We loaded TeleNav's 3-D mapping app onto a few cell phones and roamed the streets of New York, searching out local hot spots. Did the GPS software help us find our way, or leave us lost?
Review summary of the TeleNav GPS Navigator:
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 While we prefer the TeleNav navigation system to VZ Navigator, (read the review), this GPS software add-on is far from perfect. We liked TeleNav's intuitive interface, and navigation (both while driving and on foot) was always accurate, even when the system didn't find our favorite shortcuts. However, the software's much-vaunted 3-D mapping abilities, while cool at first glance, lack the topographical details (such as mountains, buildings and other terrain) that you'll find in Google Earth; indeed, the maps were clean to the point of being sparse. We were also disappointed by TeleNav's spotty points-of-interest database, which had trouble directing us to such obvious locales as parking garages and mass transit hubs. Release: November 2006. Price: $10.
Pros: 3-D mapping. Accurate pedestrian navigation. Clean and intuitive interface.
Cons: Disappointing points of interest. No zoom on navigation maps. Slightly inaccurate, especially while moving slowly on foot.
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Full TeleNav GPS Navigator Review:
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Interface - Very good
TeleNav has a slightly different interface depending on the version and model of phone you are using. We tested the software on a trio of Sprint phones: the Samsung SPH-M610 multimedia flip phone, the Palm Treo 700p, and the RIM Blackberry 8703e. On each, menu options were the same, with Navigation, Business Finder, and Maps options; on the Treo, the options were arranged as icons for the touch screen. TeleNav crams in street, city, state, and ZIP fields into its main search interface, compared to the intuitive single-field interface on Google Maps; however, you only have to enter the first five letters of a street name, and you can enter a street address and zip code without the city and state. Once you have the map on screen, navigating is easy and intuitive. On the Blackberry, clicking the wheel brings up a menu to switch between 2-D, 3-D, and turn-only views, and each of these loaded quickly.
Maps - Good
TeleNav is capable of 3-D mapping, which basically tilts the perspective of the 2-D map and adds an artificial horizon, an uncannily blue sky (even at night). There is no texture or elevation on these maps, and no buildings or structures. Also, there seems to be two classes of maps on TeleNav: those called up under the "Navigation" option, and those that appear under the "Maps" option. Navigation maps were not as detailed as those accessible from the Maps option; often, small side streets were missing, and the software skipped some shortcuts we know that rely on smaller, more direct streets. Also, there is no zoom option for maps while you are navigating, though you can zoom in on a location from the Maps menu. The "Current Location" function was fairly accurate, though during our tests in Manhattan, updates to our maps were often a couple of blocks off. Address accuracy was good, often within 100 feet or less of the actual building address.
Navigation - Very good
The 3-D mapping was very helpful, especially on confusing highway on-ramps, of which there are plenty in northern New Jersey. Navigating with TeleNav was always accurate, but on smaller side streets, we wondered why the software didn't choose a more direct or faster route. It did a good job letting us know the distance to the next turn, but often the system did not update quickly enough to keep up with numerous quick turns. On one trip into New York City from New Jersey, the Blackberry took about five minutes to realize that we had chosen the I-78 Express lane instead of local roads, even though the local route had veered off miles before. In fact, in most instances of steadily moving traffic, the navigation arrow seemed to keep moving for a few seconds after we stopped at a light. Going through the Holland Tunnel, the software was dumbfounded, and needed a few moments once we emerged to compose itself. Happily, pedestrian navigation, at which VZ Navigator completely flopped, was smart and accurate on TeleNav. It directed us properly southward down northbound streets, and our only complaint was that it tended to circumvent parks and green spaces.
Points of Interest - Good
The list of available businesses in TeleNav is impressive, but ultimately disappointing in the results it suggests. We searched for gas stations in Manhattan, and TeleNav delivered a list ranked by lowest price. Searching for dry cleaners produced an exhaustive list, including a tiny unlabeled storefront only 500 feet away that we would have otherwise missed. Airports are a top-level menu option, which seems strange; we would have preferred gas stations or perhaps hospitals in its place. We were at first delighted to find a "Parking" option under the "Travel" section; unfortunately, TeleNav didn't find any results within five miles of our New York office -- not even the prominent garage that's right down the street. Additionally, the Mass Transit section coughed up a series of administrative offices, when we obviously just wanted to find the nearest subway stop. Finally, the navigator suggested nine taco joints under the Fast Food menu, but they were all Taco Bell restaurants, and we know a few better places here in the East Village.
Odds and Ends
We originally planned to test the TeleNav software on a Nokia E62 from Cingular, but even with the help of technical support, we could not get the Nokia phone to accurately recognize the GPS module. With our Treo 700p and the same receiver, we had no such issues.
Selected TeleNav-capable phones
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Palm Treo 700p
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Score: 60% When: May 2006 Worth: $250 - $650 Carrier: Sprint, Verizon Wireless
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The 700p brings speedy 3G data access to the Palm OS line of Treos, along with wireless modem capabilities, Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and even live TV. Ben Patterson gives this long-anticipated smartphone the once-over.
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Read » Gallery » Features » Side-by-side »
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Samsung SPH-M610
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Score: 82% When: November 2006 Worth: $130 - $330 Carrier: Sprint
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This wafer-thin clamshell features stereo Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera and access to Sprint's Music Store and TV services. Does the M610 belong in your pocket?
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Read » Gallery »
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Price and availability
TeleNav GPS Navigator is available to Sprint and Cingular customers for $10 per month.
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