[bhp_maniac]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Main issue with G maps is that there is no turn by turn navigation for India. Routing has done the job for me till now, but won't be the best option always. And now with the compass not working with G maps on my Ray (known issue), G maps is no longer a good solution for me.

A new firmware 4.1.B.0.587 is around the corner for Sony Ericsson 2011 devices. Lets hope the magnetometer issue is solved.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Thanks. Guess I'll try Navfree very soon. Seems better than Zanavi. Or do you think otherwise?

Zanavi, navfree, osmand. All similar actually. It all depends on your comfort level with the interface. Choose any one you like. Navfree is quite nice.

[kala]

Osmand is another OSM based app which is pretty decent. Has anyone tried it ?

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Zanavi, navfree, osmand. All similar actually. It all depends on your comfort level with the interface. Choose any one you like. Navfree is quite nice.

Sorry, hadn't noticed this message when I posted the one above.

[ottocycle]

I have started contributing to Open Street Maps. Started with Banjara Hills Area of Hyderabad. Also worked some areas around Varanasi Airport. The edit UI looks to be user friendly. Not much of learning curve.

Please contribute to OSM for a better tomorrow

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Main issue with G maps is that there is no turn by turn navigation for India. Routing has done the job for me till now, but won't be the best option always. And now with the compass not working with G maps on my Ray (known issue), G maps is no longer a good solution for me.

Navigation works fanstastically, at times better than my MMI device. Much much faster, and if you ignore the accented hindi road names, its better than anything out there.

However, as discussed before, its apparently only my phone that it works on.
My point was, considering that you have a sony too, what rom are you running? See if navigation works from some other rom.

Any x10 users(still) around? could you try wolf's rom, v7, and see if navigation works for you too?

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Btw, how do Nokia maps compare with Sygic and other Android solutions and G maps? I know someone who needs maps and does not care about apps and other things, so a Nokia could work for him.

Ive not had a problem with the Nokia OVI maps. Dont have much experience with the google maps except when i plan my journeys.

The only drawback can be that sometimes there is a bit of a lag like it reads your position a little after you've passed that point. So one has to be careful while taking turns. This happens sometimes but once the speed of the car and navigation readings get adjusted then its smooth sailing from there.

Frankly speaking im more of asking around for directions type of guy so hardly use navigation. Only advantage is it works in the absence of phone networks such as on hill tops or dense forests with atleast a view of the sky.

Like experts here have suggested, you better go for Sygic and others. Peace of mind imo.

[t18]

There is an unlocked samsung galaxy s2 i727 skyrocket available on ebay. Can the experts guide me if this phone could be upgraded to future OS updates and use android store without any problem. It is currently running on gingerbread.

[Parthasarathig]

Speaking of Navigation the latest google maps also supports voice guided navigation in Beta. And just realised the transit mode lists the bus numbers and timings for any route.
Is this facility available only for Bangalore or other cities too? It doesnt work in my native place though.!

[aneeshanand]

I found the best SMS app : https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...5zaS5tc2ciXQ..

Though visually not that appealing, you can customize this to your own choice.
Performance : 5 stars, this is super fast !!

[ottocycle]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Speaking of Navigation the latest google maps also supports voice guided navigation in Beta. And just realised the transit mode lists the bus numbers and timings for any route.
Is this facility available only for Bangalore or other cities too? It doesnt work in my native place though.!

I as far as I know, google navigation was not supported in India. Could it be because you are using Custom Rom? Could you please post the pics of the navigation screen? Thanks.

[hrman]

Originally Posted by aneeshanand

I found the best SMS app : https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...5zaS5tc2ciXQ..

Though visually not that appealing, you can customize this to your own choice.
Performance : 5 stars, this is super fast !!

Can you post the name of the App? The link says the page was not found!!

[naveenroy]

I see this new Micromax mobile - the Some of the features that caught my eye:

Operating System Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Processor 1 GHz Processor
Display Size 4.3 Inches Touch Screen
Internal Memory 4 GB

If I am not mistaken, I read that it is an AMOLED screen. It is available for 12990 at SnapDeal which I think is a good price. I am not very keen on going for a Micromax mobile but need a newer mobile and budget constraints force me to look at this as an option. What are your thoughts guys?

I am currently using an LG P500 - running CM9 perfectly well but the rains yesterday rendered one of the buttons on the mobile unusable and I think I need to exchange off this phone before it goes further downhill.

Also, any ideas on how hackable Micromax is? As in, rooting, installing new ROMs, CM9 etc??

