Entered CNET Catalog: 03/31/2006
SKU: CNETVZNAVIGATOR
Manufacturer: Verizon Wireless
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 04/13/2006
Cell phones have come a long way from their roots, not only in terms of design but also in the types of services offered by carriers. Each of the major providers now offers downloadable ring tones, images, games, and other multimedia fun, while Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T have launched music and video stores. And now Verizon has empowered its cell phone users even more with a helpful application, called VZ Navigator. As part of Verizon's Get It Now services, VZ Navigator turns your mobile into a GPS navigation device, providing you with turn-by-turn directions (text- and voice-guided), points of interest, and local maps. And recently, Networks in Motion (the company behind the navigation service) released an updated version that adds location-based messaging and Web site management. Overall, the service is easy to use and was helpful in our tests, accurately guiding us to our destinations and providing us with information on local attractions.
VZ Navigator offers six basic functions: Navigation; Local Search; My Places; Maps and Traffic; Movies and Events; and Messages. Navigation provides voice-guided turn-by-turn directions via the speakerphone, in addition to text-based instructions. Obviously, a cell phone's smaller screen isn't optimal for in-car use, but it does give you a good idea of your location, either via an overview map, of which you can zoom in and out, or a dedicated screen with your current instructions (for example, Main Street, turn left in 0.2 mile). In all, you can choose from three views: Dashboard, Sliding 3D, or Sliding 2D. Even with these visual cues, we relied heavily on the audible directions while driving (you can choose from two voices) and used the graphics as a secondary source. You can, however, set VZ Navigator to create a route based on whether you're walking or biking.
For more options, you can create your itinerary by the fastest, shortest, or simplest route, and you can choose to avoid highways and toll roads. Verizon Navigator 4 also brings the addition of traffic capabilities, so you can see if there are any accidents or congestion your route around the affected area. There are three options for traffic: Alerts Only, Navigation, or Don't Use Traffic. Alerts Only will notify you when there's an incident or slow down as you're traveling. Meanwhile, the Navigation mode will use historical and current traffic conditions to create the most efficient route for your trip, and Don't Use Traffic is self-explanatory. In addition, there's a traffic gauge on the map screen (regardless of what view you're in) that acts as a sliding scale of how good (green) or bad (red) the roads are at that moment. If there's an incident, you will see a little caution icon along with the distance to the congestion. Other navigation tools include automatic route recalculation and if you need to make a call or you receive a call, VZ Navigator will suspend services until you hang up, then update the directions.
For more general use, Maps displays a map of any address in the United States, as long as it's in VZ Navigator's database. You can search by address, Favorites, airport, or intersection. A feature called Follow Me will do just that; acting as a bread-crumb trail, Follow Me will track your traveled route, and you can also identify nearby places by pointing the cursor over a certain location and clicking the OK key.
The Messaging option is quite useful but there's one caveat: It only works with other Verizon phones. The feature lets you send the address and coordinates of your location via text message to your friends and family. You can add a personal note if you wish, such as "Meet me here," making it a great way to communicate if you're trying to coordinate plans. If the recipient also happens to be a VZ Navigator user, he or she can then view your location on a map, get driving directions, search for businesses around the area, or add it to their favorites list. To be fair, you can send a similar message to an e-mail address but the SMS text option is more attractive if you're trying to catch up with acquaintances while out on the town.
Local Search is much like the POI database found on in-car navigation systems. You can search from more than 14 million POI, including gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, hotels, and movie theaters, and you can have VZ Navigator map its location or provide directions from your current location. Also, if a number is listed with the place of business, you can call it directly by simply pressing the Send button twice, which is great if you want to make dinner reservations on the fly, for example. Verizon says it updates the database every several months for the most accurate information.
VZ Navigator 4 takes local search further with Movies and Events, a new fuel finder feature, and weather updates. They're all particularly useful tools as it lets you better plan your trips and perhaps experience more once you get to your destination. For example, the weather updates can help you decide what to pack for a trip or what to wear for the day. And if you're looking for something to do, the Movie and Events can find local theaters and movie times, as well as other events and entertainment venues, such as concerts, museum exhibits, and night life. Of course, with gas prices as high as they are today, the Fuel Finder is particularly useful as it offers a listing of the current fuel prices at nearby gas stations so you can find the least expensive option
Finally, My Places gives you fast access to your favorite destinations, recent searches, and more. Within this menu, you can save your home and work addresses, so you can use either as a quick starting point for navigation. You can also now manage your favorite locations and searches from your PC or laptop using the VZ Navigator Web site and synchronize the information to your phone via USB cable or wirelessly. This is a nice option if you have some time to plan your trips, since you get a larger view of maps with your computer's screen and you can enter addresses using a full keyboard. That said, we're disappointed that you can't use the Web site to get driving directions and transfer them to your phone.
We tested VZ Navigator on the Motorola V325 in the San Francisco area; we were impressed with the service and found it very useful. From a cold start, it took several minutes for the phone to acquire our location, which is pretty standard for most GPS devices; subsequent starts took only a few seconds for satellite acquisition. We then used the Local Search function to find the nearest Best Buy in our area, and within a couple of minutes, VZ Navigator returned with our route. As we mentioned before, the V325's 2-inch display isn't the ideal for use in a car, but thankfully, the voice-guided directions were there to help, and the speakerphone's volume was more than adequate. It was also helpful that it called out specific street names rather than generic instructions, such as "Turn right in 100 feet." This text-to-speech functionality is just starting to show up in today's portable in-car GPS devices. On the downside, we found the frequency of the audible directions to be somewhat sparse. Accuracy, for the most part, was dead on, although on a couple of occasions, it gave us the wrong street address when we used the Maps "Where Am I?" function. We also purposefully took a wrong turn to test out the autoroute recalculation, and though it took a minute or so to get our location, VZ Navigator got us back on track.
