Sygic GPS Navigation evaluation: Do you have to pay for navigation-apps?

When you sort the title Sygic into the Google Play Retailer, you may discover a number of apps. That is as a result of the Slovakian firm gives various variations for truckers and campers and even an app for evaluating fuel-prices. Based on Wikipedia, Sygic GPS Navigation is the “world’s most used offline navigation software program for smartphones”.

One of many causes for Sygic’s recognition is that it is freed from cost and also you solely have to pay when you want to use the premium options. Sygic’s free-version already gives offline-maps, an offline-search, numerous POIs and even warns you about velocity cameras. The desk under ought to make it straightforward so that you can perceive what you get further with the premium model.

In case these options look convincing sufficient to pay for a premium+-plan, you must select between two totally different subscriptions. You both pay 29.99 Euros every year, or 13.99 Euros each three months. This leads to month-to-month prices of two.49 Euros for the annual subscription and 4.66 Euros for the three-month-plan.

The largest shortcoming of the free model is the shortage of voice-instructions. These are fairly important for in-car-navigation as a result of in any other case you’d continuously take a look at your telephone for directions. On the identical time, the overview exhibits how intensive Sygic’s Premium+-plan is. That is the rationale why I will present you sure fascinating options in a while. However first, let’s check out Sygic’s UI and design! Quick spoiler: Sygic is very helpful whereas driving.

Whereas “regular” apps will be super-stylish, the main target of Sygic Navigation is especially it is ease-of-use. In spite of everything, Sygic must be as straightforward to make use of as attainable while you cease along with the highway to vary your route (wink!).

As widespread with navigation apps, you should use Sygic each in vertical- and landscape-modes. There, you see a map in a top-view or a barely angled 3D-view and management all options from right here. There’s additionally a search bar on the high of your display screen that works for each addresses and POIs.

It’s commendable that Sygic doesn’t solely depend on map-control by way of gestures. There’s a “+” and a “-” image on the best edge that allows you to zoom out, zoom in and change between 3D- and 2D-mode. 9 different menu gadgets, together with real-view-navigation, the dashcam-feature and the head-up show will be accessed by way of the three dots on the backside proper of the display screen.

All different settings and particular options are accessible by way of a sidebar. You will shortly discover that Sygic made all the most vital options shortly accessible and moved every little thing else away from the navigation display screen. A very good choice that fits the intent and function of Sygic very effectively.

Numerous options and handiness aren’t any use if you don’t get to your vacation spot shortly and protected. That is why we took Sygic for a experience by means of Berlin and tried out the navigation and checked how the app avoids highway closures or site visitors jams. Let’s make 4 stops alongside the way in which to speak about sure elements once more!

Cease 1: High quality of the maps and routes

All of the maps that Sygic makes use of are created by TomTom. In case you do not know, TomTom is a Dutch firm that manufactures transportable satnavs and is without doubt one of the market leaders on this planet of navigation programs. Thus, the maps are of the highest high quality. As a premium buyer, you may obtain updates for these maps as soon as a month.

The digital Berlin is on par with the actual model and in addition competes with Google’s digital model in Maps. One other optimistic factor I observed is that even home numbers are included – and there are even 3D fashions of buildings. This lends a better high quality really feel to the maps included in Sygic.

The route-guidance in Sygic Navigation additionally works at a better degree. Nevertheless, in observe I had issues with one-way streets, into which Sygic needed to direct me many times. On the whole, Sygic usually chooses a unique route than Google Maps, however that is not unhealthy per se.

If you cannot drive right into a avenue and select a detour, Sygic will routinely calculate a brand new route. Though you must be a bit of extra cautious driving by means of the world to not violate any site visitors legal guidelines, Sygic is an effective companion whereas touring. Particularly since all maps are offline and detours by no means result in issues as a consequence of lack of connectivity.

Cease 2: Visitors jams, closures and POIs

In international cities you do not all the time know the place you might be or the place to go and journeys by no means go with out issues. Sygic gives tens of millions of POIs – “Factors of Curiosity”, i.e. eating places, parking garages, public locations and extra. Opening hours and costs of parking garages will be seen on the show when internet-connection is energetic, too. Scores like Google Maps gives are usually not depicted, although.

