Skobbler for iPhone is Free Turn-by-Turn GPS
It has long been rumored that the days of the standalone GPS unit for ones car were numbered, but the final nail is in the coffin and the sole reason is because the solution is free. No, I am not talking about Google’s free Navigation application for their Android phones, I am talking about a free application for all iPhones with GPS called Skobbler. Not without its quirks, Skobbler uses open-source mapping technologie called the OpenStreetMap Project and overlays turn-by-turn directions onto your iPhone. Yesterday, my girlfriend and I were driving around Los Angeles shopping, so we plugged my iPhone 4 into her Ford Fusion through the AUX port and opened up Skobbler.
I will be the first to admit the interface is not the most advanced in the world, in-fact it is downright obnoxious and distracting if you are driving. When launching the application you are not prompted with several options, instead you are asked to sign in. This is a feature that I have not experienced with any other GPS application for the iPhone. Apparently, you can register an account with Skobbler.us and add destinations, track locations, and many other features right from your Mac or PC. Launching Skobbler on your iPhone will bring the locations up that you added to your account on your computer, pretty nifty.
So once you either register or press Skip, you are presented with the worst menu I have ever seen. Honestly, a simple UI revamp would do this application some good. Before using the actual application for a real road-trip, I would recommend going through the basic settings. I set my Night mode to automatic, told it to warn me if I am speeding in a posted area, and to show POI (Points of Interest). To navigate, you simply enter an address or select a favorite. You can move over to the “My Locations” button at the bottom that gives you a handful more options to chose from.
Actually using the GPS system when driving is a joy. When driving you can select the plus icon en route and make an instant playlist, right from the music in the iPod application, it is pretty sweet and even turns down the music when giving you a turning direction. The obvious buttons are present, including but not limited to, “replay recent direction, mute, and estimated trip time.” If you are going to buy a car mount, it appears to me that it currently does not support landscape mode, which is a shame. Another concern I should note is that it does not pronounce the names of turns, for example instead of saying “Exit 101 Right onto Agoura Road,” it simply says “Exit approaching on the Right.” Quite obnoxious if you are going 65 on the US-101 freeway with exits passing you by. Rest assured, it does display the next turn or exit on the screen, a quick glance will suffice.
All in all, it is a pretty feature packed turn-by-turn GPS system. If the quirks really do get you confused and agitated, Navigon has their new MyRegion application for a small fortune of $18. Navigon is well known for their excellent traffic reporting and street view of lanes. But for budget strapped students or just the usual chap trying to squeeze every last drop of feature out of their iPhone 4, it is a great download to keep in your pocket and familiarize yourself with, in case of an emergency.
NOTE for those on limited internet plans: Skobbler downloads the map data as you travel the road, other navigation applications take up 1-2GB of map data on your iPhone.
