MapsWithMe Pro is all maps of the world and its streets in your pocket. Thanks to special compression, data is transmitted as quickly as possible and there is no appearance of gray squares. The map shows eateries, streets, banks, hotels and everything else you could think of. The program has a function
SygicGPSNavigation is an unusual navigator for the Android system, which, on the one hand, can work offline (without online mode), and on the other hand, has big amount features that stand out against the background of a huge number of applications of the same type. With this application
OsmAnd is very handy application to view navigation maps on Android based and Blackberry. Not using the network to view maps and the route application makes this program very convenient. The program includes restaurants, businesses, hotels, gas stations and more. Having O
Maverick Pro GPS - works almost without internet connection. If you travel a lot then this program For you. Maverick Pro GPS has a feature to record tracks and mark a point you have already visited. The points are stored in the KML file. In addition to all the standard functionality was added
MapDroyd is free application designed for use on the Android OS. After downloading the necessary map through the OpenStreetMap service, you can use the program without an Internet connection without spending traffic. And the program takes data about your location from GPS data. Although the program
Navigator without internet connection. In this subcategory, collected and put on display best programs navigator without internet connection. They contain standard and frequently used routes, thereby helping you along the way, especially where the Internet does not catch. Such programs are especially useful for those traveling with their own transport. On our portal you can download the navigator without an Internet connection for free.
In this section, we will tell you how to use the navigator on your phone. We will answer related questions, in particular: is it necessary presetting gps on the phone, will it work gps navigator without Internet? Reviews of the best gps programs and trackers - in this section. Download software for GPS navigation
A brief overview of popular GPS navigators for iOS
Device owners from Apple While traveling, they often face the need for operational orientation in the area - navigator applications help with this. But each application has its own unique features that may not be useful for a pedestrian or may be redundant for drivers. Consider the most popular navigators based on iOS:
Choosing the best navigator for Android. Free gps navigators
GPS navigation is one of the strategic important functions on any device. Using the navigator is a pleasure (especially if you are poorly oriented around the city and it is easier for you to follow a planned route). After testing the applications, we tried to choose the best GPS navigator for Android. The study of navigators was carried out on the basis of several factors.
Free gps navigators for android with offline maps
In this series, we will try to find a free navigator for Android that allows you to work with maps without the Internet. Let's focus on the offline functions of navigators and gps trackers. The review presents the best gps programs that function without being tied to the Internet.
Choosing the best GPS navigator for your car
GPS navigator - chief assistant every motorist. Even if you have been living in the city for a long time, you know it well, unpleasant and simply unexpected surprises are not ruled out. In order not to get lost, quickly find desired address buy a navigator.
Which is better - Google Maps or Yandex Navigator?
Moving from one navigator to another (after prolonged use), you clearly recognize the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. I will share my impressions after switching from Yandex Navigator. I must say right away that I like the latter more, and here's why.
How to build a car route in Yandex.Navigator without the Internet
In order to build an auto route, you need to install a gps navigator from Yandex and read our instructions. Of course, there are other gps navigators (Navitel, Waze), which also know how to build car routes, but we will talk about them next time.
Download Yandex Navigator for Android
On this page you can download the "Yandex Navigator" application for Android OS. In our opinion, Yandex Navigator is one of the best GPS navigators for Android.
Yandex navigation: how to build a walking route on the map by points
Download Yandex Navigator and build a walking route using offline maps. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to do it quickly. How to use the functionality of the navigator from Yandex.
Navitel maps for Russia: where to download, features of licensed and pirated versions of maps
There are several ways to get maps of Russia for Navitel Navigator. And in this guide, you will learn how to download maps - free or paid, legally or via torrents.
Free download Navitel Navigator for Android
On this page, in addition to describing the benefits, you can download the Navitel navigator for free. Carefully study the description of the autonavigator, then follow the link. Install on your phone and use. Before use, please make sure to set Android gps to "On" position.
Which gps navigator in Europe is the best?
We choose a convenient, free navigator for traveling around Europe - with offline maps, voice control and great detail. Download navigators from the provided link.