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by Athani

Ovi Maps once gave a wrong direction (right turn instead of left in busy Pune) and at another time took him on a road which turned out to be a dead end!

Download the general app so that you can get the trial. You can get maps of the whole world via the general app. And you'd notice that the general app is one or two versions ahead of the MMI app. The India maps in both are same - Map My India. Download just before you undertake a major trip so that you can experience it.

No comparison between Sygic and Navfree. Sygic is a commercial solution. Navfree uses Open Maps, which is crowd sourced. You can imagine how a nascent open source source would be. Even for a large city like Mumbai, it's useless. You don't want to rely on it for something which could be as critical as navigation.

In my opinion, a good navigation app would pay for itself over time from the time saved from asking for directions and taking the wrong turn and the fuel, taking the faster route depending on traffic, avoiding toll roads, etc. Just my two cents.

Installed Navfree last night. Level of detail around my area leaves much to be desired. No comparison at all with G maps. However, the interface and navigation itself seem good. Can only hope it improves with time, but right now I don't think I can count on it much.

The map download was about 110 MB. Heated up my phone too. Isn't there some way you can download the maps on a PC and then transfer them to the phone? I guess I'll have to download similar amount of data if I install Sygic? Some one mentioned earlier that its about 1 GB? Thats too much trouble and maybe phone "wear" for just trying it out for 14 days. Anyway to transfer from PC for Sygic?

I'v experienced that navi software can be a life saver. But if its sanely priced. 2k+ is too steep. Esp. for someone like me who needs it infrequently. I might be better off selling this broken (magnetometer) Sony and getting another phone where the compass works with Gmaps.

Originally Posted by bhp_maniac

A new firmware 4.1.B.0.587 is around the corner for Sony Ericsson 2011 devices. Lets hope the magnetometer issue is solved.

It better be... along with a lot of other things. Else my next phone will most likely not be a Sony. Pretty sad lot of developers they seem to employ.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Zanavi, navfree, osmand. All similar actually. It all depends on your comfort level with the interface. Choose any one you like. Navfree is quite nice.

Originally Posted by ottocycle

I have started contributing to Open Street Maps. Started with Banjara Hills Area of Hyderabad. Also worked some areas around Varanasi Airport. The edit UI looks to be user friendly. Not much of learning curve.

Please contribute to OSM for a better tomorrow

Hope people like you will contribute and make it better. I'll contribute if I use it. But with its current level of detail (at least in my area), one can't really count much on it.

Originally Posted by mayankk

Navigation works fanstastically, at times better than my MMI device. Much much faster, and if you ignore the accented hindi road names, its better than anything out there.

However, as discussed before, its apparently only my phone that it works on.
My point was, considering that you have a sony too, what rom are you running? See if navigation works from some other rom.

Any x10 users(still) around? could you try wolf's rom, v7, and see if navigation works for you too?

I'm using Sony's offical ROM. Not gone the custom way yet as haven't had time to get into it.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Ive not had a problem with the Nokia OVI maps. Dont have much experience with the google maps except when i plan my journeys.

The only drawback can be that sometimes there is a bit of a lag like it reads your position a little after you've passed that point. So one has to be careful while taking turns. This happens sometimes but once the speed of the car and navigation readings get adjusted then its smooth sailing from there.

Frankly speaking im more of asking around for directions type of guy so hardly use navigation. Only advantage is it works in the absence of phone networks such as on hill tops or dense forests with atleast a view of the sky.

Like experts here have suggested, you better go for Sygic and others. Peace of mind imo.

Not having to ask around is the main reason why I'd want a navigation/maps solution. Often people give wrong directions. Besides it can be very difficult in car to stop just to ask for directions.

From what you and others here say, it does not sound like buying a Nokia with their maps in mind is a terrific solution. Sad.

[Athani]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

...

The map download was about 110 MB. Heated up my phone too. Isn't there some way you can download the maps on a PC and then transfer them to the phone? I guess I'll have to download similar amount of data if I install Sygic? Some one mentioned earlier that its about 1 GB? Thats too much trouble and maybe phone "wear" for just trying it out for 14 days. Anyway to transfer from PC for Sygic?
...
...

Yes, Sygic India map data is close to 1gb. You can download the map data to your PC but not officially, if you know what I mean ;-)

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Hope people like you will contribute and make it better. I'll contribute if I use it. But with its current level of detail (at least in my area), one can't really count much on it. .

Of course . Who do you think mapped ladakh and the remote nether regions of the himalayas!