To test the messaging and Web features, we used the Verizon Wireless G'zOne Type S, and each text came through just fine. However, there were some issues. First, the listed address was off a couple of street numbers or had us located on the nearest cross street. The addresses were always in close proximity of our actual location, but we expect better accuracy. We also noticed that the latitude and longitude coordinates were stripped from the original sent message--not as big a deal as the former issue since most people won't be searching or navigating via coordinates. On the bright side, the PC to phone synchronization worked like a charm.
Finally, we used the Motorola Razr2 V9m to try out the new feature of VZ Navigator 4. The traffic capabilities were quite nice for planning a trip as we could see beforehand where the problem areas were along our route. However, as we noted earlier, a cell phone's smaller display doesn't make it optimal for in-car use. There's a lot of information crammed on the screen, particularly if you're viewing at the details of a traffic incident, so obviously the more time you're looking at the phone, the less time you're looking at the road. It definitely helps if you have a passenger in the car. As for the Movie and Events tool, we had no complaints about the accuracy of movie times or theaters, but we thought the listing of local events was pretty thin; hopefully, this is something Networks in Motion will fill out in the future.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
8/10
WOW, I love it
Pros: I like the cost and all the features are very easy to use. I use a Blackberry Curve and it has a descent screen size, but I have good vision so other people may find it to small for a dash mount. I love the turn by turn voice prompt.
Cons: It has a few glitches, It has had me exit the freeway to drive around the block and re-enter the freeway to the same destination! You must use your car charger, or your battery will be dead very very quick. It locks up now and then, have to reboot
User Rating: 8/10
Its a good product and usually gets you there.
Pros: 1)Easy to use and understand
2)Voice activation works decent enough
3)Cheap
4)Is great for check movie times, listing, maps, and finding local information
Cons: 1)Some times it tells you its on the wrong side of the road, but thats normal with gps navigation
2)Sometimes slow to boot up and get directions
3)Does not always alert to traffic conditions
4)Needs to be LOUDER
5)Need to alert to a turn sooner
Over all I would say pony up the $10 and buy it. Its either that or spend a $100 or more and have the opportunity to lose/leave at home one of your devices.
User Rating: 
6/10
Helpful but needs improvement
Pros: Helps me get places that I don't know how to get to.
Cons: Can't find local stores and businesses at times. Takes you on strange trails at times. Says street or route names wrong at times.
The biggest problem I have with this thing is that it is supposed to be able to find stores and businesses but half of the time it doesn't locate what I need. I can't even find a local pizza shop that has been here for years. I have to type in the address rather than just the store name.
Also, if you type in a chain business like Quiznos or Arby's, my last two searches, it leaves out many of the locations. These are not new constructions either keep in mind.
Small problems, that are not as big, include: It gives the wrong street name or route when you are going on it. I live near Canton, OH and it always says the name is "Contar" (which makes absolutely no sense at all because it reads Canton on the screen). It also takes you on routes that don't make sense, like back roads instead of staying on a straight route. I heard that other GPS systems do this as well though.
When I find a good GPS for the price I might buy one of those, but I hear there are many problems with those as well.
User Rating: 
4/10
only good where verizon cell coverage is very strong
Pros: True, it is always with you, and the price is right. When in an urban area, the ability to look up moves and restaurants by proximity is really slick.
Cons: If you drive anywhere else but major urban areas/roads with strong verizon coverage, you will run into issues with maps trying to be downloaded and not making it, gps signals "lost" and basically just having the device fail when you lease want it to.
User Rating: 
1/10
The product didn't work like it should.
Pros: It cost only $10.00 for a month, and it was kind of entertaining to try it out.
Cons: We took a trip to the mountians of Virginia, and about half way we got a message that said your request can not be processed. We tried several times to get it to work, and kept getting the same message. We had to use a road map.
User Rating: 
3/10
Do not rely on as your only source of directions
Pros: Allows you to navigate.
Cons: If there is no cell phone reception, you cannot search for any locations. Generally, if you have already searched a location and have no reception, it will somehow continue to work. If you try to do a search you might as well give it up.
User Rating: 6/10
Pretty good, but could be better like google
Pros: Navigator is very helpful when you are unfamiliar with the area, or are looking for a point of interest. You can put it on a car setting, bike setting, or pedestrian setting to predict the travel time, and what route to take.
Cons: It is way to expensive considering Google Maps for mobile is free, offers Satellite imaging, and offers more p.o.i locations, but Verizon blocks 3rd party downloads so I have to settle for Navigator. It also takes to long to recalculate a route.
User Rating: 
10/10
Great GPS with traffic routing
Pros: Easy to use. Accurate. Excellent voice directions - uses street names. Well worth the monthly fee. Routing around traffic is truly amazing.
Cons: Small screen makes it difficult to use for maps. However, the voice directions overcome this drawback.
User Rating: 
7/10
overall a good system
Pros: fast updates
Cons: small screen, hard to read
User Rating: 
9/10
nothing more needed
Pros: accurate - quick - always there - no need to carry an extra device - this is the futre now.
Cons: screen is small but you can listen instead of looking, it's safer!
User Rating: 
2/10
Very disappointing product, not ready for primetime
Pros: Very good POI database, intuitive GUI
Cons: Buggy, slow response times
Navigation is OK, but geolocation is not precise and I frequently see it get confused (I take a wrong turn, but I'm on a parallel road close to the right road, so it still thinks I'm OK). If it has to recalculate directions, it can take a while. I was in San Diego recently when it took so long to recalc, I was already past my exit each time it spoke the new directions. I do have to say that VZ tech support is very good. One time when I called from the road after getting the "Not Authorized" message, the CSR actually went into Mapquest for me and helped me get where I was going.
User Rating: 8/10
Instant Magellan!
Pros: Never again will I be late!