Yandex Traffic jams online - where are traffic jams now
In order to find out the situation on the roads, it is not necessary to download the autonavigator to your tablet. Use the online service Yandex Traffic. He will tell you about the accident, traffic congestion, predict the transport situation in the near future. Yandex Traffic jams works on the same principle as gps navigators.
Download Google Maps (Google Maps) - navigator program for Android
Google Maps (or Google Maps) is a well-known navigator program, a quality application for working with maps. Google service Maps has performed well on mobile devices. Latest Versions This navigator supports offline maps.
IN Lately technology has come so far that modern man simply cannot imagine himself without some gadget at hand.
Here you have smartphones, and tablets, and smart watches have already begun to come up with ... In a word, mobility and more! And many of us also drive cars. And here indispensable assistants became video recorders and navigators. So we decided to talk about the best navigator in our opinion - Navitel.
In general, there are many navigators for the "Green Robot" - here both the program from Yandex and Google have their own navigator. So what is so special about Navitel? The fact that it is able to work without connecting your device to the Internet. This "animal" works with GPS networks.
There are different cases: the money may run out on the account, and just the mobile network may work slowly, and there are devices that do not have 3G. Just for such cases, Navitel is an indispensable thing that will not let you get lost, wherever you are.
“Wherever you are? What even in the outback? - you ask. By at least, author this review personally uses this program for three years. And in the Rostov region and Krasnodar Territory the program works great. You just need to wait a bit until the navigator catches up with the GPS satellites.
Now we need to talk about the convenient and accessible Navitel interface. When you start the program, the main menu appears, the items of which speak for themselves. For example, the Find tab allows you to search for a destination using the following parameters:
- by the address;
- by search history;
- by favorite points;
- by network coordinates;
- on the map.
The "Route" tab will help you create the most shortest way to a point. Here you can find the same items as in the "Find" tab, and set a route to any building, office, or just an address.
Well, the last menu is "Settings". It deserves special praise and flattering words. It is here that we can see the most a prime example personalization. Navitel can be configured exactly the way you need it. Here and the scalability of the map, and the night mode, and the 3D map. It is possible to configure the navigator so that it builds routes, avoiding dirt roads or ferry crossings. Literally everything is set up, which is very pleasing!
It is impossible not to tell about the most important part of the navigator - the map, which is displayed in motion. In general, you can judge about it based on my screenshots - everything is perfectly visible there. I will only note that Navitel provides comprehensive information about the route: when the next turn is visible, and how much is left to go to the destination, and traffic jams can be seen where there are (by the way, you can bypass them - Navitel settings).
What else pleased me was the fact that this program provides information not only about the place of arrival, but also about a specific object located at the address. By clicking on each building, we can see a list of organizations that are based there.
All the words of praise that are written above are only a part of all the good things that Navitel for Android has. The application is very easy to use, provides comprehensive information and does not freeze. Solid "Five" and many thanks to the developers!
Here is the final part of the "series" about the popular car navigation applications for Android. In it, we tried to sum up all the information from the five previously published reviews of individual applications and give a final assessment. In order not to burden the reader, we will try to make it as concise and illustrative as possible using tables, providing them with relatively small comments.
What is the reason for choosing these particular applications? The main criteria were popularity and availability a large number positive feedback as well as ease of use. The updated Shturmann did not fit into the first two criteria a little. According to all three criteria, the application "Seven Roads" did not pass. Google Maps as a navigator is still in beta. Megaphone-navigation, in fact, the same Progorod, but only in the online version. The iGO app for Android has not officially appeared yet. Therefore, there are only five participants.
