GPS navigation apps for iPad, iPhone & Android coupled with iPad car mount replace standalone units

Date Posted:6 January 2014 

The smart crowd are using GPS to get their fix and it’s easy to see why.  For most people, the key to finding your way in life is only as far away as your pocket.

Instead of difficult-to-read maps, a potential driving hazard and a time-waster, the motoring world is taking advantage of orbiting satellites to help navigate with precision.

Known as GPS, the Global Positioning System grew from a military, marine and aeronautical application, while its receivers shrank – from large electronic devices down to chip-sized gadgets that can be slipped into a pocket – or even attached to your dashboard.

Nowadays, a standalone GPS receiver attached to the windscreen seems to be standard issue in taxis and commercial operators, and a hot seller for the everyday motorist.  But your receive-only GPS device is basically a “one trick pony”, and after all, do you really need another gadget to create more in-car clutter?

Is there in fact a better way?

We have the genius of Steve Jobs and the boffins at Apple to thank for an uber-handy device called the “smart-phone” – along with spawning its me-too competitors functioning on Android.  Now, getting from A to B is as simple as using an app to sync in with the GPS system, to receive graphic mapping and verbal turn notifications directly to your device, all the while maintaining phone connectivity.

Of course, it can’t do all that while sitting in your pocket – but driving while using your handheld is neither legal nor safe.

The key here is to use a handy dash-mounted caddy.  That’ll enable you to firmly tether your phone, allowing you to safely activate its functions, completely legally, while driving.

Suitable apps are easy to find and some are offered completely free.  Major navigation industry heavies such as Tom Tom, Garmin and Magellan are well represented with offerings for both platforms.

In fact, most GPS apps have versions that suit both IOS and Android.  Smart phone users can choose from: Whereis,  Sygic,  Mapfactor Navigator,  Waze, GPS Essentials, Google Maps Navigation, Telenav, Mapquest and Freenav to name just a few.

The beauty of using your phone as your primary navigation device is that it is always with you. Tethered on a quick-release dash bracket, it is legally operable and in view while driving, and you can even be recharging it while it’s in use; out of the car it will help you find your way right to your destination, and always keep you in touch – something your standalone navigator can never do.

So, now you can use a single device to keep in touch, know where you’re at – and how to get where you’re going.