With iOS 4 making its big debut for the iPhone 3G/3GS and iPhone 4, iPhone Developers are slowly updating their apps to take advantage of multitasking. iPhone users never had any free turn by turn navigation apps that have been particularly useful–until now.
MapQuest 4 Mobile: Free Turn by Turn Voice Navigation
MapQuest 4 Mobile is a free turn by turn voice navigator for the iPhone. The app requires a data connection to work (unlike some standalone GPS apps) and runs in the background to give you real time turn by turn directions. It will read street names out loud and re-route if you make a wrong turn.
Here is the iTunes description of MapQuest 4 Mobile:
FEATURES:
• *NEW* Spoken Street Names keeps concentration on the task at hand while providing the most critical information needed in an easy-to-understand medium: the street name where to turn- spoken in a friendly voice (e.g. ‘turn right on Colfax’).
• *NEW* MapQuest 4 Mobile organizes the myriad of purposes afforded by fast application switching and background GPS (via iOS 4) by continuing Voice Guidance & Spoken Street Names whether on a call, listening to iPod, or saving battery with the application hidden.
• *NEW* Auto Re-Route eases the stress of a missed turn, by automatically recalculating the way to the destination. No interaction with the device is necessary.
• Auto-Advance Feature improves “Find Me” by using iPhone® GPS to automatically locate you within your driving directions, recognize when you have taken a turn, and prepare you with the next maneuver – all without having to touch the screen.
• Energy savings mode allows you to set the power consumption level for MapQuest® 4 Mobile – NOW with a medium setting for continued voice guidance when the screen dims!
• Walking directions (pedestrian mode)
• Highly usable driving directions featuring an oversized display as well as landscape mode orientation.
• Save Maps and Routes on MapQuest.com and retrieve on your iPhone®.
• MapQuest® place carousel allows you to easily display locations for hotels, movie theaters, gas stations, and more with a single tap.
• Negotiate difficult turns/sets of turns with orientation arrows when viewing directions in map mode.
• Free-form search for businesses and places.
• Make your own my position icon representing You on the map. Use the built in camera or choose from a variety of existing icons.
I tested this app out briefly and it works fairly well. You can also find points of interest easily with the POI carousel along the bottom.
Considering this is FREE and gives you some nifty turn by turn directions in the background while you’re busy emailing or listening to your iPod is pretty sweet. However, the reliance on a data connection results in delays for maps to load.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Click here to download MapQuest 4 Mobile.
Thanks Nicholas for the email!