Prices and popularity
Putting ourselves in the place of the buyer, let's start by looking at the price tags and studying the information about how popular this or that product has gained among users.
| Navitel | Progorod | Sygic | CityGuide | Yandex | |
| number of downloads per Google Play, million | 5-10 | 0,1-0,5 | 10-50 | 1-5 | 5-10 |
| rating on Google Play | 4,1 | 4,2 | 4,2 | 4,1 | 4,2 |
| price of Russian cards | 1350 r. | 1290 (950*) r. | €40 | 1800 r. | is free |
| minimum price | $1** | - | €20 | 990 r. | is free |
| update fee, rub | is free | is free | is free | is free | is free |
| traffic jam service fee, rub | is free | is free | does not work in Russia*** | is free | is free |
| allowed number of resets | 1 | 3 | n.a. | 3 | not limited |
| free third party maps | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| test period, days | 30 | 30 | 7 | 15 | - |
* if you purchase a key on the developer's website. The price is for the application itself with unlimited access to maps.
** rent of foreign cards.
*** for Europe, the service is paid - from 12 euros per year.
So, the most expensive product is Sygic. It is aimed at the European consumer, so the price tag is quite appropriate. In addition, traffic jams and advanced camera information will have to be paid separately, but this only applies to Europe. In Russia network services does not work.
The prices of Navitel and Progorod look the most adequate. However, Navitel has a very strict reinstallation policy. Transferring the application to another smartphone, most likely, will not work at all.
Against the backdrop of all these restrictions, Yandex looks like a king. However, the application has a number of significant limitations, thus leaving a good chance for the rest.
Feature set comparison
The developers of most of the presented applications are trying to attract users with various additional features like weather, map photos, encyclopedia articles, social media tags, friends' locations, and even augmented reality.
We have summarized the entire core feature set of all five applications into one table:
| Navitel | Progorod | Sygic | CityGuide | Yandex | |
| Interface | |||||
| Manual map scaling during navigation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery/Satellite/GSM indicators | Yes Yes Yes | yes / yes / no | in the menu / in the menu / no | Yes Yes Yes | OS status bar |
| Change map orientation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manual map rotation | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Mileage Information | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Satellite view screen | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 3D Mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Map tilt | only in 3D | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Access Toolbar | DPOI only | Yes | Yes | Yes | DPOI only |
| "Trip computer" | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Night mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| augmented reality | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Search | |||||
| Universal | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Address | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| By coordinates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| POI around / at the point / at the finish line | Yes Yes Yes | Yes Yes Yes | Yes Yes Yes | Yes Yes Yes | Yes Yes Yes |
| Voice input | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Working with routes | |||||
| Save / load | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Route simulation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Full display | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Working with tracks | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Operating modes: passenger car / truck / pedestrian | Yes Yes Yes | yes / no / no | yes / no / yes | yes / no / yes | yes / no / no |
| Cards | |||||
| Map update | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| The supplier | n.a. | own | Navteq | many, different | Navteq, Scanex, etc. |
| Installation of third-party and free cards | Yes | yes, based on OSM | No | yes, based on OSM | No |
| Online services | |||||
| Traffic display | Yes | Yes | No * | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic POIs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Friends on the map | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Thematic news feeds | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Photo on the map | No | No | yes (panoramio) | No | No |
| Weather | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Deny access to the network | Yes | by turning off the traffic jam service | No | Yes | No |
* only for European countries for a fee
This table is for self-study. Here everyone must answer the question whether this or that program has a minimum sufficient set of functions. For example, someone definitely needs to work with tracks, and someone needs to install free OSM maps. Some applications have extraordinary abilities. For example, displaying on the map photos of places taken by users of Panoramio (by Sygic), or augmented reality mode (Progorod), as well as speech recognition and voice commands(Yandex.Navigator).
There are applications and major "punctures". So, Sygic does not have a function for displaying traffic (traffic jams), and Yandex.Navigator will not fully work in the absence of an Internet connection.
Interface
Since each of us has our own ideas about beauty, we will not talk much about which interface of which of the programs is more beautiful. Our eye turned out to be nicer to the “picture” of Navitel Navigator, Progorod and Yandex. But this does not mean that the other two programs have some problems with " appearance". They are all good. They just stand out a bit from the general background.
But if we move away from looking at the "pictures", then completely different properties of interfaces come to the fore - practicality and informativeness. The first of these is when you always feel at ease. A cursory glance at the screen is enough for you to get the maximum information you need. Not good good example practicality can serve as the interface of the same Navitel - a pile fine lines and small details makes it difficult to read information while driving. Also practicality includes the convenience of working with the menu and search.
