Magellan RoadMate iPhone GPS navigation app: Review

PND-maker joins the nav app revolution with an attractive, compelling application

The portable navigation device (PND) maker Magellan has joined the application revolution with the RoadMate 2010 North America for the iPhone (OS 3.0 or later). It can also be used with an iPod Touch, when combined with the optional Magellan Premium Car Kit, which includes a built-in GPS receiver. As we have noted in our PND tests, the latest Magellan devices have appealing graphics, are easy to use, and rate well. Those same attributes have been carried over to this popular platform.

The RoadMate 2010 North America app includes the maps and points of interest (POI) data, rather than use the less-common sever-based method that downloads information as you drive.

We paid $79.99 for version 1.0, which included a map database covering the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. (Regular price is $99.99.) It uses 1.36 gigs of memory-similar to apps from Navigon and TomTom.

Key features include:

• 3-D landmarks
• English, French, and Spanish
• Spoken street names
• Highway lane assist
• In-app music control
• Pedestrian mode
• Address-book integration
• Landscape and portrait view

Impressions

Magellan comes somewhat late to the iPhone navigation market, giving its chief rivals and some fresh competitors a clear head start. But the Magellan app is better executed and more complete in its initial version than the others were, and it includes many features that those companies have just recently made available. Features such as text to speech, lane assistance, in-app music controls, and address book integration help the RoadMate software to feel mature from start. Further, it includes several subtle features that help to distinguish the best PNDs and are rarely seen in applications, such as location-based emergency help, speed-limit icons, and exit guide.

Credit is due for the car locator feature that remembers where the car is parked and can guide you to it using the pedestrian mode. Another nice touch is the assignable shortcut menu, which provides a convenient way to personalize the interface.

As we have seen on recent Magellan PNDs, the graphics are very pleasing, from menus to maps. Further, it provides three-dimensional graphics for popular landmarks.

Integrating well with the iPhone, the application works in portrait and landscape mode. Destinations can be selected from the contact list, and the interface for controlling music is especially nice. There are large buttons to control music, and a display for the title, artist, and current time position of the playing song. But the mixing of music and navigation instructions is a bit crude; the music will abruptly cut off to allow navigational instructions to be heard. It would be less jarring if the music faded, as it does on the Navigon app. Better yet, it could provide a user setting for navigational and music sound mixing. The call handling is typical, with the navigation application restarting after a call is finished. But Magellan prompts users to touch the screen if they desire to continue to the current destination. It is always better to limit the screen taps.

The Magellan application omits a few features appreciated on the company's PNDs, including multidestination routing, ability to exclude a road, traffic integration, and AAA information. Perhaps those could be added in future versions.

CR's take

Magellan may have been late to the iPhone navigation app party, but it is clear that the time was spent developing an appealing, competitive product. It joins the name-brand leaders Navigon and TomTom as offering an app that approximates the experience of using a standalone device, with the benefits and inherent limitations of being integrated into an iPhone.

Magellan will be releasing a Premium Car Kit similar to the one offered by TomTom. Magellan promises that the kit will enhance GPS reception, and provide a solution to the typical complaints of charging, volume, and mounting. We have not tested the Magellan kit, but the TomTom kit proved to be quite effective in addressing related criticisms.

With the Magellan app, iPhone users now have another compelling option. It is recommend that you compare features and focus on the models that deliver those that matter most to you and have been shown to be easy to use and well integrated in our reviews.

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