Cons: None so far
Enter VZ Navigator, instant Magellan! Now I pre-load my route and I am off. No more maps, gas stations stops for directions for those hard to find places and ?hey you!? out the side window asking for directions. Not only that, but now I have become a part-time civil servant by helping at least 5-6 people in the last 6 months find their way. It?s kind of odd that after getting the service I have been within ear shot of folks asking for directions while filling up my tank at a gas station more then before? in closing I love this service and the options I can choose to plan my route are great with the price of gas going up and up.
One more thing, if all else fails and I cannot find the customers location. I can pull up their phone number (if they have phone number listed) and give them a call.
Great job Verizon!
User Rating: 2/10
Beware of download charge
Pros: Works okay in cities
Cons: Terrible on country roads, must pay for software
User Rating: 8/10
Hurray for Verizon! (Belatedly)
Pros: Great vocal driving instructions
Cons: Didn't recognize my home address yet (new condo)
User Rating: 8/10
First Use Makes Questionable Reliability
Pros: Looks nice on Blackberry. Route calculations and current location finding seems quite fast overall. Turns advise given with plenty of warning - usually at beginning of marked turn lanes.
Cons: Untilmately gave wrong directions on first trial. Coverage map shows it won't get you found if you are lost in the mountains or desert, or in any out of coverage zones. Limited nationwide coverage.
After a few seconds, Navigator advised me it was "Recalculating Route", then told me to take the first legal U-turn. Again, I ignored the direction and maintained my alternate route on the surface street.
As I approached Ted Williams Parkway, it instructed me to "Prepare to turn left at Ted Williams Parkway." I ignored the instructions and turned right on Carmel Mountain Road instead. Again it advised me that it was "Recalculating Route", then asked me to make the "Next Legal U-Turn". I ignored it and it recalculated another route, telling me to turn left on Black Mountain Road.
This time I obeyed the instructions. Next I was told to turn Left on Capricorn Way. Well, my wife and I laughed at this because we knew we had to turn right to get home (which was, in fact, our destination address). We decided to, despite our knowledge of the correct turn, obey Navigator. As soon as we turned, Navigator advised us it was "Recalculating Route" then "Take next legal U-turn".
Eventually Navigator found us back to Black Mountain Road and Capricorn Way, and remained silent. Unfortunately at the intersection point we were at, we could only legally turn right or left, not cross straight across Black Mountain Road. We decided to turn left, and the unit got entirely confused and more or less gave up on us, asking if we wanted a route recalculated or not. We answered "Yes" and it recalculated a route that would have taken us three miles out of the way.
Eventually we turned onto westbound Capricorn Way whereby Navigator cheerfully advised us our destination was a certain distance ahead on the right.
We found this to be very humorous as after I disobeyed its instruction the second time my wife told me to be careful or the Navigator will get even with me. I guess she was right.
Updated on Dec 1, 200812-1-2008 update: NOT USEFUL for road trips. Traveled San Diego to Albuquerque this weekend, excited to use VZ Nav. Not happy at all with it. Lost GPS 50 miles before El Centro, regained 50 miles out of Phoenix. Contacted Tech Spt while in Yuma. The guy was helpless. Retained GPS until 50 mi. before Flagstaff, Az. Lost GPS all the way to Albuquerque. Contacted TS again in ABQ. They told me to reprogram phone w/ *228 option 2 (roaming update). Regained GPS and worked fine in ABQ. On way home had to *228 every 50 to 100 miles. Lost GPS in Kingman, AZ did not recover until crossing into CA on I-40 even after doing *228 several times. Had to *228 to regain. Lost GPS in Lake Elsinore, CA. Had to *228 again in Temecula to regain.
Useless on the road on cross country trips. Don't get it - will be canceling service and getting either TomTom, Garmin, or Magellen. Not worth the hassle.
User Rating: 2/10
Better off buying a true GPS device, this is NOT "GPS"
Pros: You can get directions, (sort of)
Cons: Not a true GPS device, limited area's of use, doesn't know it's left from right, leaves you hi and dry
This service/feature is a waste of money. Verizon charges $9.95 a month for this service that a dedicated GPS car mounted system could be used instead with no monthly fee's.
The most annoying bug I found right away with this system is who ever wrote the software for this didn't know their left from their right. It always tells me my destination is on the wrong side of the road. At first it may seem an acceptable mistake, but its actually very annoying. For example, you're on a 4 lane busy city street with a shared center turn lane and it tells you your destination is on the right, you get in the far right lane looking for it only to discover it's 4 lanes over on the left. You now have to go down the street and find a place to turn around (not always easy).
Next big oversite on Verizons part, the phones list this as a feature on the sales floor and box, however there are no instructions included with your new phone, it's also not even on your new phone (they could at least list this in the packaging). Instead you have to download the program to your phone for it to work (and unless you have an expansive "data plan") Verizon charges you an insane per MB fee to download this software to your new phone. I got my phone home and at midnight gave up trying to find how to use this VZ Navigator on the phone and had to call Verizon support (at midnight I waited on hold over 20 minutes just to talk to someone, then had to hang up and call them back from a different phone for instructions, another 20 minutes). Verizon could have easily included some type of simple instruction card with the new phone for this info.
Here's the worst part about this service, for starters, it's not a True GPS system by any means. I specificly asked the Verizon sales clerk if this only works if I'm within range of a cell tower or if it actually works of GPS signals, I couldn't get a straight answer from them, they couldn't find out for me for sure. 15 minutes out of Reno (a major Nevada city, 2nd largest in the state) there is no cell service so this was important for me to know.
Turns out its far from being a true GPS, it doesn't even work if you have a cell tower and service for your phone. You have to be in a Verizon "data network" (EVDO) area for it to work, a service which is very limited outside of any major city.