By information content we mean the display of various related information on the screen, such as the speed limit in a given section, information about cameras, etc. The presence of all kinds of tips and additional information in the POI database.
So, below we will give screenshots of the interfaces of all programs with a short list of the main advantages and disadvantages. This time we will use a smartphone with a small screen resolution of 480x800, which is regulated by almost all software developers in today's test.
Let's start with the vertical map view, which is most natural for smartphones and more practical for navigation. Place a 3D version next to the regular map view.
Navitel Navigator 8.5
Progorod 2.0
Sygic 13.4
CityGuide 7.8
Yandex.Navigator 1.5
This is the junction of the Varshavskoye highway and the Moscow Ring Road. Alas, the picture is static, and its perception during movement, when the scale of the map is constantly changing depending on the speed and upcoming events (turns), is radically different from what you get just by contemplating these two sets of screenshots. In addition, in 3D mode, a lot depends on the tilt angle, which is adjustable in all programs. The developers made it so that from one angle the map is beautiful and practical, but from another it is already inconvenient to use, because the detail, perspective, etc. change. A similar observation can be made about scales. Therefore, we will give a verbal comment, but first we will post one more portion of screenshots taken in navigation mode:
Navitel Navigator 8.5
Progorod 2.0
Sygic 13.4
CityGuide 7.8
Yandex.Navigator 1.5
Navitel Navigator
The picture deserves all the praise, but it is extremely impractical. The heap of small lines and contours makes it difficult to see the route line on the screen, which is slightly thicker than the road itself, but with loaded traffic jams, does not differ in color from it in any way. Camera icons, signs and other details are barely visible on the screen.
Progorod
The “picture” is a bit like Navitel, but there are fewer small details, and the route line is much easier to read than in the previous case. There are two complaints: the status bar takes up a lot of space on the screen and chaos reigns on it, as well as small graphics and all control buttons.
Sygic
In the screenshots, the interface is plain, but in terms of ease of reading information while driving, it deserves the highest rating. A significant minus one is that house numbers are not displayed in navigation mode. They only appear if you try to scroll the map in one of the directions, which will put it in view mode.
CityGuide
The map interface is quite good in practical terms. It may not be as pretty, but it's comfortable enough.
Yandex.Navigator
Trying to find fault with the Yandex.Navigator interface did not work well. He is very practical. The only moment - users of platforms with screens with high density pixels per inch complain about small buttons and other menu items. For some reason, these interface elements do not fully comply with Google's recommendations for developers, and programmers operated with absolute units of element sizes instead of relative DP and SP.
Well, for those who for some reason prefer the horizontal position of the map, we will post another set of screenshots.
Navitel Navigator 8.5
Progorod 2.0
Sygic 13.4
CityGuide 7.8
Yandex.Navigator 1.5
Cards
Alas, most developers do not provide detailed information about their cards, because they may not look so brilliant against the background of competitors.
We tried to collect as much information as possible and bring it into one table. Pay attention to the line "Map online" - this is your chance to independently evaluate the quality of coverage. True, it also does not accurately reflect the situation. Navitel and Progorod have not posted the latest release online, while Yandex maps in the application and online are strikingly different in places, which, at times, is puzzling.
| Navitel | Progorod | Sygic | Cityguide | Yandex | |
| Russia: settlements | 149 047 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | ≈170 thousand |
| Russia: cities with detail | 8762 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Road graph, km | 3 809 652 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| POIs | 992 163 | n.a. | n.a.* | n.a. | n.a. |
| Card size, MB | 1250 | 1131 | 623 | 1900 | 1910** (Moscow only) |
| last update date | 25.10.2013 | 22.10.2013 | 12.2013 | 22.01.2014 | n.a. |
| Frequency of updates per year, times | 3-4 | 2 | 1-3 | 2-10*** | n.a. |
| Map online | - | - | |||
| Cards foreign countries, PCS. | 52 | 28 (OSM) | ≈130 | 10 | 1**** |
| Information about maps on the developer's website | - | - |
* data from Foursquare is also used as POIs
** specified volume complete map Moscow
*** The map of Russia is updated almost every month, but the changes in it each time concern a couple or three of some individual regions. If we take, for example, a map of Moscow, then it is updated twice a year.
