When comparing Sygic: GPS Navigation & Maps vs Google Maps, the Slant community recommends Sygic: GPS Navigation & Maps for most people. In the question“What are the best offline GPS navigation apps for Android?” Sygic: GPS Navigation & Maps is ranked 6th while Google Maps is ranked 10th. The most important reason people chose Sygic: GPS Navigation & Maps is:
GPS Navigation & Maps Sygic offers an in app purchase to add on a Heads Up Display for the app. This works for nighttime driving by placing ones device up by the windshield and the device will reflect all information in the windshield for a convenient hands free experience that is on the level of where ones eyes already are.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Safe projection like hands free heads up display
GPS Navigation & Maps Sygic offers an in app purchase to add on a Heads Up Display for the app. This works for nighttime driving by placing ones device up by the windshield and the device will reflect all information in the windshield for a convenient hands free experience that is on the level of where ones eyes already are.
Pro Useful lane guidance
GPS Navigation & Maps Sygic provides lane guidance as a feature for safe lane maneuvering while driving which is great especially when on a highway of unknown locations being one never knows exactly what lanes to be in when merging or taking exits.
Pro Highly precise address data
GPS Navigation & Maps Sygic is powered by Tom Tom map data, which is often used by governments as well as emergency services.
Pro Local language guidance
Pro Easily assess location with 3D Navigation
GPS Navigation & Maps Sygic provides a very detailed 3D world during navigation, with elevated hills and even city buildings which makes for a more realistic view of where one is in comparison to their surroundings.
Pro Commercial Map Data
Utilizes commercial data for its maps that are supplied by TomTom Maps. While not strictly better it can have more up-to-date map data than OSM. This is also the reason for the the good address data.
Pro Offline functionality
You can download offline data per city or parts of cities if you live in an especially large city, but not for states or countries. Points of Interests are generally more relevant & current than the typical stand alone GPS unit.
Pro Best execution of save location feature
Recent updates have made it so you can label a place instead of being stuck with some address or GPS coordinate and forgetting what it represents. Saved places show as stars and are all on one layer as long as you're logged in. There is also the ability to create maps (parallel to groups) for things you might not want to see or have show up all the time whenever you're using google maps from day to day.
This feature is highly helpful for planning, even if you're a person who likes to wing it.
Pro Find your parked car
You save the location of your car and easily find it again
Pro Accurate mapping
Pro Updated constantly
Nearby my house, there is major road construction in progress. Apple maps didn’t show this at all, but google maps did. There was also a new, small road that was finished around 3 days ago. Google maps shows this road. Apple maps still hasn’t shown the major construction.
Pro Most ubiquitous third party app integration
Asides from the stock Apple Maps app, Google Maps is the most commonly supported 3rd party map. 3rd party apps often have links for directions, Google Maps is usually an option whereas other 3rd party GPS apps are not.
Pro Navigation background change based on ambient light
This is great for night driving or even when going through tunnels as the map will be more visible for low light situations.
Pro Secondary routing
Google Maps can now search for and add a route for a second location on the way to the primary location that you are going to and have already routed. Note that it cannot do a third or true multi routing like the desktop webapp can.
Cons
Con Poor map viewing
Sygic's interface is tailored to navigation. While viewing maps in 2D is possible, it populates the map with a bunch of POI icons which detract from street names. The biggest issue is how easy it is to select something or start navigation when zooming in/out.
Still usable for map viewing though.
Con Bad map accuracy
Even the newest maps seem outdated and have many mistakes or inaccuracies. Entire ranges of house numbers are absent in some streets, 3d buildings are only present in some segments.
Con Bad routing
Con Pricey Android Auto
TomTom is more than 2x cheaper.
Con Updates require running app
After a Play Store update it is important to run the app once to download all the offline data again, otherwise it will not be usable when no external data is available. This is not only time consuming but inconvenient for those that may be in a hurry.
Con No voice controls
Seems a bit pointless having no voice alerts in the free one unless someone is sitting next to you.
Con No plan-ahead for commuters
Cannot plan trip ahead based on commuter lane.
Con Not very precise traffic information
Depending on a country information might not be very accurate for traffic.
Con Sometimes takes too long to load
Con Saved locations needs online connection and has no visible label
Two negatives about this feature is you have to be online to be able to save a place, but it is stored off line once google map gets on the net and syncs. The other negative is there is no visible label for saved places, you have to click on stars to see the label for them.
Con Maps saved offline can easily wipe your bandwidth cap via auto update
Google Maps offline maps update automatically in the background. Not a problem if you're using a sim card in your phone, but if you connect to a pre-paid hotspot that the phone recognizes and connects to as a wifi device you risk burning through your data allotment. The offline maps can be set to update manually, but this is not default behavior.
Con It’s Google
