Review: Motorola Droid with free Google Maps Navigation

Navigation options continue to expand, with cell phones and smart phones providing alternatives to traditional portable navigation devices (PNDs). The latest such option is Google Maps Navigation, included in beta form on Android 2.0 devices. While Google Maps has long been available on the iPhone, this latest version offers true Google turn-by-turn directions for the first time on a mobile device. (Read our Android 2.0 navigation preview.)
 
The free Google Maps Navigation launches on the Motorola Droid phone with Verizon service. The Google service will expand to other phones and smart-phone platforms running other operating systems.
 
We tested the Google navigator on the Droid, a slider-style phone with a full QWERTY keyboard. The Droid has a 3.7-inch screen, giving it an advantage over the 3.5-inch iPhone screen. It also has the ability to run multiple applications at once, unlike the Apple phone. Perhaps the greater advantage is that it is on the Verizon network, rather than AT&T, which as been higher rated in our national cell phone surveys. (See our iPhone navigation app reviews.)
 
Verizon has the exclusive on the Motorola Droid, which is priced at $199, after a $100 rebate. Nationwide cell-phone voice plans begin at $40 a month, with e-mail/Web data plan adding at least $30.
 
Like other cell-phone navigators, Google Maps Navigation is server based—meaning it downloads maps and points of interest data as needed, rather than storing a large database on the device. Consequently, a data plan is required to use it. In addition, a cell signal is needed—limiting its usefulness in some remote places. In areas without a 3G network, downloading maps and recalculating routes can be slowed. An upside of this approach is that there is no need for map upgrades.
 
Test findings
As a navigator, Google Maps Navigation has common features, including spoken street names, and provides adequate routing. However, it does not include some features found on mid-priced PNDs and even some iPhone applications, such as reality view and lane assistance.
 
On the other hand, the free, bundled Android application has some of the more enticing features found in the online version of Google Maps. For example, a user can layer additional information on the main map screen, such as real-time traffic patterns, selected POIs, and satellite imagery of the actual landscape. “Street view” provides a photographic street-level representation, with the ability to zoom and pan the area. This could potentially be helpful when identifying a destination. All navigators indicate “you have arrived,” though this can theoretically literally show your destination.
 
These innovative features are novel, but the practical use when driving is limited. The satellite layer makes it more challenging to interpret the map at a glance, and street view can be confusing, as we found it often wasn’t accurate.
 
Following the connected trend among navigation devices, Google Maps Navigation taps users to supply traffic information, to provide user reviews for POIs, and to share their current location with Google Latitude.
 
Basic route guidance is adequate, providing turn-by-turn directions. Address entry is mixed. Some users found the onscreen menus to be less intuitive than those found on a traditional PND, and the touch-screen operation is less intuitive. The slide-out keyboard provides an alternative method to entering data, but its keys are small and closely placed. We found using it to be more difficult than with other competing devices. However, the Droid does have plain-speech voice recognition, allowing for verbal data entries in a more natural way than premium PNDs with voice recognition. We found this worked well.
 
The application sometimes feels more like using Google.com via a handheld, than an integrated solution. For example, a query from the main menu leads to Google.com, which can be confusing. To get results like on traditional PND, a user must be on the map screen (or navigation) then perform a search.  This will drop pins on the map and a user can select a pin to navigate too. The user can view the results in a list, as well, by tapping an icon.
 
When receiving a call, the screen changes and the map is no longer visible. This effectively negates the Android’s multitasking capabilities, whose chief in-car benefit would be to use the phone and navigation simultaneously.
 
Bottom line
The power and potential of Google Maps Navigation has captured the attention of the GPS industry and tech enthusiasts, but this service has a way to go to be compared among the best solutions for GPS navigation. That being said, if you decide to buy a phone with Google Maps Navigation preinstalled, it is adequate and would eliminate the need to pay for GPS and traffic services. But don’t let this software be the leading reason to purchase an Android 2.0 phone.

As we have seen with iPhone applications, software can advance rapidly. Clearly, Google Maps Navigation has promise. Consequently, competitors will likely redouble their development efforts, ensuring consumers have better navigation choices down the road. For now, we favor the better iPhone applications such as Navigon, Tomtom, and MotionX offerings for the combination of software and hardware.

For frequent use, a dedicated portable navigator remains the best choice.

 —Jeff Bartlett and Frank Spinelli

Also read:
Droid vs. iPhone: A 10-round bout
Our first impressions of the Motorola Droid
Garmin Nuvifone G60 navigation review

See our reviews of AT&T Navigator, iGo My Way, Gokivo, Navigon Mobile Navigator, Sygic Mobile Maps, TomTom iPhone application, and X Road G-Map for iPhone.

Images courtesy Motorola and Google.

Comments

[Pieraldi]

I think this phone is simply an amazing development. If you want a phone/pda that will make you happy, this is it. You can compare and quip on this or that with any product. But honestly – this is truly and amazing step forward for Motorola. It’s remarkable a company, google, can develop an OS and open community with relatively little enduser friction.
I have had a nit with attachments to my exchange client not working, and a small nit about learning to use the keyboard. But as for all the other stuff, there is an app or will be an app to remedy the issue soon enough.
+1 for the phone. If you want one, buy it. Its that good. Don’t compare it to the iPhone, this if anything is a rim killer.

