Dedicated portable GPS navigation systems in cars are now very popular, What could be better than being able to get to wherever you want to without having to stop and ask for directions.
Nevertheless, a lot of people overlook a convenient an easy way of navigation which is using your mobile phones for GPS Navigation. You might think because of the small screens on mobile phonbes, it wouldn't be practical, but from experience that is farther from the truth. There are quite a few advantages choosing a a mobile phone over a dedicated portable GPS system for navigation. The main being convenience, Since mobile phones are usually compact and small, it makes it much easier then having a bulky dedicated system.
Another overlooked advantage is security, Since dedicated portable navigation sytems come with a distinct windscreen car mount. There have been cases where cars have been broken into because thieves saw the windscreen mount on the windscreen and the owner park the vehicle, coming out with nothing and then assumed the unit will be in the car.
With the mobile phones, all you need is a compatible phone loaded with the navigation software and a bluetooth receiver. One thing i do sometimes is to also use a bluetooth headset and have the voice prompts from the phone through the headset. You just have to make sure you get the right phone by checking which mobile phones are supported by your choice of navigation software. When you receive an incoming call the software pauses and allows the call to come through and resumes when the conversation is ended.So if you have a correct phone, it might make more sense opting for a navigation software and bluetoth GPS receiver.
This article was posted on November 28, 2005
