{"id":3420,"date":"2014-12-21T10:22:28","date_gmt":"2014-12-21T10:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vantasks.ie\/?p=3420"},"modified":"2023-03-14T08:03:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T08:03:26","slug":"garmin-vs-google-maps-navigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vantasks.ie\/blog\/garmin-vs-google-maps-navigation","title":{"rendered":"Garmin ~VS~ Google Maps Navigation! – Updated December 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"
When it comes to on the road Navigation, there’s a lot of options both in terms of hardware and software. Garmin<\/a>, one of the biggest names in navigation is a long standing leader but Google Maps<\/a> has been making a well deserved name for itself lately and as a driver who covers a lot of miles in unknown territories across Europe, I haven’t yet chosen one over the other and still have them both running concurrently on my travels.<\/p>\n So why not use just one? I’m using Google on my phone and for a start, a stand alone GPS is far better than having your navigation interrupted by phone calls and every other distraction a phone has. Also when you’re trying to speak to a customer over the phone to guide you to their address, explanations are always easier to act on using a stand alone GPS, regardless of any handsfree kits you may have. If my Garmin could do everything Google Maps could, there’d be no need to use my phone, if Google maps could do everything Garmin could, I’d probably still have the Garmin running as a standalone GPS.<\/p>\n So what are the major differences?<\/p>\n With Google, anything other than basic navigation is tricky\/not possible. You can’t add a via point in Google Navigation, this is simple with Garmin. It doesn’t seem easy to “search along route”, or at least I haven’t figured it out yet. This is very easy with Garmin and the fact you can add an address as a via point in Garmin, means you can for example, search for fuel along a route of say a 567 km journey and you can check how each garage affects the total distance after adding it as a via point (it takes a little time, but at least it can be done). So if that 567 becomes 568, you know this fuel stop is going to be really quick.<\/p>\n Of course a data connection is required to use Google maps properly, it uses very little data and I’ve no problem using it within my data limits even when roaming on Vodafone Red Roaming<\/a>, even when it used to be just 100mb limit a day, now it’s 200mb \ud83d\ude42 Maps of a particular journey can be downloaded before setting off so there’s no need for data, but I haven’t tried this and then of course you wouldn’t have the best features of Google without the data.<\/p>\n Google maps accuracy will depend on the quality of the GPS transmitter of your device. Garmin is far more accurate in my experience. Using both at the same time, Google can think you’ve gone off a motorway and try guide you back to the motorway through all the side streets beside it.<\/p>\n Google alternative route selection is amazing and this is the strong point of Google. It gives accurate traffic information, highlighting congested sections of a route with what has so far been very good accuracy. It can give alternative routes on the fly and in real time so even if you’ve chosen a route, you can see alternatives displayed on screen as you travel just like here:<\/p>\n