Navigon Mobile Navigator (NMN) is the latest turn-by-turn GPS navigation application you can download for you Android device. What differentiates this from the rest of the pack is that you can continue to navigate without a data connection.  They sent us a copy to take a look at and I’ve been using it for the last few weeks to see what all the fuss is about.
Who is Navigon?
NAVIGON AG is a world-leading manufacturer of high-quality navigation systems. Innovative technologies and exciting design characterise each of our products. We also produce GPS software for reputable consumer electronics manufacturers, and professional, highly flexible navigation solutions for the commercial market and the automotive OEM market.
Leading the market through innovation, sustainability and experience
In 1991, NAVIGON introduced the world’s first dynamic GPS navigation system. Our pioneering spirit from back then remains our driving force today, constantly impelling us to develop new and improved solutions. Â Our goal: to continuously optimise the quality and safety of our products for our customers. We build on innovation, sustainability and many years of experience. NAVIGON is setting new benchmarks in navigation with quality, a focus on the future and design.
For a true perspective that won’t simply serve for tomorrow – but far beyond.
Egon Minar CEO – NAVIGON AG
There are so many options to personalize NMN to your driving habits that it’s hard for me to make sure I use and cover all of them in this review. The major options include:
- 2D or 3D display
- Enable or disable internet connection usage
- Day and night modes
- Speeding announcements configured to your limits
- Red Light camera warnings
- Optimize Traffic recognition to allow Navigon to collect traffic and driving data and calculate better routes in future
- Download the Maps to your device for off line usage
Some of the key features of the application itself include:
Text to Speech:
NMN for Android has one of the clearest sounding text to speech engine implementations I’ve heard on any device.  When you’re listening to Google Maps Navigation you can clearly tell that the very computer-sounding voice is being generated by a text to speech engine.  When you’re listening to the voice in NMN, it’s almost hard to tell because the announcements are so clear and natural. This is a big plus for this software and makes the whole experience much more enjoyable. There is nothing worse than hearing an announcement from a GPS unit and then thinking, “What did it just say?” I never had this problem with NMN.
Reality View:
From Navigon:
Getting in lane made easy: with NAVIGON Reality View Pro, you’ll be informed in good time about motorway junctions and when you need to change lanes. Thanks to photo-realistic displays of exits and the actual junction number, you’ll be able to follow the signs. So you will always have your bearings
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Reality view attempts to bring up a view of the major junctions you’re coming to, making it easier for you to navigate into the correct lanes and make sure you don’t miss your exit.  I have to say that I was very impressed the few times this feature kicked in. I could have sworn that the city in the background was actually Chicago.  It wasn’t, but it sure made the view look really nice.
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Live Traffic Feed:
From Navigon:
Thanks to traffic information in real time, NAVIGON users can find out where the roads are clear with Traffic Live. You will be recommended the best route for you at all times – taking the current traffic situation into consideration. You can buy Traffic Live directly over the App Purchase of your MobileNavigator software.
Navigation software isn’t complete unless it has good live traffic information that can be used to redirect your journey around congested areas and get you to your destination as quickly as possible.  Navigon Live Traffic Feeds certainly seem to do just that.  I’ve taken a few drives into downtown Chicago using the software, and if you’ve ever experienced Chicago traffic, you’ll realize how important a feature like this really is.  A Friday evening drive home was made a lot more enjoyable by Navigon as it redirected around most of the major traffic delays.  Sometimes this may not get you home much quicker as you end up on slow roads, but it’s much nicer than just sitting in stationary traffic on the highways.  The redirections seemed to work very well with one exception: Navigon kept recalculating my journey every couple of minutes, which became a little annoying. This was only a small complaint given the overall experience it provided.
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Lane Assist:
From Navigon:
Lane Assistant Pro helps you to make your way through even the most hectic traffic situations. It provides you with a clear look ahead, showing you whether you need to change lanes for this turn and the next.
The Lane Assist feature provides you with a quick snap shot of the lanes ahead and helps you navigate into the the best lane for any upcoming junctions or exits. While this is a cool feature, I have to say that I didn’t really use this display much. When it did appear on my screen, I was just following the voice prompts and ensuring that I was in the right lane as directed. If I was driving around in an area that I was unfamiliar with, I guess this may have been more useful, but I know the Chicago roads and knew which lanes to get into at the right time.
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The Interface:
It’s hard getting used to navigation software after you’ve used Google Maps with Navigation for so long, but Navigon has made the interface to NMN very simple and easy to use.  You get four large icons on the front page of the application for Entering an Address, Searching for Points of Interest (POI), Taking you Home and Showing the Map. Across the bottom of the display are three smaller icons to Display your Favorite Locations, Recent Destinations, and your Contacts to allow you to use an address from your contact list.  I used the Take Me Home button more than anything else and this is something that any navigation software should have. The first time you select this option, you are asked to enter the address you want to set as your home and then you’re never asked again.
Entering an address is pretty easy. You first select the state or country you’re looking for and then the city. The list of available places is constantly updating, narrowing down the selection to anything matching what you’ve already typed.  The next step is to enter the street name and then finally the building number for your destination.
Once you’re done entering your address, NMN will show you the location you entered:
Hit the Start Navigation button and NMN will calculate the best routes and give you three options to choose from:
Select the best option for you and your turn-by-turn navigation will start.
Enhanced target information:
Want to know what parking options are available at your destination and where you can satisfy your hunger pangs after your journey? This function has the answer. With Extended Destination Information, you can find out interesting information on your destination area before you even set off down the road
Reality Scanner:
The new kind of POI search is the easiest way of finding special destinations in your immediate neighborhood. Just select your map view and point your phone in the direction you want information for. Thanks to the combination of camera and integrated compass, the display then shows restaurants, hotels, filling stations, etc. close to your position.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, NMN is one of the best turn-by-turn navigation applications you can get on the Android Market today. Â It’s been completely error free during my testing and was always smooth and accurate. As I said previously, the voice announcements are some of the clearest I’ve heard in any application. Â The interface is a little different to Google Maps with Navigation, but that’s to be expected and once you’re used to it, it’s simple and intuitive.
NMN is not the cheapest application you can download from the Android Market.  At $60, it is going to take some deep pockets to justify this navigation over the free Google Maps with Navigation.  While it does have some fairly serious advantages over its competitors, I’m not sure it justifies such a high price tag.  Being able to use the software, even when you don’t have a data connection is a big plus, but not really a money saver.  If you have the type of device this software is going to run on, then you likely have an unlimited data plan to go with it.
This may change in the future as many networks are starting to apply restrictions to your data usage or offer lower rate plans with more data restrictions.  Having a navigation application that isn’t constantly using the data connection to fetch its maps and information could be come a big plus.
If you like what you’ve seen in this review, you can find out more information about this pretty cool piece of software in the AndroidStory application site or head directly to the Navigon Web site.
If you want to purchase Navigon Mobile Navigator for Android, it’s available on the Android Market now for $60. Â You can click or scan the QRCode below to head to the Android Market now.
