Okay, so this isn’t much of a ranty, angsty, angry post as I would normally throw up here, but this is something that is has been weighing in on me for the past few weeks. Those of you who follow me on Twitter (link) have seen a few tweets of mine ranting about these apps. Mostly: Why in fuck’s name are they so goddamn expensive?
I mean, all things considered, brand new GPS systems cost like…what, 120 bucks a pop? Maybe 150 for a fancy one with some nifty features? Okay, that’s cool…not too expensive. Gives you a cool suction cup to stick to your windshield, comes in its own fancy case and so on. Awesome.
So what the hell am I getting for this damn 100 bucks I’m spending on ONE application for my iPhone? I mean, I love my iPhone…it’s like my laptop away from my laptop which is away from home. Works great and all that good stuff (except I got a stuck pixel the other day…managed to fix that after a bit of effort, though. Note: Put a shit-ton of pressure on the spot for about 10 seconds.) But really, is an app like this worth 100 friggin’ dollars?
Let’s look at Pros and Cons, shall we?
Pro: Turn by Turn Navigation for the iPhone is finally here! We get cool voices, reliable directions on where we wanna go, points of interest (such as good places to dump bodies) and the like. It’s something that we’ve been waiting for for a long time. I mean, the maps tool kinda sucks to some degree…it’s got GPS, sure, but it’s no TomTom or Navigon. You basically have to tap the shit out of your phone in order to get the damn thing to stay on, and even then, your battery drains quickly. And if you’re not paying attention to your phone at the time, the directions it gives can be very confusing in a foreign place.
Con: Are we really getting that much more for our buck? The Maps app does kinda suck, but it’s not really lead me anywhere wrong before, it’s updated by Google, and the GPS positioning is spot on within like 5 yards or something. It works pretty reliably, and that could be enough for some people. Really, would it have been so hard for Apple to take each individual direction, note when you’re coming within 300 yards of it and make a unique beep to let you know to look at your phone? I like hearing a lovely Brit tellin’ me to take the motorway and “TUHN ROIGHT”, but even something as simple as that beep would make their current app infinitely better and these navigational apps a bit impractical, at least at the moment.
Pro: But wait, Andrew, you suave prick, there are cheaper Nav apps out there that still come with turn by turn!
Con: From my preliminary research, there ARE cheaper ones that are still major contenders, but that cheaper price comes with…well, another price. What the apps lack in price supposedly lack in features as well. Things such as accurate directions or more practical mapping layouts (read: LANDSCAPE MODE) are notably absent, and some other features such as speed cameras and stoplights seem to be off, too. The price is nice, but the benefits…not so much.
Pro: But wait again, you debonair bastard, TomTom is supposed to have a cradle that exponentially increases your battery life (a sure benefit with such heavy usage), increases the volume, cures cancer and AIDS, will let your dog out on long vacations, and even clean your aquarium!
Con: Yeah. At an extra 100 bucks.
Pro: But wait A…oh damn, really? Another 100?
Con: Yeah. Another 100 bucks on top of that.
Pro: Damn. Well, that’s not much of a pro, is it? Hmm…can I scratch that one?
Con: Sure, as long as I can still say my con to it. The fact of the matter is that, yes, this cradle is supposed to be pretty impressive and come with a lot, but at an extra 100 bucks, that’s already 200 dollars you’ve spent on a GPS system that you could have just as easily purchased at 150 bucks without wasting your phone’s battery life. Seems a little…pointless, don’t you think? Also, if you get a phone call, there is no possibility of background integration…both a flaw in the iPhone’s programming and a failure of realization on the nav app producers’ parts.
I suppose I’ve been ranting enough in this post, but you get the idea. The fact is bang for your buck is just not worth it to me at this time. Granted, I’d like to invest in ONE of these apps at some point, but right now, I can’t see lightening my pocketbook $100 more for something that will kill my battery ridiculously quickly and I am not going to use all that often. Perhaps this is worth it to someone who travels all over in unknown territory very frequently, but frankly, that demographic is very small in comparison to the vast majority of casual users out there.
Also, for those of you who know my car, it’s not exactly the most advanced piece of machinery out there. Frankly, I CAN’T PLUG MY PHONE IN ON THE ROAD. One charge, that’s it. So now there’s even LESS appeal for me to do this, as I am not aware of any “sleep mode” application feature. These companies make their profits on their current GPS systems…can’t we get a LITTLE leeway on this one? The app costs as much as the damn phone!
All I am asking is make one of these apps affordable without sacrificing quality. 40 bucks? I’m all for it…right there on board. Granted, even if the apps don’t decrease in price, I still plan on investing in ONE of them at some point. Grumbling all the way.
But perhaps I’m over-exaggerating or I’m missing something. Do you think 100 bucks is fair for a nav app on the iPhone? Agree with me? Have your own thoughts? Post them in the comments.
Till next time.
