Re: Using a smartphone as Sat Nav

I use NAVMII which sounds similar to CoPilot in many respects. One advantage of NAVMII is that you can download maps of as many countries as you want without payment, up to the limit of your phone's storage capacity.

Once maps are downloaded, there is no need for any data connection. The only requirement is a GPS signal, and this is available just about everywhere these days.

As for 'hands free', I have a cheap mount which attaches to a dashboard grille and there is no need to touch the phone at any time.

Having said that, I usually use mine in my hand whilst my wife is driving, as she doesn't like my driving (silly woman)!

I agree about the drain on the battery, but I can plug mine into the cigarette lighter.

I might download CoPilot and see how it performs.

Re: Using a smartphone as Sat Nav

This is true here too BUT you can set your Android up to respond to voice commands so you never need to actually touch it.

There are even headsets (Car stereo systems) now that do the same thing ie you talk to them to turn on the radio, change channel, play music etc)

Having said that I use a separate sat nav though all my kid's cars come with them built in to the car system and they think I am rather old fashioned having a portable system.

Re: Using a smartphone as Sat Nav

Thanks for all your replies to the thread. I didn't realise that having a mobile phone to hand in a car was such a dodgy thing to do. I'd never use a mobile while driving but it sounds unbelievable that you could get stopped for just touching a phone.
I did tryout the mobile last night as a sat nav by driving to a place nearby and just listening to the instructions and having the mobile face down on the dashboard out of reach. It worked fine but not sure if it would be any good driving a long distance in an unfamiliar place though.

Re: Using a smartphone as Sat Nav

Hi

You just put the mobile in a mount on your windscreen.

You plug it into your cigarette lighter socket in the car.

You put in the address you wish to arrive at and away you go.

It will take you from a tiny village in Shropshire to a small village in Poland up against the Ukrainian Border with no problems.

Re: Using a smartphone as Sat Nav

Yes, in that respect the phone would be no different to a sat-nav.

Having said that, it wouldn't surprise me if the authorities outlawed them too one day.