Sensis and Telstra searching for GPS supremacy

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 08 September 2008 12:25

Opinion and Analysis

You can try a seven day trial of the service, but Telstra is offering unlimited access (including Next G data usage, subject to the “Fair Play policy”) for AUD $15 per month, or $4 per day when used on a casual basis.

$15 per month means $180 per year, but this is little more than what your GPS provider will likely charge you for new maps, so while it does mean an ongoing cost every month, you’ll always have the latest maps.

You’ll also be paying for new maps on your existing GPS device if you want them to be up to date, or you’ll be buying an upgraded GPS mapping unit, so it’s not as if you truly will have a fixed GPS cost with an external device.

So... GPS and navigation continues becoming more “everyday” than ever, with non-step technological advance that offers more information in more useful ways with every new version.

And I remember the days when I used to dream, as a kid doing the navigation for Dad in the car, of the device that would eventually be today’s GPS navigator!

Should you get Whereis Navigator in preference to a dedicated GPS device? Well, I've seen the service at work, and used the competing Nokia Maps service on the N95, and either works exceeding well as a GPS mapping solution. You also take the device with you and put it in your pocket when you leave the car.

Standalone devices do offer a larger screen, they'll never "ring" and take the map away, even if only temporarily, have their own independent battery but are fiddlier to have to carry around with you and are thus a greater car break-in threat.

If you're a dedicated driver, chances are you'll prefer a standalone device, but for many, either the Whereis Navigator or another on-phone GPS mapping solution will be more than good enough.