Top GPS Software Solutions for HTC Phones with Windows Mobile
If you’d go today in a gadget store to buy a HTC phone, you will notice that almost every model features an incorporated GPS receiver. Starting with 2009, High Tech Corp has merely produced any phones or pda’s without a GPS module. So as you can see, the hardware part is all set up and good to go for our long journey, but I can’t figure it out why most HTC models, don’t come with a preinstalled, good working GPS software.
The process of buying a HTC like this: you go to the store, buy your GPS HTC phone and when arriving home, you notice that the GPS module is not functional. Let’s take for example a very well sold model, the HTC Touch HD also known as HTC Blackstone.
While looking at the technical specs we see that there is a mention of a built-in GPS module, but not a word of any GPS software. This is why we decided to write this article. We’ve been spending hours and hours testing various GPS software on HTC phones and decided to post some short opinions and brief recommendations for those of you who want to use their Windows Mobile HTC as a GPS Navigator.
Here are the GPS solutions we’ve considered to be most important and fiable for users of Windows Mobile HTC’s:
1. Nav N Go iGo8 – is a GPS Navigation Software developed by Hungary-based Nav N Go Kft. It was designed for Windows Mobile™ based PDA’s and Smartphones. This gps software should be compatible to any HTC phone, no matter if it has a touch screen or not. Take care how you use it though, this litte software eats lots of resources and may work a bit slow with on older HTC Phones. It is important to close any other unnecesarry applications, while using iGo 8.
The iGo Maps cover 43 european countries. Using it in Western Europe won’t be any problem, if you travel to any eastern european country, don’t expect full accuracy from the maps. Some other think I found very annoying is the lack of postal code support. Finding an address by entering it’s postal code isn’t one of iGo’s features. In spite of all this, the application has remained one of the most popular gps software for Windows Mobile users and as specially for HTC’s.
Now here is the really bad news: Nav N Go iGo8 isn’t available anymore. Yes, the produser has decided to remove it from the market, announcing an even better gps software: iGo My Way. So there’s nothing left to do for now, except for to find another gps so
lution.
2. CoPilot Live – Though most of the GPS software developers have lately focused their attention off Windows Mobile, CoPilot is one of the few softwares that is still being regullary updated and improved. Costing about £59.99 offers high performante, a very accurate location and route planing and for this remains one of the top gps software for htc.
Comparing to iGo Nav n Go, CoPilot supports postal code tracking. Navigation takes place in a very pleasant way on the streets of London. We haven’t tested eastern european maps yet, but as soon as we do, we’ll let you know if CoPilot features more detailed maps of the streets.
3. NDrive - is a portuguese brand of gps equipment, to which we haven’t developed any special relation yet. GPS users rumour that NDrive is the leading gps software when it comes to reproducing the real world accurately. And some of the application’s features speak in favor if this thesis: NDrive features 3D views of landmarks, offers aerial photos and highly intuitive comands.
4. TomTom Navigator - leading manufacturer of navigation systems in Europe is a dutch company. They released their latest GPS software in June 2008 – first designed and featured on the HTC Touch Magic. Few weeks after HTC Magic’s launch, TomTom Navigator 7 was released, compatible to non-touch screen devices as well.
Though the company is market leader in Europe, TomTom Navigator has proved to be less efficient than other gps softwares. For more infos read this comparison.
So, iGo, CoPilot Live, NDrive and TomTom we’ve considered to be the most important gps software to be installed on htc phones featuring Windows Mobile. There are some other solutions, we’ve heard very little about. But we’d like to mention them here and hopefully review them as soon as possible.
6. Route 66
If you think we forgot to mention some major gps software producer, feel free to add your suggestions to the comment box below.
