA and back this weekend though using Maps on beta 2. I must admit I was let down several times. Coming back it directed me to the right freeway, but wrong direction, then got confused over how to recover. A few times it completely weirded out: it would tell me to exit the freeway at an exit a few miles ahead--when I was supposed to be on the freeway much longer--then suddenly recovered when I did not exit the freeway. Once it recovered before passing the exit it had early said I needed to exit at. Weird.
Fortunately in the LA area there are countless alternatives so it didn't cost me much time. However, I did use Navigon for a while to be safe.
I also keep trying Waze and it is growing on me. It does notify about incidents and saved me from getting stuck in a jam due to a just-happened accident. Checking on reports, and reporting, is starting to become an addiction lol.
Michael
Now that Google Earth beat Apple to the punch with the 3D maps, what do you think Apple will do to separate themselves again. It seems Google has stolen Apple's thunder because that was one of Apple's biggest announcement for iOS 6. It also seems that Google started this feature long before Apple because they have a lot of cities and landmarks that are already in 3D. It doesn't seem to be working on my iPhone.
N7 Google Earth of Downtown Jacksonville
iPhone 4S Google Maps. Only the shadows of the buildings are visible.
N7 Google Earth of Downtown Jacksonville
iPhone 4S Google Maps. Only the shadows of the buildings are visible.