Despite the overwhelming popularity of Google's free mapping app and Apple's own Maps GPS navigation firm Garmin has continued to embrace the iOS platform. The StreetPilot Onboard and Navigon apps have been met with mixed reception, so I was curious to see if the latest versions have brought any significant improvements.
Garmin's StreetPilot Onboard and Navigon now feature integration with Apple's iCloud, theoretically enabling users to easily access their saved locations from multiple iOS devices. This appears to be a sticking point with some users, however, as a larger number of App Store reviews voice frustration over lost favorites and problems saving new locations.
In addition to closer ties with iCloud, the apps also feature integration with social networking tools Foursquare and Glympse. Foursquare users can configure automatic check-in and access the location-based network's search content without leaving the Garmin apps, streamlining the habitual process.
Glympse is just emerging from startup stage, taking a different tack by focusing on personal notifications. If traffic causes delays on the way to meet friends, for example, the Glympse system will keep everyone informed via text message or a web-based interface.
Integrating new location-based services makes sense for Garmin's iOS strategy, but many of the App Store reviewers would have preferred if the company focused more on making a stable navigation utility before adding the social networking capabilities.