No do all device is perfect, and a dedicated GPS is a great idea, but this one is fantastic in a pinch.

[peetee]

So its judgment day today for Droid, was it? According to Cnet it was a little bit slow nonetheless a good start of droid, other "critiques" says otherwise. But I say, "Hell yeah! droid conquered US for a couple of hours today". We just hope that their ROI is profitable compare to the hunderds of thousand worth of ads they spend during the promotion period and err.. did I say, their impending "lawsuit" with AT&T too?

Hope Droid will serve as a hand of midas to Verizon Corp. Soweet

[droiduser]

You can do a navigation search from either the home screen or within NAV- you just need to preface the search with "navigate to" and then make your query. It actually works very well. Also phone and navigation do work simultaneously. You might want to play with it a little more and post another review.

[smith]

I would never give up my iPhone, but the Droid's pretty cool

[JC]

I have owned a Droid since Friday. Now...let's discuss the "bad" keyboard "News Sites" have reported on. All I can figure is that somewhere an Apple iPhone fan reviewed the Droid and purposefully trashed the (Gosh forbid) physical keyboard. Now every reviewer is copying the quote to save time...instead of trying the damn thing. It took all of 5 minutes to fall in love with it. First, the keys are well spaced...so typing accuracy is superb. Second, they have just the right amount of spring when pressed, unlike other keyboards. Third, the lack of beveled keys was a worry of mine, but it turns out to be better. It makes for quicker typing since you can slide your thumbs from key to key quicker. I didnt expect that. Last...the onscreen keyboard (if you prefer in some cases) is actually worlds better than iPhone. With this one, you can use fingernails and sharp objects, unlike the iPhone. Now on to SW. As far as ease of use...it's closely mirrors Apple in every respect and at times improves upon it. The flick to scroll seems more intuitive than Apple. Screen layouts are beautiful. I LOVE having GPS, which iPhone does not. Another missed point, you are not forced to use some 3rd party app like iTunes for iPhone. You just copy pics/music right to the flash through USB and the Droid finds/sorts them. Apps are downloaded instantly over the air. Video is stunning on the higher res screen. This is coming from someone who has had MANY smartphones through the years...I am blown away.

[Tony F.]

I agree with your positive comments about the Motion-X Drive app on the iPhone. It isn't free, but is priced very reasonably. The "Next Turn" page is my favorite, and something I don't remember ever seeing on any other GPS unit. It provides all the info you need for navigating without the clutter and distractions of a map display.

[Rob Somerville]

I purchased the Droid the very first day it dropped, which was 11-6-09 and on 11-10-09 it was returned. Verizons service doesn't compare to AT&T. While engaged in a conversation, one can't email nor send or receive multi media messages. This poses a problem for business people like myself. When I called Verizon and asked about it, they suggested that I use the wifi feature. I then said, suppose wifi isn't available, then what??????? I was coming from a platform which supported this and I realized that I had to go back. The maneuverability is very difficult on the phone. Text messages come through as threads and it's very difficult to separate them if the same person sends you a few. I found that I erased a thread of messages and the next day when that person sent me a message, the same messages reappeared, along with the new one that was sent.

It's difficult to type on the keyboard because it's not comfortable and I sometimes felt like my teenage daughter who has a sidekick. It doesn't sync with Mac and I'm certain that Apple won't allow it too, at least anytime soon; they'd rather you buy the Iphone. The camera is more than decent but there is no zoom feature for the camcorder. Video sharing is limited to 30 seconds and sometimes it was difficult to use. It's difficult to upload your music on it didn't even come with one game for entertainment purposes. The touch flo feature is cool, but it's not as responsive as the Iphone, but it does work well.

Also, it's hard to tell if applications are really closed or if they're just put on hold. The battery life isn't that great, not in comparison to my Nokia E71. One also is required to have a Gmail account in order for the phone to operate, and if you don't have one, the reps at Verizon will create an account for you. To me, this doesn't make sense. The facebook app wasn't that great and it didn't update in real time.

However, one of the best things on the phone is the free Google map, which gives you both onscreen and verbal directions. This feature is really hot and it beats out any other phone that I've seen to date.

In closing, it's a cool phone for the kids, but for a techi and phone enthusiast, it's really not that impressive. One might as well opt for the Iphone.

[Ethan]

Was the device reviewed using the car window mount? If not, I wonder if that might eliminate some of the issues, such as searching from the wrong menu and the display switching with an incoming phone call.

[dsi r4]

Battery Life, Email set up for incoming not outgoing, dislike the keyboard but I can learn to live with that..

[hotdroidphonenews.com]

The single touch thing really sucks but in my opinion the big screen and the keyboard of the Motorola Droid make up for that. Like the software too. Navigation is very fast.

[KellyKell]

The navigation software is still technically running in BETA which means that it will be improving soon as more and more tests are done of the service. The OS and software can always be updated, and if you're able to adapt to the hardware it's worth holding out for open source updates.

[r4i software]

Ability to modify your route on the fly, access to alternate routes, very easy to use..