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using phone as sat-nav with PAYG ?

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18K views 32 replies 6 participants last post by  allan40alt  
#1 ·
Just a thought as my wife has her Samsung mobile on O2 Pay As You Go and I wondered whether it is viable to use a phone on a PAYG contract as sat-nav?

Does it actually cost much using a mobile phone or would she be better using her little TomTom when necessary?
 
#2 ·
Depends on her data plan and app used. some allow off line maps which can be downloaded over wifi other than that the data can be quite high to load map data.

Have you looked at SIM only deals they can work out a lot cheaper than PAYG if you use data
 
#3 ·
Thank you for your reply; yes I had considered getting a SIM only plan but she uses her phone so rarely.

A ÂŁ10 top-up will last her over 6 months! It's mainly for her to receive calls and so PAYG suits her fine....I just wondered whether it drains credit or costs much when you use the phone link for sat-nav.

Al. :thumb:
 
#6 ·
Sygic do a free offline SatNav. It impressed me enough to purchace the pro version. A lot of people rave about Wayze but whenever I tried to set a route it wanted to go online so it got uninstalled without ever being used to navigate a single route for me.

There are other free offerings but for me, sygic wins out. I now have a Garmin Drive device with lifetime maps and speed cameras which is my main navigation solution but sygic is on both my personal and company phones just in case I'm without the Garmin.
 
#7 ·
Google maps by default cannot be used offline, as you use them they are downloaded, so use quite a bit of your data allowance. You do get better traffic information but that also uses your data allowance.

My preference would always be a stand alone sat nav such as the Garmin, you get free map updates and most have traffic information too.
 
#9 · (Edited)
#11 · (Edited)
There appear to be two groups of sat nav users, Garmin and Tom Tom, and ne'er the two will mix.
I've always had Garmin, not used the other so can't comment.

I prefer the Garmin to the inbuilt one in my 308. One thing extra is an independent indication of your speed, using the sat nav. Car speedometers are never that accurate and that's all you get with the built in one.
 
#12 ·
I've just had a look at the O2 PAYG that she has and it would seem she may need a Data 'Bolt-on'.

I've just tried the 'AutoMate' app I installed on her phone and that seems to work fine....how much it will cost to use is another matter....I'll have to try it out and see how much her balance drops when she gets her car on Tuesday.

The Sygic app also worked well but that was with the free trial upgrade that will have to be paid for when it expires after a few days. Far cheaper than a Peugeot 'built-in' system though!

Her existing sat-nav is actually a Navman P-Series and not a TomTom as I thought. It's quite a few years old now. Gives voice instructions with road names though.

Just put in our daughters address in Peterborough and it showed exactly the same route as I take. The old junction over the M6/M1/A14 is of course out of date (as several others may be) but that's local and she knows that.

I've just been playing with it and it seems to work fine, although the maps will be a bit out of date! But at least it will get her 'Home' if she gets diverted.
 
#13 ·
i use a great offline map Sat Nav Called Here we go, you can download the map over wifi and then disable online mode and use as a sat nav, on both Play Store and IOS. I use it here in the UK and I have used it in America and Germany just by downloading the map for that area i am in and then when finished with it deleting it so it doesn't use my storage on my phone, there is also no limit on which countries to download neither.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I'll have a look at 'Here' as the reply I've had from Sygic is that her phone is not compatible.

I did install it and had a look so it's loaded onto her phone ok but it probably won't link to the 108 mirrorlink system as her phone app is 'AutoMate' and Sygic is also not compatible with that nor with google maps.

I have posed the question to Sygic whether their system involves any data charges or if it uses the installed maps with the app and the phones GPS location.


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.here.app.maps&hl=en_GB

PS: I'll have a browse tomorrow... https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=here+we+go+navigation



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#16 · (Edited)
I've installed 'Here' and it seems to be working fine.

Just installing the England map for off-line use.

Had a little play....btw; how do you select an alternative journey route* when 3 are presented to you?

I'll have a look on their web page to see if there are instructions I can download.

Now just need to try it out in her new 108.

Thanks for the help folks. Al. :thumb:


PS: *aha; just demonstrating the route finder to my wife and this time it gave me a selection list to choose from so it's looking good so far...
 
#17 · (Edited)
Update...

Well I set the destination to Peterborough. It should have told me to turn right at the bottom of our road but it told me to turn left.

Turning right would have led me out onto the A426 dual carriageway then up to jnc 1 of the M6 then across to the A14 etc.

Following instructions from 'Here' I would turn left and drive through the country lanes to join the A5 then up to the Gibbet roundabout then down the A426 to jnc 1 of the M6 from the opposite side!

That's about 12 miles instead of 2 miles to get to jnc 1. :angrydriv

I'll give it a test in her car but it looks like she'll be using her old NavMan if she needs assistance!!

To be fair though I am sitting upstairs in my computer room and it may be better in the car .... :notsure:


UPDATE: I just tried it out on my phone and that took me the direct route to jnc 1 of the M6 so it may be she needs a more modern phone....
 
#18 · (Edited)
Right, well I thought I put my sim card into my previous A3 phone and install Android Auto and Here WeGo.

All installed no problem. Set it for 'off-line' and installed the England map.