I discovered this the hard way when before leaving town I entered my destination (a 3 hour drive away) and 2 hours into the drive I pulled 50 feet off the highway to truck stop for gas. It dropped my directions off the screen and told me it was now recalculating my route. This was shortly followed by only an error message saying data network is unavailable. I couldn't even get the map it had supposedly saved back on the display. It left me high and dry and when I reached the other city 3 hours away I had to buy a local map on old fashioned paper just to find my destination. Not what I'd consider an even remotely reliable service, it should have in the least stored my map on the phone. Prior to stopping for gas and wanting to recalculate my route, it was calculating my trip even in the "dead zones". However even this wasn't accurate, before leaving I knew it was a true 3 hour drive, all 75mph speed limit highway and it told me I'd arrive in 2 hours 7 minutes (I was parked and just entering the address in). I drove for the first hour and the time only went from an estimated 2hr 7min to 1hr 57min.
Another software issue I notice is when you view a "GPS" report of where you are, it measures your altitude in 10ths of a mile, like .9 miles. Nobody specifies altitude by 10ths of a mile, always in feet. This last note may be nit picking and sure it can be calculated (roughly), but to me this is as bad as if it estimated your travel route in feet instead of miles since altitude is often important information for me to know.
Next problem, I have this on a SCH U740 phone, possibly more a problem with the phone its on than the service but the screen is too small for driving use, the volume even when on a full is too low to hear when setting on the seat and there's no way to mount the phone for use while driving. You have to lay it on your seat, making it an even larger driving hazard. It also only works when the phone is open and consuming mass battery power. Very annoying when your 300 highway miles away from needing to turn and if you close the phone to save the battery you lose the information of your route and can't get the voice prompts.
Version 3.1.3 build 200 of this software is what I'm currently on and you'd think most of these software related bugs would have been worked out by version 2 at the most. I fear to know how bad the previous versions must have been that these higher reviews were written for.
The software needs to be fixed and hopefully a version 4.0.0 of it is soon on the way with these fixes. Verizon should also offer this as a free service to their customers on select compatable phones. Navigation to the program on the phone should also be made quicker and easier to find/access. Some type of at least minimal directions should be included with the new phone. Maybe true "GPS" isn't possible, but they also need to make this service so it stores the map of your route on the phone when you do enter it in within a data network and it maintains the info when you find yourself out of one. They also should not be allowed to call this a "GPS" system because it is not by any means.
If any of the VZ Navigator software developers find this user rating, please allow me to help you at least a little...
<- This is your left
This is your right ->
Please tatoo an L and an R on your hands to match that, or in the least put a sticky note indicating it on your computer monitor.
I see most of the people posting Pros for this are trying to weigh it against the cost of a $1,000 GPS system. Please, compare apples to apples. Your phone will never have even close to the capabilities or features of a $1,000 dedicated GPS system. A fair comparison would be to a $179 - $300 more commonly priced dedicated GPS system and even those lesser priced systems are far better than this failed attempt at a useable service or product.
This thing is also annoyingly slow to track your location. I have had numerous times where like someone else has pointed out you have to pull over and wait for it to update and tell you when to turn, otherwise it lets you drive right past a turn then always loves to tell you to "make the next legal U Turn". If I hear this thing tell me to "make the next legal U turn" one more time I'm going to throw it out the window!
What makes it worse is you only know to pull over and wait for it to catch up to you if you already know where your going in the first place, otherwise you drive right past where you're supposed to be turning and it doesn't tell you till 5 minutes down the road.
I've also had it calculate and send me on a route, then 10 minutes later tell me to "make the next legal Uturn" and send me back to where I started from to take an even worse option.
The one I love the most though is instead of putting me on the 65MPH freeway to go 10 miles across town, it instead puts me on the 25 mph and traffic light infested surface street that runs all the way paralel to the freeway. If I get on the freeway anyhow, it spends 5 minutes "recalculating route" and tells me to do a U Turn on the freeway to take me back and put me on the surface street.
User Rating: 1/10
VZ Navigator is a rip off not only do you pay 9.99 a month, using it also goes against your minutes!
Pros: VZ Navigator works great and is user friendly.
Cons: Overcharges customers to use the function.
User Rating: 8/10
Not perfect but not bad at all
Pros: no need for a second gizmo, inexpensive to use.
Cons: gets behind.
Now I cannot imagine not having GPS. It not only give directions but you can find locations by name, if you are looking for a branch of your bank, for example, type in the name and it finds the closest one! It has lots of these added capabilities.
OK, it does get behind sometimes. This is my main complaint. I have no way of knowing if this is the case for all GPS since I have never used any other kind. If you are on a route where you have to make a lot of turns, don't overdrive the signal because then you'll have to wait for it to recalculate the route. Sometimes the signal gets lost too. But for 10.00 a month it is a thing of beauty.
User Rating: 8/10
Excellent GPS Service
Pros: Fast, Good Reception, Auto Updates, navigation commands come in early time
Cons: My Phone's battery dies in 3 hours with it.
Just a side note here:
I am using the Navigator on the Samsung-u740 dual flip phone. If you have this phone, you can easily make calls any way its flipped, however when flipped in landscape mode it will always be on speaker. Also, any Get It Now app include the navigator can only be used in landscape mode- this means that when you get an incoming call or make an outgoing one that you want to keep private you will have to close out of the navigator.
User Rating: 2/10
Verizon will not support gps for the motorola q
Pros: They to want to sell VZ
Cons: They don't want GPS competition
User Rating: 7/10
VZ Navigator left out one main feature
Pros: Navigation in a cel phone
Cons: You can't hear the voices from bluetooth receivers in the car.
User Rating: 8/10
Works great and is fun too!
Pros: Used it in the LA area and it worked great!
Cons: Used it in a small town in New Mexico and it got a little lost!
User Rating: 9/10
Works Great
Pros: Directions are clear and easy to follow
Cons: Voice comands could be louder
bluetooth next week to see if that will make any difference. The only reason I did not give it a 10 was because of the voice comand problem.