**** Ukraine, Belarus and Turkey are mentioned. There is no longer a word about Turkey in the branded video, and only Ukraine appears on Google Play. However, in the list of maps for download, you can find, for example, a map of Almaty.
According to the results of the 2010 census, the number of settlements in Russia was slightly more than 153 thousand, and about 20 thousand of them do not have a permanent population. Where did Yandex get 170,000 from then? First, nesting. A particular locality always belongs to other territorial units. Secondly, the census does not take into account all types of settlements. Railway stations, winter quarters, etc. may fall out of it.
So, our leaders, apparently, are Navitel and Yandex. The volume of maps is an indirect indicator. For Yandex.Navigator, it has such unimaginable values because these maps contain great amount raster images.
As for the details, this issue is complex, and it takes a lot of time to study it. For our own understanding, we took several settlements and looked at how things are with this issue.
| Navitel | Progorod | Sygic | Cityguide | Yandex | |
| Olenegorsk, Murmansk region | detailed, with houses (3D) | three main streets | only the main street, with errors | detailed, with houses | three main streets |
| Bogoroditsk, Tula region | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses (3D) | only main street | detailed, with houses | three main streets |
| Angarsk, Irkutsk region | main road network | detailed road network | only main street | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses |
| Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky | detailed, with houses | detailed road network | only main street | point on the track | detailed, with houses |
| Astrakhan | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses (3D) | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses |
| Sochi | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses (3D) | detailed road network | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses |
| Chekhov, MO | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses (3D) | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses |
| Tver | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses (3D) | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses |
| Rybinsk | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses (3D) | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses | detailed, with houses |
| Pechory, Pskov region | detailed, with houses | main road network | three main streets, with errors | detailed, with outlines of houses, without addresses | three main streets |
| village Lanshino, MO | part of the road network | a point on the map | detailed road network | detailed road network | main road network |
The leaders were Navitel, Progorod and Citygid. Moreover, the maps of Progorod in almost all settlements from the table have buildings not only with the corresponding contours, but also with height. Although CityGuide is good (OSM maps are used), you will have to look for maps of the regions you need in big list and download separately, which is not very convenient. For some reason, it is impossible to download the entire map of Russia at once. In addition, the Kamchatka Territory was absent from the list.
I was a little surprised by Yandex.Navigator, and this is taking into account the fact that the online browser map is beyond praise. At the same time, it is very funny that in the same Bogoroditsk you can specify the exact address, it will be marked with a marker on the map and the route to it will be built. But "last mile" will be displayed incorrectly.
Well, he doesn't love most of all small towns Sygic. He knows them only by hearsay.
The relevance of maps is also important. Here we focused on the map of Moscow, noting the presence of new well-known roads, overpasses and interchanges, opened during the summer-autumn of 2013. Progorod, Citigid and Yandex had no problems with this. At Navitel, all the interchanges and overpasses we were looking for were present, but for some reason there was no turn under the overpass at the intersection of the Yaroslavl highway and Malyginsky proezd. But Sygic has a map that is at least a year old. We did not find a single desired road object on it.
Our selection of cards: Navitel, Progorod and Cityguide.
Routes and navigation
All applications build quite adequate routes. And this is the most important thing. Small minor "glitches" happen with Navitel. We described one of them in his detailed one, but there is no reason to panic here. But it is definitely worth reducing the sensitivity to traffic jams in its settings for residents of megacities.
