Waze
Waze has grown from strength to strength in the UK and despite claims that the app was vulnerable to attack which could let people track your movements still proves to be one of the most popular SatNav apps on the market, the free market that is! Incredibly easy to use, Waze and relies heavily on its vast database of users to generate information about traffic conditions. Information is collected from ‘Wazers’ giving the user real time information on traffic jams, with rerouting options, temporary and fixed speed cameras. You will need a data connection to download your required map and traffic information which can be a bit annoying if you are lacking signal. It’s also available on iOS, Android and Windows.
Google Maps
Although Google actually owns Waze, also reviewed here, the Google own app is also a great free product from the tech giant. Google currently has the most accurate mapping system which is consistently updated by its fleet of Google vans roaming around the place. It’s extremely basic but will probably suffice for most users, it even has traffic information which it takes straight from Waze and other Goolge users.
TomTom (iOS and Android)
The King of SatNav’s TomTom has managed to keep up with the modern world quite well with their own app. This app has one of the better UI’s but you a paying considerably more for the privilege. At £26 per year it isn’t cheap when compared with other options in the market, also you will have to pay £18 for traffic updates and another £16 per year for camera information. The Android version is slightly cheaper at £14.99 for a one-year, plus they throw in the traffic and camera info for free!
CoPilot Live
CoPilot has made leaps and bounds since I last looked at it. This updated app is a great middle ground between the top paid for apps and the free offerings out there. For £20 you can get camera and traffic information, it also allows you to search addresses via geotagged photos and Google. Available on iOS, Windows and Android.
Route 66 Navigate
Route 66 has been designed for the Android platform and offers some excellent features including lane assistance and speed limit information. The UI is extremely user friendly and switching between menu’s etc is a doddle. There is also a free 30 day trial, after which you will need to pay a subscription service with some additional payment for traffic information.
Here Drive
Developed by Nokia, Here is not very well known in the UK and with the plethora of options out there it may stay that way. Saying that, it is actually one of the better choices on the market, it has offline navigation which is better than most other rivals. It downloads maps for offline use, as well as gives the usual turn by turn directions. It even allows you to plan out your journey on a PC beforehand so you can plan those big journeys with ease.
Navmii
This is another option not massively familiar to the “mainstream”. It comes with voice guided navigation and has a great offline mode for those rural areas with no signal. Where this app differentiates itself is its integration with third party apps like TripAdvisor. Through the app it will give you recommendations on where to eat and sleep during your journey. The OpenStreetMap function is a brilliant mapping system which stores everything on your phone so you won’t munch up your data trying to find a restaurant.