I am using it with LG enV phone.
User Rating: 3/10
Ghetto, ok for occasional use though
Pros: Can use as needed, don't have to buy expensive navigation units, can take anywhere
Cons: Can't talk on the phone and navigate at same time, a phone call exits your navigation, even if you don't answer it, doesn't work in bad areas where cell service is spotty, SLOW!
It picks ridiculous routes. I was headed to the city and it took me on a wild goose chase through the ghetto. For more rural stuff, it works better though. To find a destination, it has to be entered EXACTLY, or it won't be found. It takes too long to enter in addresses. The find destinations option is really lacking, lots of places missing in it, such as well known night clubs and bars. On a trip skiing it completlely stopped working when I lost service to my phone (obviously) while if I had satellite navigation, I would have been fine. If someone calls, or text you, while you are navigating, it kicks the navigation out, even if you don't answer the phone. It's so slow, that often times you've missed a turn by the time it tells you to turn. Especially if you are in the city and have to make a bunch of quick turns. It can't keep up. You have to pull over and stop and wait for it to tell you what to do next. It takes way to long to recalculate routes. If you only use navigation occasionally and don't need quality directions, it's ok, but don't plan on using this thing in place of a real navigation device.
My wife is trying to use it right now to get to a doctor's office, and it's decided not to work. I'm so sick of dealing with this crap, it's not worth the $10 a month, you can get a decent navigation system for $300. Use it for 3 years and you've equalled what you would spend on the VZ navigator subscription.
User Rating: 6/10
Adequate for most directions
Pros: Voice is best feature
Cons: Selection of route sometimes not coherent
User Rating: 9/10
Verizon Wireless VZ Navigator
Pros: Portable, easy to use, accurate and incredibly useful
Cons: Screen on the phone is kind of small, not as easy to see when driving
User Rating: 4/10
Inaccuracies in Tampa, Fl
Pros: Finds justs about anything
Cons: Inaccuracies in Tampa, Fl
frequently gives incorrect directions to getting there. Eg. Directions to Interstate Exits/entrance ramps that no longer exist; instructions to turn from an existing road onto the same road for 0-50', then drive for various distances to the next actual turn; numerous instructions to bear left or right on a road that is dead straight with no place to bear to or from.
I have complained repeatedly to Verizon Wireless about this and have not even received an acknowledgement of my complaints.
User Rating: 9/10
Great Navigation & Yellow Pages
Pros: Accurate, Easy to Use both With & W/O Display, Local Info Search
Cons: No Bluetooth Command Entry, No Voice Entry of Address, No Traffic Information
The local information service is one of the best features - it's like having a well-categorized yellow pages for anywhere in the country at my fingertips. I've used it to find the closest gas stations, points of interest (family vacation), hotels, places of worship, movie theaters, and even a hospital. On New Year's Day, it helped my to find an open restaurant in the morning, organizing all restaurants by closest distance - then permiting me to just press SEND to call each and find their hours. Only took about six calls before I found the right place.
Also VZ Navigator gives good directions for traveling by foot. Plenty of times I check into a hotel and walk everywhere by foot in a smaller city. Just changing the VZ Navigator option from Car to Pedestrian (among a variety of other options) gives me nice directions and time estimates for walking places.
I've had to use Verizon support several times to improve reception and/or responsiveness in new cities, but have always gotten through to support quickly and have been able to download upgrades which corrected any problem or seemed to boost the area of coverage.
I've used a number of larger display systems in automobiles - mostly on rented vehicles - but now prefer my VZ Navigator to them. They have larger displays, but my phone-based Navigator is usually at least as friendly and efficient, if not more so, and gives such good directions that I rarely need to look at the display while driving - something which is forbidden in a number of cities already. Put a Bluetooth headset on, and it's like having a person sit next to you, and give you superb directions. Rarely is any street name mispronounced; directions are crystal clear and given with enough notice for a driver to be careful: "Prepare to turn right on Main Street in .5 mile", then within 100 feet, "Turn right on Main Street", or "Prepare to Merge Left onto Highway", or "Your Destination is on the Left".
I've had fun with VZ Navigator, also. Once, during a train trip, I used the "Follow Me" feature, and was able to see the various towns passing me by on the phone screen. Once, I looked out of the window and saw an interesting restaurant, punched the name into the Navigator, without even bothering to classify it, and immediately it's phone number popped up on the screen. Even though the classification system is great and very useful, if you know a business name (or portion of its name), you can usually find the business without bothering to limit its classification. In this regard, the local search is similar to a "White Pages".
At first, I thought the $10 per month would be a somewhat high price to pay. But, I can say that I typically save more than that amount with my reduced calls to 411. I don't remember the last time I had to call phone number information to look up a cab company, or airline, hotel, or other service... the local search has got them all. Now, I consider this service to be an essential part of my travel necessities.
My brother has a big, fancy GPS navigator instrument for which he paid some $700+. He complains that its information gets out of date quickly, but at $120 a pop to update it, he doesn't want to do an update more than once per year. Here, for the same $120 per year and no initial investment (beyond the phone I already own), I have a service that is continually up to date and has, in my opinion, every bit as good (if not better) navigation, local search, and other features (e.g. directions for walking).
Great product, Verizon! Now - for a few recommendations that can even make it better. There is no voice command capability. A phone is a natural for voice command. Most of my phone operation is done through a bluetooth headset. I really want to be able to enter addresses and control my navigation through bluetooth voice command - something not yet possible with VZ Navigator.
Secondly, Verizon has talked about the possibility of providing me with local traffic information, but has not yet made this an option with VZ Navigator. I would like to be informed with suggestions for driving routes which consider local time of day (and actual accident report) information.