If there are roadworks on the way in which, Sygic Navigation will routinely navigate round them. And that is precisely the place it pays off to be a Premium buyer, because the month-to-month updates present way more up-to-date maps. Along with the up to date closures, you might also be capable of keep away from highway works as a result of function for traffic-jam-avoidance.

This function cannot relay on map-updates alone so Sygic contains data from TomTom Visitors. Much like Google, TomTom gathers data of a number of million units to detect site visitors jams. With an energetic internet-connection, you take pleasure in up-to-date site visitors data.

Cease 3: Lane assistant and voice output

The built-in lane-assistant turned out to be notably helpful for navigation whereas in a automotive. It is an actual benefit in comparison with Google Maps. If you must flip left at a significant intersection, Sygic exhibits you which of them lane to make use of in a small window. The entire thing works unobtrusively and is admittedly useful in massive cities like Berlin.

Additionally sensible within the massive metropolis: The frequency of the voice output. If you do not know your approach round and do not need to take a look at your cell phone continuously, it is actually cool. It is a bit of a disgrace that you must obtain and activate the pure voice within the settings first. That is as a result of the default text-to-speech-voice does not sound very nice.

Cease 4: Discovering parking area, gasoline costs and charging e-cars

For the final cease, we arrive at our vacation spot and need to both refill our automotive with fuel or search for a parking storage. Sygic will provide help to with all of those actions.

With a faucet on the parking image, Sygic routinely appears to be like for parking areas close to your vacation spot. In case you have an energetic web connection, you may also see the costs and opening hours right here. The identical applies to the gasoline costs of fuel stations, though Sygic additionally gives a separate app referred to as “Fuelio” for locating the most affordable fuel stations.

As we’re already speaking about thrilling extra options: Sygic seems to be an actual goldmine in the case of extras! And I would like to enter extra element on a number of options that I already talked about within the desk above. Let’s begin with Android Auto, as a result of there’s been a number of modifications right here lately.

Android Auto and CarPlay: native app because of third-party openings

In August 2020, Google opened up the “Android Auto”-platform to third-party apps providing car parking zone searches, navigation or present electrical charging stations. This results in Sygic benefiting from a local app. This integration will let you launch Sygic instantly out of your automotive’s infotainment system.

The precise computing work remains to be achieved in your telephone, however the operation and voice output is completed by your automotive. In on a regular basis use, this function is super-comfortable. You’ll be able to management the Sygic-interface by way of your automotive’s touchscreen and the voice-commands are built-in into your automobiles radio. Whether or not you should go left or proper on the subsequent junction can be proven on the display screen.

If you do not have an Android-smartphone, you do profit from the mixing into Apple’s CarPlay-system. It is a function we could not check in our evaluation although.

Dashcam and AR navigation

In conclusion, it is protected to say that Sygic is a extremely good offline-navigation-app. The convenience-of-use matches the standard of the maps and the extra options are fairly superior. The month-to-month prices are justified in my eyes, in case you are prepared to pay for a navigation-app in any respect.

Sygic advised me that the principle customers of GPS Navigation are households with dad and mom over the age of 45. Accordingly, the use case can be family-trips with longer driving hours. In these instances, you’ll be able to simply save plenty of information fees and never depend upon a cell service in your navigation information.

I am 28, distant from having youngsters and stay in Germanys largest and most fashionable metropolis. Thus I am the other of Sygic’s goal group. However I nonetheless discovered the premium-features fascinating – particularly the lane-assistant which to me, is a giant benefit navigating by means of busy Berlin.

Each Sygic-user, even with no subscription, can good thing about high-quality offline-maps that let you shortly discover POIs and steering even when you’re in areas with out cell-service. The offline-maps aren’t too massive, as effectively. All German roads solely take up about one gigabyte of area on my telephone.

Sygic can be various when you do not need to give all of your navigation-data to Google or Apple. Although the entry to your GPS must be granted, you do not have to share each POI or deal with you need to navigate to. Final however not the least, you’ll be able to improve your previous automotive with some new options just like the HUD or a dashcam.

Are you curious about Sygic and need to attempt it out your self? You’ll be able to obtain the app without spending a dime and even check out the Premium+-features for a number of days as a trial.

This text was written in cooperation with Sygic. Which means NextPit acquired a fee for the publication. This had no affect on the editorial content material.