These days just about every new Android phone comes equipped with Google Maps Navigation, the free turn-by-turn GPS navigation app that helped put Android on the map. Odds are pretty good that if you bought your phone in the last 8-12 months, it also has a paid carrier navigation app as well. Add one more to your list of navigation options, as Navmii’s iPhone app Navfree has made the jump to the Android Market.
So what makes Navfree different from the navigation apps you’re already using? One word: crowdsourscing. One of the biggest hurdles that GPS navigation has to overcome is the rapid changing of highway and road conditions, due to construction, events or other unforeseeable circumstances. Nothing ruins a good roadtrip like a sudden and unavoidable 10-mile detour. Navfrree aims to solve this problem by taking map corrections from its users. So if the traffic circle on your way to work is out of commission for a few weeks, you can let other Navfree users know, and vice versa.
The interface looks like your basic navigation app, but it’s free, so I won’t complain. It’s nice to see that is comes with maps for Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Latin America, perfect for the next time youi want to go around the world in 80,000 miles. Navfree is available now in the Android Market.
Oh, that app would be hecka good on rotaries and roundabouts!
It doesn’t have USA maps to download on the Android version 🙁
Just use Waze, it has instant updating by its users and it has free turn by turn navigation. It will also run in the back ground with voice alerts.
Yes it does have USA maps. The map viewing quality is at least as good as google tiles and the navigation is at least as good. instructions are accurate and easy to follow. This is all offline. Google has a ten mile radius for caching maps and it isnt many levels. Anyone who has a serious need for mapping and navigation is missing out if they dont have this. The only drawbacks are.. during offline, most streets are unfound in search and there are very few built in pois. It has google search built in so you can search for anything with a connection.
The point is, this app has equal or better map and nav quality to google with no data connection.