Lastly, almost everything about the VZ Navigator menus is intuitive, efficient, and terrific. But a few things still need to be improved. For example, one feature permits me to specify a starting and ending point for creating a map for a trip. This is a little difficult to find, but works well - just like you would find with a "MapQuest" type product - even the colored line showing the trip and turn by turn, directions. But many times, when I do this, I really don't want to start the Navigator up for immediate travel on such a trip. Can't it just give me the directions, if I wish, instead of immediately saying "Turn right on..." as though I wished to go there now? Well - that's really a minor complaint. One interesting thing, I don't use Internet map programs anymore, something I used to use extensively in preparation for my business trips. I've found that VZ Navigator is more up-to-date and gives more accurate maps and directions. It dawned on me during during my first business trip after purchsing VZ Navigator, when I was trying to follow directions on a map I had previously printed from the Internet. Usually, I have no problem, but this map was clearly inaccurate. I said, "heck with this" and turned on my VZ Navigator. It figured out what I had to do immediately - a "U" turn.
Since my original CNET review posting of February 2007, I have used VZ Navigator on my Samsung A-990 phone almost daily, including many trips around the country. Several times I've downloaded free updates to VZ Navigator software, and it keeps getting better. Last week I downloaded version 4.1 and wanted to report about how nice some its benefits are and how it addresses a few of the shortcomings I reported in my original review.
First, and most importantly, VZ Navigator now has real-time traffic alerts and detour planning capability. This is a really nice feature and has already let me avoid some traffic pitfalls in areas not generally covered by news radio announcements.
Second, VZ Navigator shows up-to-date gas pricing at local gas stations. Although I searched for various local information previously, and thought that VZ Navigator's database was one of the very best (compared to my Honda Odyssey's built-in system and compared to my brother's stand-alone navigator) - I never bothered to search for gas stations before, because I generally know where they are, either around home, around downtown Chicago, or near airports on my various trips when I rent a car. But, I've already saved the entire $9.95 month's cost of VZ Navigator just by comparison shopping gas near my home. Every day, the differences between local stations are as much as $0.25 per gallon, and stations jockey their prices even several times per day - you can't count on one station being among the lowest all the time. This feature is terrific and PAYS for the VZ service! If you aren't doing this with your navigation system you are really missing out.
Third, the cinema database is terrific. I don't even bother with the local paper any more (other than to read various reviews). With just a few clicks you can see what's playing, where it is playing, what are the show times, how long are the run times, and you can also read a synopsis and get a VZ review (just one review). This also works for concerts, art shows, and other major attractions and events. There are plenty of times when I've come to a theater, found the show sold out, and wished that I had kept my newspaper - or had been heading on the road and though of seeing a show, but couldn't find a local paper easily. This feature is really nice for us "show goers".
Fourth, VZ Navigator now has live weather and a five-day weather forcast. Of course, I still listen to the news radio programs, but its still a nice feature to check the weather on demand through VZ Navigator - especially when I check it for the direction I'm driving, or my destination, which the local radio shows don't mention.
There are a variety of other features which are nice, but not critical for my own use. The updated 3D maps look nice and are an improvement over the past diagrams (in my opinion). I've also tried the VZ Navigator web site, searched for an address, found the map - similar to the way other popular on-line map and trip planning software works - but then I can press a button and it is synchronized into my phone so that I can use it as a destination or favorite later on. The reverse also works - my favorites and recent places I've traveled to with VZ Navigator shows up in the on-line web service page. For me, this is not such an important feature, but for some people who prefer planning at their desks on a computer, and then accessing what they've done on their cell phones later on, it might be a very nice feature.
Of course, the biggest downside still exists on a cell phone navigator - the screen size is small. I called Honda the other day to get an update for my 2007 Odyssey with built-in navigation. They wanted over $200 for the upgrade, which comes out at most once per year, but in this most recent case, won't be available for 18 months from the time my old software was released. It is always out of date and does not have many of the VZ Navigator features: pronouncing street names, traffic alerts, decent database of local information. Here is a suggestion to Honda and all other car companies with built-in navigation systems: Don't try to build your own navigation system (or in Honda's case, contract with Alpine to do so). It will be obsolete by the time the car hits the showroom. Instead, permit consumers, such as myself, to plug in a live, cell phone based (or other type of GPS) system and interface to the vehicle's built-in screen and system. I would gladly pay Verizon another $9.95 per month for my Odyssey to have VZ Navigator show up on its screen, rather than the overpriced, under-performing, always-out-of-date (but beautiful touch display) system it currently has.
User Rating: 3/10
So many other choices and providers
Pros: It is a GPS program.
Cons: You only have access to 1 program.Sprint and others offer several.
User Rating: 9/10
I'll never go on vacation without it
Pros: Fast and accurate, and you can self-provision from the phone
Cons: The search engine could use some fine tuning, doesn't work on smartphones
The only two downsides are that the search engine from the phone sometimes takes you to the wrong suburb, a problem that Verizon's customer support knows about, and that the application does not work on smartphones (though screenshots of the new Samsung smartphone have a GIN icon, so there's hope).
Worth every penny in my opinion.
User Rating: 9/10
Extremely handy portable navigation system
Pros: Easy to use and great voice guided directions
Cons: Kind of small screen since it is on your phone
User Rating: 7/10
Often, the best tool is the one you have on you.
Pros: Not just nav, but useful in locating area businesses, eateries, etc., including one-touch calling (to check if they're open BEFORE you go!)
Cons: Pricey; many 'local places' not listed
User Rating: 9/10
Outstanding Service if you Travel
Pros: Works on your phone without the need for an additional unit. Good search feature. You can use phone while service is running.
Cons: If you launch navigator with your phone in a non ring mode navigator will not talk and you must exit the service to change your phone mode.
User Rating: 8/10
Vz Navigator Works Great
Pros: reliable navigation and local attractions in my phone
Cons: doesn't navigate great for pedestrians and bicycles
The map size on the screen is fairly small, but the Vz Navigator software pronounces the name of the street you need to turn on, so I rarely look at the screen.
