Toss-up: satnav apps

By Adam Turner

Aug. 12, 2012, 3 a.m.

Finding your way around town is easier than ever with your smartphone as your guide.

Satellite-navigation smartphone apps started out as poor substitutes for stand-alone satnav boxes, but they've come a long way. These days they will read the street names aloud, tell you when to change lanes and warn you of traffic delays. You'll also find car kits designed to stick your smartphone at eye level.

TomTom, pictured left, and Navigon, right, are the heavyweights in the satnav game. Navigon Australia is available for Apple and Android smartphones, plus you'll find it pre-installed on some Samsung phones. TomTom has stuck with the iPhone, with talk of an Android version.

Navigon features more flexibility, offering up to three routes a journey. You're also provided with much information about your destination, such as parking and food along with a weather forecast.

Once you're on the road, TomTom offers a slightly less-cluttered view of the world. It also offers lane-change advice more often.

Navigon has an annoying habit of occasionally reading out suburb names rather than street names when telling you to turn. When you're in unfamiliar territory, ''Turn left into Parramatta Road'' from TomTom is more helpful than ''Turn left towards Leichhardt'' from Navigon.

If you're worried about traffic jams, Navigon's live traffic updates are a one-off $25.99 purchase, while TomTom's updates cost $7.49 a month or $41.99 a year.