To save time for the reader, we will collect information on routes and navigation in one table.
| Navitel | Progorod | Sygic | Cityguide | Yandex | |
| adequacy of the constructed routes | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK |
| number of alternatives | No | 2 | 1 | No | 1-2 |
| exclusion of toll roads / other settings | Yes Yes | Yes Yes | Yes Yes | Yes Yes | no no |
| logic of behavior when leaving the route | customizable | return to the old route | rebuilding in "detour" mode | rebuilding in "detour" mode | |
| traffic jams on the route | Yes | Yes | No | yes, but at a short distance | Yes |
| speed warnings | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| camera alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | yes, late |
| DPOI | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| work without internet connection | Yes | Yes | only offline | Yes | features are very limited |
It will be most convenient to travel with Progorod, Cityguide and Navitel. Sygic, despite its very practical interface, works only offline: no traffic jams or DPOI. In addition, its logic of behavior when the driver leaves the route is far from civilized. But there are no less problems with Yandex: it will not warn you about speeding, it will tell you about the camera only when you pass it, and without connecting to the Web, the search and routing will not work in the application! But before starting navigation, he will offer the user alternative route options that can be viewed on the map and choose the most suitable one. Progorod can also do this, although it uses a slightly different logic. We really liked both of these features.
Our choice: Progorod and CityGuide. With some interference - Navitel and Yandex.
Tests
We ran a series of tests to show how fast these applications will run on various mobile platforms. In a separate table, we summarized the results obtained on two systems, the main characteristics of which are as follows:
Both platforms are budget, but the tablet has a 4-core SoC, and the smartphone has a single-core, but with more modern architecture. Will there be any significant difference between them? In the table, smartphone and tablet data are separated by two vertical bars.
| Navitel | Progorod | Sygic | Cityguide | Yandex | |
| Loading time, s | 11 || 8 | 5-6 on both platforms | 6 || 3 | 12 || 9 | ≈2 in all cases |
| Satellite search time | according to GPS technologies (1-2 min.) | ≈20-30 sec** on both platforms | |||
| Route laying time, s* | 2,5-5 || 1,5-5 | 1-4 on both platforms | 12-20 || 6-15 | ≈2 in all cases | -*** |
| Utilization of computing cores in motion, % | 60 || n.a. | 70 || n.a. | 40 || 15 | 65 || 19 | 20 || n.a. |
| Smooth scrolling and zooming with traffic jams disabled | with strong jerks | with jerks | relatively smoothly | relatively smoothly | smoothly |
| Volume of network traffic on the route, MB/h | 2,5 | n.a. | - | n.a. | n.a. - 4**** |
| Volume of network traffic in the metropolis, MB/h | 4,5 | 1 | - | 1 | 3,5-6,5**** |
* a dash indicates the time of laying two routes: from the south of Moscow to the city of Olenegorsk in the Murmansk region; the second route - to Vladivostok.
** within two seconds after loading you can see your approximate position on the map, determined by the signals base stations and their coordinates. And after another 20-30 seconds, the device "clings" to the satellites.
*** routes are calculated on a remote server, and the construction time depends on the quality of the connection at a particular point in time. In the coverage area of GPRS or EDGE, it may take a minute or more, but with a good connection - 2-3 seconds.
**** The first digit indicates the amount of traffic in case of a preloaded full map of the region. The second digit is for an empty map cache.
So, the main problem application speed - the inability to use all available SoC computing cores. And although multithreading is declared by almost all developers, in practice on a 4-core system this results in the fact that one core is loaded at 100%, the second at 30 percent, and the other two are idle. The only exception is Yandex. The application not only has low system resource requirements, but also active work on four cores it can show a total load of 60-70%, which indicates that someone still manages to create multi-threaded applications (benchmark developers do not count).
If we talk about the smoothness and comfort of working with the map, then Yandex, Cityguide and Sygic behave quite decently, which cannot be said about Navitel and Progorod. Scrolling the map and scaling them pass with noticeable jerks, slowdowns and jerks. Moreover, if your smartphone has a resolution of 1280 pixels or more, the situation will be aggravated regardless of the type of SoC installed in the system.
Our choice: Yandex, CityGuide and probably Sygic. The latter builds routes for a very long time, but otherwise it is very smart.