Here are the only problems I've found:
1) It doesn't do a good job navigating on a bicycle. For reasons I don't understand, the voice prompts come well after I've already made the turn (100 yards or more too late). I've seen no issues like this while driving.
2) For pedestrian navigation, it still seems to navigate you to follow one way streets. So I've had it suggest to go the long way around to get to a destination.
3) Entering destinations is a little tedious on the numeric keypad on my phone. If you are a txt message wizard, this may not be a problem.
4) It has fewer options than other navigation systems I've used to choose most use of freeways, or most use of local roads, and has no way to automatically find a detour around a congested road.
All in all I love it and highly recommend checking it out. Vz Navigator seems to be available now for a 15 day free trial, so if you have a compatible phone, check it out.
User Rating: 3/10
Will get you there at a cost
Pros: Works out of the box
Cons: May take you into slow small towns out of your way
The service is not bad, but beware it can take you into bad areas (new york/new jersey) and way out of your way (even if you follow the GPS instructions it might say re-calculating route) and want the client to make a U-Turn. Cool for a cell phone, doesn't compare to looking at a real map.
User Rating: 7/10
To expensive, not enough options..
Pros: Great voice directions!
Cons: can not enter coords to route
User Rating: 8/10
Great directions--saves time
Pros: Voice is loud; can still make calls; can buy for one day
Cons: screen is small; if verizon network is down you're out of luck
User Rating: 9/10
Great Service
Pros: accurate, easy to use, up-to-date information
Cons: only available in digital areas
First, let me address the cost. VZ Navigator is a $10 per month subscription. In comparison, the nav system in my car was $1000.00 - this is a stand alone Magellen, not integrated by the car manufacturer, and was purchased about 8 months ago. This model has similiar graphics to VZ Navigator, but does not announce the street names, it only tells you when a turn is coming up. So, I would need to pay for VZ Navigator for a little over 8 years to hit a thousand bucks. If you want an integrated gps system, you are looking at $2000.00 and up (now we're talking 16 years of VZ Navigator). Rental car companies (I use Hertz)charge a standard DAILY rate of $9-10 for GPS systems. In this sense, paying $10.00 per month is a deal. I believe Verizon also offers a per use charge of around $4 for the service if you do not opt for a subscription. So, I guess it depends on how frequently you use GPS. For business travel, the $10.00 per month is a deal.
Of course, regardless of the price, if it's not easy to use and reliable, why get it? This is where I am very impressed with this technology. I live in Chicago and travel through out the US - everywhere from NYC to LA. I have used VZ Navigator for about 4 months in various locations and these are my impressions:
Pros:
- Accurate. I've always gotten to where I need to go using VZ Navigator. With every system I've used, the route chosen may not be the route I would choose if I knew the area, but it does get you there. I also saw a comment about it not announcing that it is recalculating the route - I don't know if the reviewer was using an earlier version, but mine does announce when a reroute is being calculated. It also says it on the screen.
- Doesn't get hung up in parking decks and in large cities like traditional GPS. If you've used traditional GPS systems in cars, you know that parking structures and areas with a lot of buildings can make for a difficult start to your trip (the satellites cannot find you). With VZ Navigator, these issues are not there. They must use a combination of cell tower and satellite to determine your location because it will find your location even when you are in a building. I've used this system in downtown Chicago and Manhatten with great results.
- "Local Search" is rich in categories. You can find everything from restaurants to antique stores within your immediate location. I find that compared to other GPS systems, this one has more available and it is more accurate. That's not to say that I haven't been led to a location that's been closed or the building is being torn down, but in general, I've had very few issues.
- "Follow Me Map". This feature is great if you are walking. It will find you using GPS and as you walk, the GPS will show where you are on the map. From that point, you can choose to do a "local search" as described above. This is a great way to find a bite to eat when you are in a city you are not familiar with.
- Server based mapping. It is obvious that the mapping software is on a centralized server (you can tell when the maps are downloading to your phone) which, theoretically, means that the maps and locations should be more up to date than a stand alone unit.
Cons.
- Only available in digital coverage areas. According to Verizon, the feature only works in the digital areas with enhanced services. While I have not encountered too many areas where it's not available, it is a short coming that Verizon should address - it would be nice to have GPS when you are lost in the middle of BFE!
- Lack of Traffic Alerts. Since this is server based, it would be nice to see real-time traffic information available. Since you have the ability to see "local" attractions along your route, it seems like adding traffic alerts along the route would be easy.
Some have said that the screen size is an issue. I don't agree - the screen is easy to see and the voice prompts are very easy to understand; so much so, that you really don't need to look at the screen once you get used to it. I think the voice prompts are just right - any less of them would make it confusing and would cause you to have to look at the screen.
User Rating: 8/10
Which Phone Model Can Use The Navigator
Pros: Razr May NOT Be Able To Use The Navigator
Cons: Razr Can Indeed Use The Navigator Software
I have a question though - as I have only 15 days to return the phone - I was given the impression that the RAZR (By Moto) INDEED will utilize the Navigator software, am I mistaken?
With Regards,
Bill
User Rating: 9/10
VZNavigator Rocks!
Pros: Easy, Convenient, Accurate. No additional device needed in your car - only your cell phone.
Cons: Phone Calls interrupt Directions. Points of Interest database could be bigger.
Quite simply VZNavigator is excellent. You get fast, computation of accurate and clearly-delivered directions. I thought the small size of the cell phone screen (I use a Motorola Razr) might be a problem, but it isn't because the voice prompts are so good, as is the layout of information on the screen. The system shows the distance to your next turning then automatically switches to a map of that exit/intersection when you get close to it.
I find the number of voice prompts to be about right ? whereas the CNET reviewer would have preferred more prompts, I think additional prompts would be annoying.