Tested the same destination and it gave the same directions as my current phone. Magic; worked perfectly showing the shorter route to the M6 without the detour.

Then I removed my sim card and tested it again. Brilliant; it still worked fine without any sim card installed.

I'm sure the older SIII mini phone my wife uses is the problem (at least when indoors).

Looking forward now to testing them all actually in the car.

Al. :letsprty:


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#19 ·
When you first open Here WeGo you are given the opportunity to add a shortcut for your 'Home' address.

If you pass at this initial stage, but decide to add it at a later time, you can do it by doing a long press on the little 'Home' button which is top right of the map screen.

This brings up a window to select 'Edit' or 'Add' or 'Remove' shortcut.

Playing around with this I'm liking it as it's suitable to use in the car, on public transport, cycling or walking.....you've always got a map in your pocket...:thumb:

Just hope it works in the car....
 
#20 ·
Couldn't get the 'CarMode' app to work so I've removed that and installed 'AutoMate'.

AutoMate appears on the cars home screen as a selection.

....trouble is my wife jumped into the car and has disappeared up the road so I can't test it yet...!!

:nana:
 
#21 ·
I have tried to get Here WeGo to connect with my car screen via the USB but nothing appears to work.

This is obviously something I'm not doing properly.

Does it need pairing in some way via the app? I can't find anything in settings in the app to do that though. :confused:

Many thanks, Al.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Think I've just realised what I have missed....!!

I first of all need to go into the settings of the Android Auto app and select 'connected cars' then switch on 'Add new cars to Android Auto'.

After that I think the app I open (Here WeGo) will display on the screen!

:bang:

Update...it should, and would, have connected if I had used the correct data lead. Although the lead I used looked the part it turned out to be just a charging lead...!!! See next post....

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#23 ·
...there was also another problem in that the multi connection cable I was using, although not cheap, was only suitable for charging!! ÂŁ9 wasted!!

Using a known data cable I was able to view Google Maps on the car screen but not Here WeGo.

I installed Waze and it came up on the car screen with no problem. I tested it out on the road and it performed perfectly with on the spot accuracy and extremely clear voice commands.

Unfortunately Waze, like Google Maps, cannot be used 'off-line' so it will be of no use to anyone without a data plan or bolt-on.

I'm sure I read that Here WeGo was compatible with Android Auto but it does not appear in the list of 'Apps for Android Auto' in the settings.

Looks like my better half will have to resort to her old NavMan in an emergency diversion situation...shame about that but I guess she can use Here WeGo off-line on her phone. It has a smaller screen but still gives clear voice instructions.

...unless any of you folks out there can suggest anything? :thumb:
 
#24 · (Edited)
One thing I've found out is that using Waze or Google maps within Android Auto uses a lot of data!

Unfortunately they are your only real choice if you want to link your android phone to your car (IOS users will have a similar app with the same result).

You have to use an app that is in the 'available apps' within Android Auto etc.

Any app you install outside of the list cannot, it seems, be linked through AA to the car screen.

Both Waze and Google need to be connected for data although I believe you can save a map area for offline use in Google (limited time for use though I think).

Waze works extremely well for navigation (I didn't test Google but reports show that it is also very good).

If you want an offline map/navigation then Here WeGo worked great but you will have to view and listen through your phone. Accuracy was spot-on when I tested it yesterday riding to town on the bus.

You need to go into Here WeGo settings and tick the little box for 'Use app offline' which allows you to search and navigate without a Wi-Fi or Cellular network connection. You will also need to use the 'Download maps' that is also shown. I just downloaded England but others are available from the selection.

Using Here WeGo offline is very good and enables you to use your phone anywhere; car/bike/walking/on public transport etc. without consuming data so it's good to use if you just have a PAYG phone.

There are some other 'offline' apps available but I've only tried this one.

Any additional information or help and advice or if I've missed something would be appreciated, especially if you have actual user experience.




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#25 ·
....I've just installed Waze on my 'emergency' mobile that does not have a sim card in it.

I did it via the Android Auto app and this time it gave me an extra Waze home screen app shortcut.

I opened it and went through the setup.

Everything seems to work fine.

I put in our daughters address in the navigation and it calculated the route; pressed start and we were ready to go with map, route and voice instructions.

All that without even a sim card installed in the phone.

Interesting.....
 
#28 · (Edited)
The phone I used without any sim card is my previous Samsung A3 so it's still a fairly 'modern' phone.

I've just tried it in the 108 and the Android Auto links to the car and I then selected Waze and entered a destination.

The navigation worked together with voice instructions.

I drove down to my local Peugeot dealer to inform my friendly salesman of what I was able to do but when I restarted the car and it automatically connected I had the navigation and route planning but no voice. *REASON FOUND .....

Now I think that was because I had left it in the car connected via the USB when I restarted the car and I think I should have unplugged the lead before restarting the engine so I'll be testing it 'in-car' again later as when I brought the phone indoors and went into AA indoors the voice was loud and clear in the navigation again.

*REASON: As my salesmans mobile had previously been paired it meant HIS phone made the initial bluetooth connection whilst Andoid Auto was booting up. Navigation worked but no voice directions.....he should have switched off his bluetooth....see further explanation below...

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