Gokivo GPS: Our review of the iPhone app

The iPhone version of the Gokivo Navigation app.

GPS software for smart phones just keeps rolling off the virtual conveyor belts at companies that develop navigation software. We’ve tested a bunch already—here’s one more, freshly reviewed: the Gokivo Navigator app.

Gokivo is a subscription-based navigation application for your Blackberry or iPhone. We tested the iPhone version, which cost $5 for the initial download plus $10 per month (a non-recurring charge) after a free 30-day trial period. The original download is small, at 2.7 MB. Unlike larger apps that charge a higher one-time fee to download all the maps onto your phone, Gokivo is server-based—like the AT&T Navigator—and loads maps and points of interest dynamically, as you need them.

The Gokivo version we tested, 4.4.2, has text-to-speech (a useful feature increasingly seen on GPS apps), real-time traffic, and the ability to play music while running the app on your iPhone, something not every iPhone app can do.

From our testers, here’s the bottom line:

Gokivo is a viable option for iPhone users seeking navigation guidance, especially those looking just for a short-term solution. But the monthly fee can quickly dwarf the cost of competing applications and even rival the prices of traditional [standalone units] after a year—but without all the features or ease of use. There are benefits to the always-current database, especially with businesses closing or changing hands during the troubled economy. But many users may not find the differences compared to the data in downloaded applications to be worth the monthly charge.

Check out the full review of the Gokivo Navigator. —Nick K. Mandle

Comments

[Tim Pease]

@Packaging - While I also like Google Maps for searching (I actually prefer MapQuest Mobile), the problem is you need a cellular signal to see the map (just like Gokivo and AT&T Navigator to name a couple). If you have no cellular signal, you will just see a blue dot on your blank screen. That is why having a cheap,decent native app with the maps stored on your device (like Sygic or Copilot) is a good thing to have if you are relying on your iPhone as a PND.

[Packaging USA]

In my experience, though, the best navigation software for your phone is Google Maps. Just like pretty much everything else Google, the maps software is extremely easy to use and works very well. If your phone has built-in GPS, you get your GPS signal and it tells you exactly where you are, but Google Maps can even find you if your phone doesn't have GPS! It can triangulate your position using the cell phone signals (just like on T.V. detective shows), although the precision is not nearly as high as GPS.