Also useful is the ability to find gas stations and shops, etc. near your current location. (Though I could not get the unit to find CompUSA stores, so I guess the 'Points of Interest' database could be more comprehensive - a minor point for me compared with my major requirement of navigating to specific addresses).
Phone calls do interrupt the directions (I guess cell phones are not multi-tasking yet) which can be a nuisance if you get an incoming call just as you are navigating a tricky route in the city, but this has been an infrequent annoyance.
Generally, VZNavigator has given me the features I want from a GPS navigation system without spending the $500 I was contemplating (VZNavigator costs $10 / month) and without having to install a clunky (& visible/steal-able) unit on the dash of my car ? a small strip of Velcro secures my phone just to the right of my speedo. Additionally my navigation system is always with me in my pocket ready for use in any vehicle at any time I need it.
User Rating: 8/10
Very good navigator
Pros: Always with you, always updated
Cons: Requires digital service
My only disappointment has been the fact that you cannot go back to an older set of directions after it attempts to reroute. Think of the following, you are unroute a long distance trip. You leave the highway to get gas and the GPS thinks you lost your route since you deviated from it. It attempts to reroute, but since you are in the middle of nowhere, there is no digital service, so it fails to get "new" directions and it erases the "old" directions!
The navigator is not as sofisticated as say the Teletype, but then again, you have it always with you, unlike a PDA/GPS combo.
It has the potential to become an invaluable tool if/when the following are implemented:
* Since it requires the network for planning, use real time information about road construction, traffic and weather.
* Why limit the data base to Points Of Interest and not include complete White and Yellow Page searches?
* Since there is already approximate location information, --from the cell towers the phone communicates with-- why not use that to select the satelites that should be reachable, and thus minimize cold start-up connection time?
I feel it is expensive, for $10/month, but if it could provide traffic, weather and White/Yellow Page searches, it would be very easy to justify.
User Rating: 2/10
Not Worth It
Pros: No Pros Whatsoever
Cons: GPS location extremely inaccurate
User Rating: 8/10
So Far So Good
Pros: Compact, clear screen, clear voice instructions, easy to use and with me all of the time unlike an in-car GPS.
Cons: I have a small problem paying the $10.00 per month on top of the $15.00 Verizon charges me per month for V Cast, at this time I have no other options.
I recently considered purchasing the Nuvi GPS but had a hard time pulling the trigger on the $700.00 upfront cost. My hope is before I pay over $700.00 in monthly fees over the course of several years, I?m able to obtain a 3rd party version of the GPS or verizon lowers the price (slim chance of either happening is my guess). Someday Verizon will wise up and take care of their loyal customers in addition to attempting to attract new ones by offering cool promos. For several years I?ve tried to reduce the number of gadgets attached to my person without the bulk and size of a Smart phone. I?m getting there.
User Rating: 8/10
Easy to Operate and Very Useful
Pros: Easy to Use, Great Range of Features, Accurate and Prompt Directions
Cons: Price Seems Too High
I created a "Home" location, with my true address, which I used as the starting point for my trip. I entered my destination address and it took roughly 30 seconds for the service to download my navigational data. The accuracy of the navigational directions from start to finish was amazing. The voice prompts were surprisingly precise. I had worried about the amount of time given before any specific directions needed to be issued, in order to maintain safe driving practices. My worries were alleviated; the service appears to be designed with precaution against potentially dangerous situations due to late directions being issued. If you find that you need more time to adjust your driving the prompts can be altered accordingly.
Solely relying on VZ Navigator, I arrived at my destination free of any hassle. At this point I entered in a new destination; however, instead of planing my trip based upon a predetermined departure address, I allowed the service to generate directions based upon my current location (a parking lot.) The service recognized that I was not on a road and directed me to enter the nearest street to begin my trip. Once again, the service preformed flawlessly.
Overall I am very impressed with this handy service and have the feeling that I will be using it on a regular basis. I have not yet had the opportunity to use the other location-based services offered in VZ Navigator and because of this the price seems a little bit high.
User Rating: 6/10
Great When Available
Pros: Big Nav Feel
Cons: Spotty Accessiblity
User Rating: 8/10
Nice Feature, is the pricing correct?
Pros: accurate maps, good voice quality, ability to save locations
Cons: long-term costs, change in route not always smooth
I found this product to be very good in comparison, yet not quite as flexible.
The VZ Navigator is installed through the "Get it Now" functionality on the verizon network. I paid for the $10/month option.
It is very unclear from verizon, but it looks to use your airtime minutes...so using this feature for a 2-hour trip would burn through some of you available minutes pretty quickly.
Also, at $10/month it seems that if you have this service for a year or 2, would you be better off just spending the money on a full-featured navigation product without having the monthly expenditure.
The concern is that the cost adds up over time.
As far as the functionality. You can do a search for a business using the business category, business name, or specific address. The search will return the top 10 matches meeting your criteria. You then highlight the one you want and press "Nav".
You then hear a crisp voice telling you where to go. There are a few display options as well. The onle gripe I have on the voice directions is that even on the loudest settings, it gets a little harder to hear when you are on the highway, due to increased road noise.
Plus for those of you of a different preference....there is either a female(default) or a male voice you can select.
I found that the directions were clear and precise. However, if you deviated from the advised route, it would have been nice for the navigator to inform you that you had deviated and it was recalculating. So sometimes you had to just wait for the next series of updated directions.
This was a minor concern, but one that the Tom-Tom product was very good at.
Also, be aware that the service only works in the high-speed service areas, which is usually only large cities. Sorry to those that live in the country.
Bottom-line. If you ever wanted a portable gps, but did not want to spend hundreds of dollars, or have some bulky unit in your car...this is for you.
Actually, after using this more...this product only uses airtime when 1st downloading the route...or if your route changes and it has to recompute.
Other than that the gps is mapping and giving you directions without using airtime.
So, this concern is pretty much wiped out.
