GPS Smartphone Apps vs. Dedicated Car GPS Devices: Which Is Better? (2024)

GPS navigation has grown into a robust product category with many options. App stores offer a variety of smartphone navigation apps, and manufacturers such as Garmin and TomTom sell dedicated GPS devices. We examined each type of technology to help you decide between the two.

Overall Findings

Both dedicated GPS personal navigation devices (PNDs) and smartphone navigation apps offer high-quality, accurate maps and directions. PNDs offer larger screens and dedicated mounts. On the other hand, because smartphones are always connected to the internet and have capacitive touchscreens, you might prefer their ease and flexibility.

Some top navigation apps include Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps. Well-known PND manufacturers include Garmin and TomTom.

User Interface: Bigger Might Be Better

A smartphone offers a sharp, clear display with a capacitive touchscreen. It functions well when held in the hand, but it's harder to see and use any farther away.

Most GPS turn-by-turn navigation apps have tried to adapt to car-mounted use with larger fonts and buttons, and some do a pretty decent job. However, these are still smaller than those found on a typical dedicated GPS device.

PNDs have resistive touchscreens that are typically 4.3 inches or 5.5 inchesdiagonally. Larger-screen PNDs with 5-inch screens are becoming more common. PND menu systems, touchscreen keyboards, display letters, and numerals have been optimized for arm's-length viewingand tuned for usability while driving.

The simplicity, durability, and larger size of the dedicated GPS PND resistive touchscreen wins out in this comparison, and this is one of the biggest factors to consider in the smartphone vs. PND choice.

Windshield and Dash Mounting: PNDs Have the Edge

Many use their smartphone's turn-by-turn navigation while the phone rests on the passenger seat or some other flat area, or they listen to the directions. A phone holder, either for your windshield or dash mount, provides safer, easier viewing for turn-by-turn directions.

Smartphone windshield mounts range from simple, one-size-fits-all holders with no charger ports or additional features to sophisticated units with chargers, speakers, supplemental GPS chips, microphones, and more. A smartphone windshield mount can be costly, so factor that into your decision. Also, make sure the mount includes a charger or that you have an accessory power port charger for your smartphone.

Dedicated GPS devices include windshield mounts and power port chargers. Mounts from the major manufacturers are well-built, adjustable, and adaptable to various mounting points using included sticky-backed disks. PND mounts come right in the box, so they have the edge in mounting.

Quality of Maps and Directions: Equally Accurate

Smartphone map and points-of-interest databases are downloaded initially with thepurchase of the app or are downloaded on the fly. When you download maps on the fly, you always have the latest version. The downside is that you can be without maps in remote areas out of a cellphone tower range. If you do a lot of rural driving, stick with onboard maps.

Smartphone turn-by-turn apps generally use the same high-quality maps and databases provided by mapping giants like Telenav, as do the PND manufacturers. Google has gone its own way with Google Maps. Name-brand smartphone turn-by-turn apps and PNDs offer equally good experiences.

PNDs keep map sets on board. Most makers offer free map updates periodically.

Connectivity: Smartphone Connectivity Gets the Edge

Smartphones have the advantage of always being connected to a mobile network. Some smartphone GPS navigation apps take advantage of this connectivity with sophisticated search, real-time traffic detection and avoidance, and gas prices, while others make scant use of the internet. Check out the app's connectivity features before you download it.

Dedicated PNDs may or may not include cellular network and internet connectivity. Check the specifications, and look into whether you'll need to pay a monthly fee to maintain connectivity in a PND.

Smartphones include a built-in app store that can be used to download additional GPS-related apps that help with things like reporting road conditions, sharing real-time location, comparing gas station prices, etc; PNDs have little functionality apart from the built-in map.

Final Verdict

There's a lot to consider in the smartphone navigation vs. PND debate, but the good news is that you have many excellent products to consider in both categories. Think about ease of use, how often you'll use navigation, and where you travel.

If you generally listen to voice directions and don't need to access navigation while driving, an app is fine. If you're concerned about battery drain, mobile data usage, readability while driving, and mounting problems, a dedicated car GPS device might be the right choice.