iGo My Way iPhone GPS navigation app: First Look

Attractive design and useful features, but a few wrinkles that are likely to improve with updates

Like other iPhone navigation applications we have tested, the iGo My Way software from NNG Global Services looks and operates like a traditional portable navigation device. In fact, it has a similar interface to the Nextar 43LT PND, though it performs better on the iPhone platform than on that mediocre device.

Purchased through the iTunes store, iGo My Way has a one-time fee, and the downloadable application includes maps and points of interest. Consequently, My Way does not need cellular or Wi-Fi coverage to navigate. Updates are managed through iTunes, and quarterly map updates are free through December 2010.

We paid $79.99 for version 1.0, which included a map database covering the entire United States and Canada. It uses 970 MB of memory.

Key features include:

• Four languages
• 3D buildings
• Lane assistance
• Reality view
• U.S. and Canada maps
• Landscape and portrait view

Initial impressions

The iGo My Way benefits from the iPhone platform, providing a more vivid screen, better touch sensitivity, and a more fluid menu structure than the similar Nextar PND does. It includes several welcomed features, such as lane assistance, reality view, speed-limit icons, and automatic adjustment for day and night display. A neat extra feature is three-dimensional rendering of major landmarks, such as famous buildings. (The company claims to offer 3D terrain mapping, as well, but we did not observe this in our testing.) There is a generous selection of icon vehicles to choose as the navigation pointer.

Rather than use the standard iPhone onscreen keypad for address entry, the My Way has a custom design. The keys are arranged alphabetically, rather than with a QWERTY layout common to computer keyboards. The setup allows for larger buttons than are typical, making address entry easier. It goes one step further, with predictive data entry, a feature that we appreciate on PNDs that grays out impossible letter combinations (based on its database), speeding up address entry. (With each letter entered, it filters out impossible combinations.) This is the first application we have tested on the iPhone with this feature, though it probably won't be the last.

Once an address is entered, My Way asks for confirmation of the desired route type: Fast, Short, Economical, or Easy. The routes are displayed from an aerial-map view; selecting one of the routes highlights the associated roads on the map that a user will take.

It is lacking some useful features commonly found on PNDs, such as text to speech (for spoken street names), a directions list, multidestination routing, and the ability to exclude a road.

In general, iPhone integration is lacking with the iGo My Way application. For example, although a user can play music, there is no ability to access the iTunes library for track selection. There is also no playback control and the music volume is not reduced when navigation instructions are given. The address book can't be used in a one-touch method for entering a destination.

Even more critical for on-the-road use, after a phone call ends, the user must tap the screen to get to the map view to return to the active route. The navigation program takes some time to start again, and we found that it can get stuck on the opening product screen.

Like other iPhone applications we have tested from Navigon, TomTom, and XRoad, the iGo My Way has compromised GPS accuracy—a trait that appears to be inherent to the phone. The GPS will often place the current position on a surrounding road, rather than the road on which a user is traveling. This can cause the software to recalculate and confuse the driver.

Because it is a software application, iGo is expected to make ongoing refinements, as we have seen with some competitors. In particular, it has announced that text to speech is coming. The next update, free to current users, is expected to add the ability to navigate to iPhone contacts, control music, and choose a QWERTY keyboard configuration.

CR's take

The iGo My Way application is a solid iPhone competitor, with imminent improvements expected through planned updates. Its software interface is similar to the best Nextar PND we tested, but that dedicated navigator scored lower than competitors from leading brands.

But the competition is not as stiff in the iPhone application market. While new applications are coming out each month, the current versions available use software that often shows signs of being rushed to market.

The iGo My Way software has a pleasing design and layout, a competitive price, and some useful features, but it lacks some elements that make navigating easier. My Way is expected to improve as updates are released.

Our advice remains that a PND would be a better option for most drivers, as the purpose-built device is typically more accurate and reliable. It is ready to work right out of the box, and it can be readily shared with family and friends. If a user is adamant about having one do-it-all gadget, it would be wise to wait a month to see what other solutions are released for the iPhone, and how current applications evolve with the rapid release of updates.

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