Garmin finally enters the 21st century with affordable maps
It took Garmin quite a long time to get with the times. After their failed attempt at creating GPS phones that could help you find your way around town without an internet connection, the navigation company released several overpriced apps in the Google Play Store. For $30 you were promised offline maps of whichever region you chose, and some features unique to Garmin that Google Maps couldn’t provide.
And then Google Maps got good. It got great. And now, thinking about paying $30 for something Google offers for free is downright ludicrous. Thankfully Garmin is making an attempt to adapt to the times with a new app.
For $2, Viago breaks things down to the bare essentials, including basic road navigation of the entirety of the world. You then help yourself to additional features that you want a-la-carte using in-app purchases, such as Active Lane Guidance, offline maps and landmarks-based directions (“turn right at the clock tower,” for instance.)
The problem is that Garmin still isn’t providing much more than what Google Maps can give you for absolutely nothing. There are a few cool things, but nothing that seems worth paying for when other solutions already get the job done just fine. Take public transit? Forget about it — Viago only offers driving and walking directions.
But if for some reason you’re attached to Garmin and absolutely can’t go without their maps, Viago doesn’t seem like a terrible place to start. You can grab the download from Google Play just ahead.