Is there much point in a standalone sat nav these days?

JustAnotherSaver

DoaM said:

My car has satnav built in, but I still use Google Maps ... using the exact same screen by connecting my phone via Android Auto.

Whenever i end up replacing my car i'll probably end up not keeping the existing head unit and instead switching to one with Apple Car Play or Android Auto depending on which phone i have at the time. I've had an iPhone since 2010 so that doesn't sound as costly & changing-every-5-minutes as it might.

DoaM

Most cars will support both Apple and Android versions. Some car brands may charge extra to enable Apple Car Play (due to Apple's licensing requirements).

Nick_C

I used Google Maps for a 3000 mile / 4 week road trip in the USA.  Downloaded the maps in advance.  Worked a treat.
Hired a car recently that supported Android Auto.  Worked brilliantly with Google Maps.

I have a TomTom which still works but I haven't used it for years.  I have a spare Android phone without a sim card (£100 cheapy) which I use as a Sat Nav, music player, TV remote for the Roku/Now TV boxes, and controlling Hive.

RumRat

The question only applies to those who have an older car, as said previously, all new cars have Android Auto or similar built in. Mine has it's own dedicated satnav (which is pretty good) and also AA. I use Waze via AA for long journeys purely for the information it supplies.
All that said, should I have to go back to an older vehicle I would still use the phone over a dedicated satnav. As far as the screens go, I doubt there are many satnavs out there with a bigger screen than my phone.

JustAnotherSaver

I don't like these new big/plus/super/ultra phones. For me, things like tablets and laptops are for the home, not for carrying around in your hand.

I was looking at the iPhone 11 range as an option (have since decided against it). Price wise i'd be looking at the base iPhone 11 as while it's still dear enough as it is, i think paying over a grand for a phone is just nuts. But then if i was on an obscene amount of money i suppose my opinion may be different. I'm on a mere mortals wage so it's not. Thing is though, the iPhone 11 would be no good to me - it's too large. I'd be looking at the Pro, which is a bit backwards in that it's smaller, but more expensive. I can't justify the price so it's a no from me.

Again, until the day where i earn or have an obscene amount of money, i'll likely never own a car that isn't considered 'old'. I bought my car over 10 years ago when it was 7 years old at the time. I paid £1,400. It's not really cost me anything beyond basic tyres, brakes etc. The past 12-24 months the repairs that have been needed have come more frequently but before that barely anything needed doing. I oil change every 6 months and do other filters on their intervals.

Compare that, including initial car outlay, to what the next man spent on his 'new' car over the same time period.

RumRat

Bit of a thread drift there......Just to add, you can buy budget phones with large screens. As long as it fits into my pocket, it's fine.

shaun_from_Africa

JustAnotherSaver said:

With the way Google Maps has come along over the years, is there really much point in a dedicated sat nav these days?

For some people (including me), a standalone sat nav is ideal if you don't have one built into your car.
The Garmin I have came with lifetime updates so like Google maps, it's pretty much always up to date but more importantly for me, I can leave it in my car and even if I forget to put it out of view, it's just about worthless so if someone was tempted to nick it, I wouldn't be too bent out of shape.

JustAnotherSaver

RumRat said:

Bit of a thread drift there......

It can happen with a discussion.

Just to add, you can buy budget phones with large screens.

My issue while both size and price seems to be more about the size. I can be more flexible on the price than i can on the phone size.

Seems every man and his dog appear to want a huge phone these days. Not me. Has to be easy in the hand, not awkward.

DoaM

shaun_from_Africa said:

The Garmin I have came with lifetime updates ...

... until Garmin decide that your model is now too old to support so it's "life" has ended.

JustAnotherSaver

To keep my posts totally on topic rather than drifting off on to the size of your device....

For those who use Waze and Google Maps, and especially for those who use or have used both ..... why do you use one over the other?

With Waze for example, i notice it tells me the speed i'm travelling and tells me off if i'm speeding. So there's a positive for it over Google Maps.

HOWEVER, i notice that it puts annoying adverts at the top of the screen that get in the way of crucial information at crucial points on your journey. For this reason alone i don't use Waze as it's bloody dangerous! 

I've not really used Waze long enough to see if it re-routes you like Google Maps does. It's never tried re-routing me though.