ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation. Features Augmented Reality & 3D Mapping, is it worth the spend?
by Paul Wilks
Jun 28, 2012 2:42 PM –
Install
ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation is a premium mapping and navigation app that offers a great deal in terms of functionality. Boasting numerous features for free and very many more for premium users, it can certainly offer more to the user than the like of Google Maps. The only question is, do you need it?
Price: Free, plus License Purchases (up to $125 annually)
Tested on: HTC One X
Content Rating: Medium Maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- High-res 3D content for major cities!
- Smooth maps!
- Turn-by-turn navigation for premium users!
- ‘Follow Me’ Augmented Reality navigation for premium users!
- Speed camera and other traffic information for premium users!
Cons
- Full premium services requires a series of monthly and/or annual licences.
Features:
ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation is a powerful and fully-featured navigation tool for Android devices. It provides all the kind of things you’d expect; navigation, access to lots of maps and search. The maps looks good and are very smooth to search and scroll through. You can also select day or night view for light and dark maps. These kind of options add to a slick app environment that is very well polished.
You get much of this for free, but then there are premium features you have to buy a licence for. More on the licences and costing soon, but I thought I’d highlight some of the extras you get. Firstly, navigation is turn by turn and voice guided (59 different languages). Navigation is also available in 2D, 3D and Augmented Reality. The AR essentially features a virtual car for you to follow, in addition to clear lines to your destination. You can select between the fastest or shortest route, depending on your preferences. Furthermore there are real-time traffic and speed camera settings for additional journey control. You can add way points and the app even provides detailed lane guidance should you need it. Now, you can try these for free initially but then you will have to buy a license.
Licenses are either for 30 days or ‘perpetual’ (which I’m assuming means annual) for Navigation and costs £6.99/$10.90 and $44.99/$70.18 respectively. Speed camera and Traffic information are an additional cost at £17.49/$27.28 each, per year. A quick calculation would suggest therefore that using the app to its full potential will set you back nearly $125 per year, every year. While the app is full of cool features, you have to wonder how much you need them when Google Maps provides a great deal already for free.
For me, the stand out features were the 3D buildings (although these are only available in big cities) and the AR view which lets you follow a virtual car to your destination. Obviously the value traffic information depends very much on your location and how variable traffic is. If you don’t travel too far or visit the same places often, you’ll probably know the location of speed cameras anyway. Alternatively, if you travel a lot in areas in which you are completely unfamiliar, such features could be extremely useful to you.
Watch on Mobile
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Follow Me AR
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – 3d buildings in big cities
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Plan route
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Zoomed out
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Zoomed out satellite view
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Tilted night view
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Smooth maps make the app easy to use
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Weather
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Tilted map view
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – 2D Map view, overhead, day view
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – In-map settings
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Shortcuts
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Download maps
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Map layers
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – More
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Map settings
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – Buying licenses
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ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation – About
Usefulness:
ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation works really well and, all things considered, it’s a truly powerful and very useful app. Whether the bells and whistles you get with the app is worth the price over the free Google solution, is very much down to the user. Personally, while I’m impressed with the app, I’m not entirely convinced.
Ease of Use:
The app is incredibly easy to use and ideal for both beginners and those experienced with sat-nav solutions. It’s a very professional product that appears to have been built very much with the user in mind.
Frequently Used:
I think if you’re going to spend that kind of money on an app it’s going to have to be something you use a great deal- daily probably.
Interface:
The interface is very polished and looks good. I prefer the UI of Google Maps, but there isn’t a huge amount between them. It perhaps looks more like a traditional sat-nav device than a mobile interface, not necessarily a bad thing.
Tags:
3D Maps,
Android App,
Android Apps,
AndroidTapp.com App Review,
Augmented Reality,
Google Maps,
Google Navigation,
navigation,
ROUTE 66 Maps and Navigation,
Sat-Nav,
Turn by Turn Directions
Categorised in: Travel
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