With more and more people now using their Smartphones to provide them with a GPS solution over an actual physical standalone device, it wasn’t going to be too long until both powerhouse manufacturers got into the game and started trying to get a slice of this ever popular market. Admittedly it took Garmin a little bit longer than TomTom to release their own iPhone App for GPS navigation, with their product only appearing over the last couple of years – but now both have been in the market for a while I thought that it was time to do a quick comparison to figure out which one is best and comes out on top.

Before you go any further though, my top-line assessment is that the Garmin iPhone App (which goes by the name of Garmin StreetPilot) is the one which has the best value for money. Read on for why I believe this – which I hope will help you make the right choice if you are considering an App to help you navigate with your iPhone.

Which Has the Better User-Interface?

I much prefer the Garmin interface over the TomTom one. The icons appear to be much clearer and chunkier – plus they very closely mimic what you get if you are familiar with using a Garmin Nuvi device. Considering the Nuvi is the best-selling GPS on the planet this will probably be a serious consideration for many iPhone users who are used to navigating with a Garmin GPS product.

How Voice Directions Compare?

The Garmin wins out over the TomTom App in this instance too. The voice directions coming out of the Garmin StreetPilot seem to be a lot clearer and sound more human, rather than the tinny and computerized sounding TomTom voice files. What I also like about the Garmin iPhone App is that it also offers audible warnings when you are driving over the speed limits – very much like the physical Nuvi devices do. In addition to that the Garmin App will reduce the volume of your iPhone music’s when speaking directions, rather than cutting out the audio like the TomTom version does.

Free Traffic Alerts on Garmin GPS iPhone App

When it comes to GPS navigation one of the most valuable assets a driver can have is fore-warning of any traffic jams or potential congestion. If you decide to buy the Garmin App over the TomTom version you will benefit from getting free traffic alerts built-in to the software. On the other hand, TomTom have made their HD Traffic technology a paid for add-on – which comes with a $19.99 annual charge which is quite high for iPhone App charges when compared to other downloads.

TomTom Traffic Alerts Tend to be More Reliable on iPhone

Having said that, you do get what you pay for and independent tests that I have seen conducted on Youtube by other GPS reviewers seems to show that the TomTom traffic can be a little bit more reliable on the iPhone – so this is something you need to weigh up when making your download purchase.

Conclusion and Price Comparison on the iTunes Store

Both GPS apps are available to purchase on the Apple iTunes store. The Garmin StreetPilot App costs ten dollars more than the TomTom version. You can buy Garmin for $59.99 and TomTom for only $49.99. If it was me I would go for the Garmin product, but then I have always used Garmin devices so will tend to lean more naturally towards a user-interface and manufacturer that I am familiar with.

Generally though, both iPhone GPS apps are very similar to each other, with only small differences which I have highlighted above. The biggest differentiator will probably come down to the price variance plus the additional charges incurred should you want to add traffic capability onto the TomTom version.

If you are thinking about purchasing one of these apps though, I would highly recommend that you first check another supplier on the market. Navigon are a German company who produce the MobileNavigator iPhone App. This software seems to rate higher with online reviewers than both Garmin and TomTom so don’t feel that you need to go with one of the large and better known brands. It’s definitely worth shopping around before you buy.

About the Author: Mike Smalley is a GPS enthusiast who runs the popular www.gpsnavigationdvd.net website with other GPS experts. Recently he published an article relating to the savings a Ford driver can make if they install and use the latest 2012 Ford Navigation DVD. It’s possible for you to save on gas bills and your carbon footprint due to recent research conducted by the Navteq Company.

I love GPS – I have almost no sense of direction, and even when given clear directions, frequently follow them incorrectly.

However, I was reading this article in the Washington Post and it got me to thinking about the dark side of GPS.  Namely, that we assume the GPS device is smarter than we are and we throw common sense aside and blindly follow the route calculating algorithms built into our phones of PNDs.

When I’m driving in towns I’m familiar with, I frequently power up my GPS because I like to know how far I am from destination and the ETA seems pretty accurate when in town (when on the Interstate, it’s crap, but that’s another story).  However, I almost never follow the directions to the letter.

Heck, just last week I was driving up to Omaha for a concert just to get the exit number I needed.  It wanted me to take the wrong one.  Then when we took the correct exit, it wanted us to take the longer way.  All in all I turned the GPS on because I needed three turns, all three were wrong.  Had we blindly followed the GPS, out trip would have certainly taken longer.

When using GPS, the best tool in your arsenal is common sense.   If it seems wrong, don’t do it.  Of course, it’s easy to override the GPS when you’re in an area you know.  However, when you’re traveling I recommend having paper maps handy just in case or that you use a service like Mapquest to map out your planned route ahead of time just so you can see if something is really wrong ahead of time.  Mapquest certainly isn’t infallible either, but it tends to give pretty good directions, in my opinion.

Bad Directions

When following a GPS, it’s critical to make sure you pay attention to street signs… especially one way streets.  Most GPS devices know which streets are one ways, but they’re not 100% accurate so you always need to make sure that street signs match up with directions.

Keep in mind that there can be errors on maps as well.  I remember my first GPS was a TomTom and it had an error on Interstate 76 when heading to Denver.  It always wanted me to get off the interstate and take a couple highways to go around.  I never followed those directions because I knew it was wrong.  I finally figured out that the map in the system didn’t have Interstate 76 going straight through so it always wanted me to go around.

Of course, the experience I had that really takes the cake and constantly reminds me that I can’t be 100% dependent on GPS is an experience I had in Northern Colorado when driving to Steamboat Springs to go snowboarding.  It was my first time taking the trip my GPS was a shiny new toy to me at the time so I didn’t bother to grab my maps before I left.  I figured the GPS was smart enough to get me where I was going and since the route was pretty straightforward.

All went well through Nebraska and Wyoming until I about 30 miles from my destination.  For some reason, the GPS thought that a snowmobile trail was a road and it took me down a gravel road that then turned into a dirt road that then turned into a mud pit.  I nearly got myself stuck 15 miles from the closest town in winter in an area with no cell phone service.  Fortunately, I got out of the mud, backtracked to the previous town and got directions from a real human being.   While a major incident was avoided, I’ve always tried to be cautious with my GPS even though I love it so.

Do you have any GPS experiences you’d like to share?  Whether it’s a case where it got you in trouble or saved your bacon, chime in with your experiences in the comments section.

Have a great day!