Application Features
Since the competition is great, the developers are trying to add a few zest to their creation, and it would be a sin not to mention them.
Navitel Navigator
Progorod
Here we note only the augmented reality mode, which will work quite tolerably on those devices where there is an orientation sensor.
Perhaps it will come in handy when traveling by car.
Sygic
Sygic tries to attract users with all sorts of useful and interesting little things: universal search, photos on the map from Panoramio, POIs from Foursquare, articles from Wikipedia (if they have binding to coordinates), a sidebar and a trip computer. All details in the corresponding .
CityGuide
Nothing unusual.
Yandex.Navigator
The main trump card is a universal search with a speech recognition system and voice commands, which works quite well.
Results
So, CityGuide and Progorod got the most mentions marked “our choice”. Navitel, Yandex.Navigator and Sygic are lagging behind. But if we evaluate applications by their main functions (the quality of maps and the navigation process), then we see the following three leaders: Progorod, CityGuide and Navitel. The cheapest of them is Progorod. The most expensive is CityGuide. And Navitel will receive the title of the most unfriendly due to the impossibility of transferring the application to other smartphones.
If you live in one of the Russian cities, in your region there is a reliable and high-quality cellular, you are not afraid of speed cameras and prefer not to spend extra money, then it is quite possible to use Yandex.Navigator. It's free. And besides, it works smartly and has a practical interface.
Sygic can be useful when traveling abroad. However, it will cost quite a bit. In this regard, Navitel is many times more attractive, but it will not contain information about traffic. As well as Sygic in Russia.
P.S. Better to see once than hear a hundred times. Therefore, we encourage you to independently try out the apps you like and draw your own conclusions. However, it is important not to forget that all navigation programs without exception, after deleting them through the application manager, they leave almost all their files in internal memory phone forever, "freezing" hundreds of useful megabytes. Do not forget to delete them manually later, guided by the names of the folders on the drive. Oh Android, Android...
Previously, we considered free. Today we will select a navigator, focusing on offline work - to work with maps without the Internet by activating the gps connection on your phone. Let's focus on the offline features of navigators and maps that come bundled with android apps.
Offline navigators - participants of the review:
Advantages of offline maps
By default, all mobile navigators are online and may become unstable without a direct Internet connection. In the absence of the Network, navigators do not display maps and do not build routes. All this can become a serious problem.
The problem can be easily fixed by downloading offline maps to your gadget. They will work offline: in Russia, neighboring countries and Europe. Offline maps are indispensable when navigating if you have an expensive mobile traffic or you open the map in a place where there is no Internet access.
Waze is a free GPS navigator that works without internet
Waze is a navigation application developed by a community of enthusiasts. Displays traffic on the roads in real time, notifies about accidents and notifies about cameras. Available in Russian and adapted to road conditions in most countries of the world.
Waze is a free navigator with offline features for Android
The Waze Android app doesn't have the obvious offline save feature of, say, Google Maps. The navigator from time to time requires an Internet connection for full operation. However, there are some workarounds for downloading offline offline maps.
How to save maps offline using the Waze app
In order to download an offline Waze map, you need to:
- Pre-connect to the network;
- Open the Waze app on your phone;
- Enter the address you want to save for offline work;
- After finding the specified location, Waze will store the data in the cache.
You can use the offline map when traveling in Europe or Russia. Please note that in offline mode, you will not be able to update the data until you connect mobile device to the internet. Traffic information will also not be available offline.
How to upload traffic information to Waze navigator
- Make sure your mobile device is connected to the Internet;
- Open Waze GPS Navigator and enter the location you want to go to;
- Waze will calculate routes to your destination and display them in the app when navigating;
- Click on the Waze icon to open the menu, find the "Settings" icon in the new pop-up window;
- To save your current traffic information, go to Waze > Advanced settings > Data transfer > Download traffic information > Enable.
In addition to traffic information, Waze will display how much data has already been downloaded and cached by the app.
Google Navigator: enable offline maps on Android
Saving offline maps
- Connect to a WiFi network, open the Google Maps app on your mobile device.
- Make sure you are logged into your account Google in Google Maps.
- Search the GPS navigator for the city or place you want to save as an offline map.
- Click on the bottom bar google apps Maps - the name of the location will be displayed here.
- In the upper right corner of Google Navigator, a menu will be available with the option to save an offline map.
Some features of offline Google Maps:
- You can pan and zoom the map before saving it. Most big size offline map - about 30 square miles.
- You can save an offline map with any name. It is convenient to give a clear name so that you can delete the file or check if the desired city is in the list of saved maps.
- For each map, its expiration date is indicated: it is advisable to check the relevance and update the files as needed.
- Once the map is deleted, you won't be able to use it offline until you download/update again.
View saved offline maps in Google Navigator
- Open Google Maps on Android with a previously used account;
- Go to the main menu of the application through the sidebar by clicking on the button with horizontal stripes;
- Go to the "Offline Maps" section;
- Actions are available for each offline map: Download, View, Rename, Delete.
Yandex Navigator in offline mode (without internet connection)
Free vector maps can be downloaded through the main application settings. This option is available to owners of both Android and iOS versions of the navigator from Yandex. True, the list of offline maps is limited to the CIS countries and a number of adjacent territories. For most of Europe, alas, offline maps are not available.
Navitel is a popular navigator with offline function
Autonomous android maps transform your phone into a full-fledged GPS device. At the same time, you do not need to spend money on mobile traffic, which is most often very expensive.
Not all users want to spend time downloading individual locations (as described above). You can download a set of detailed maps for a one-time certain country or region. One of these solutions is . It is available for smartphones and android tablets, iOS devices, autonavigators.
In the "Buy" section on the developer's website, special packages of offline maps are posted. And not only for Russia, but also for neighboring countries, Europe, the USA, Latin America.
In terms of the quality of map detail, this is perhaps best offline navigator for mobile devices.
Sygic is an offline navigator for Europe and the USA
Sygic is a GPS navigation app. Supports free 3D offline maps for Android, you can travel anywhere with them (at least it is > 200 countries). Offline maps display Points of Interest - gas stations, cafes, shops, attractions. All that is required to use the maps is to first download them to your mobile device.
Realtime functions work only in online mode. In particular, Sygic offers maximum exact information about traffic based on data from 500 million users worldwide. Information is also provided by global automakers, operators mobile communications, mapping and traffic information providers.
During the first 7 days, you can test all the features of the navigator (including those available with a Lifetime Premium subscription). After 7 days, Sygic leaves only basic features, but this is quite enough for a full-fledged work.
Maps.me - GPS navigator for phone with OSM maps
Maps.me is a great free navigator for users looking for offline work and data savings.
Maps.me supports offline OpenStreetMap maps, which are well detailed. Regular users participate in the development of maps. Some cards are in high quality better side different from Google Maps. It comes to the point that a shop or path can be marked on the Maps.me map, which are not in other navigators.
Working offline is convenient: in fact, you can get directions without an internet connection on your phone. For offline work, you must first download the map to your device through the menu of the Maps.me navigator.
Maps.me: detailed offline maps for Android
The second option is to go to the desired location and zoom in on it. The map fragment of interest will be loaded into the phone's cache. Offline maps take up only a few tens of megabytes.free
What is the best offline navigator?
Let's summarize.
If openness and free maps are important, all offline navigators are good except for Navitela. If you are willing to pay around $30 for quality, Navitel Navigator will great solution and, without a doubt, will pay back the invested money. This gps program holds its own and is popular.
Navigation Google Maps works without an internet connection, but still for Android and iOS versions there is a limitation: you can save only certain sections of the map (one or several cities) for offline use, while motorists, most often, need more detailed sections of maps.
Waze is a promising navigator with a large community. But keep in mind: not all traffic information will be available offline, and maps are not always perfect in their detail.
Sygic: GPS Navigation displays 3D offline maps for 200+ countries. The application will be convenient when moving around Europe and the USA without the Internet.
Advice. Install not one, but two navigators on your phone. Download offline maps and test each option. Leave the app you like more.
