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-   -   Sygic Maps Vs MMI maps, what's the difference? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/113410-sygic-maps-vs-mmi-maps-whats-difference.html)

Is there anybody using MMI maps for android. I had a chat with one of there representative and he confirmed they use Sygic interface for Android.

Maps cost 2K, till street level updates.

I went to android market and installed Sygic Trial version and also downloaded maps. Used it today and liked it. Quite detailed map

So what is the difference between maps directly from Sygic and from MMI?

Hi,

I am not sure of what's the difference between the two on android but I have Sygic on my iPhone which has been powered by mmi and I find this to be very useful and worth every penny I spent on purchasing this.

You bought it from sygic directly or from MMI?

Hi Buddy,

There is no difference, Sygic is the compiler for Map my India. The maps are being procured from MMI and the compilation is done by Sygic.

Amit

I bought it in app store directly from Sygic. There is regular updates available as well and overall am very happy with it. But only draw back I see is the battery drain

Thanks, I guessed so, maps I downloaded from sygic are very detailed ones

Thanks, I am using it on HTC flyer tablet

It is better to buy the maps from Sygic though (the price isn't too different, modulo the
dollar/rupee. I have the android Sygic maps for countries too and they all work
under the Sygic app rather well - regular updates too.

I think the map data is provided by MMI and the actual software that displays the maps, provides navigation, etc. is offered by Sygic via the Android market.
Yes. The software is good - but it has its own share of issues.
Having driven close to 4000 KM with Sygic I can say it is nice to have, but do not rely on it blindly.
The software goes for a toss, if you have a waypoint defined in between. Many times the software freezes in a way that you cannot zoom in or out by pinching. You need to force close and restart and then select the route again.
I have lost count of the number of times it asks you to take a U-turn so that you can go back to a way point that you have defined, even though you have already crossed it an hour ago.
The software works very well if you do not change the route that it has defined for you.
But if you were to add a point on the map and include it as part of your route, chances are that it will go bonkers after you cross that point.

Overall, still a nice navigator to have with you.

If you download the free Sygic app from the Play Store, you will buy TomTom maps through the app.

If you buy the Sygic/Map my India app on the Play Store, you get Map my India map.

That's the difference. Sygic interface is common. You have a choice between TomTom and Map my India maps.

Anybody knows which map is better?

I have been using Sygic for the last 1 year. I had done extensive research on the two before I decided to buy directly from Sygic. These were the differences at that time. I believe it is valid even now.

i) Sygic also uses Mapmyindia maps in India, so there is no difference in that respect if you buy MMI or Sygic. For most of the other countries it uses Tomtom maps.
ii) Sygic gives you lifetime map upgrades for free. After I purchased my product, I have got atleast 4-5 upgrades. MMI gives only 1 year map upgrades for free. I have seen Sygic upgrades are usually 1 quarter slower than when it happens in MMI website.
iii) The latest version of Sygic allows you use the same license in 5 different Android devices. This is a great feature since our household has 3 devices and I am getting navigation features in all. I don't think MMI allows you to do that. This was not available when I bought it but after it upgraded, it gave me that option.
iv) Sygic is an international product. So if ever you want to travel to another country, you can purchase the license for that country, download the maps and use it without any issue. MMI will work only in India.
v) Sygic customer support is awesome. They have a well established support forum, support.sygic.com where they listen to customer feedback and incorporates it into future versions. But since MMI does not own the navigation software, they cannot provide support on the product features. Downside is that Sygic cannot entertain any issues with the map data since it gets it from different providers.
vi) Supports TTS voices. This feature will help the navigation voice read the road names from the map. Though it does not support English (India) accent, so it is sometimes funny when it tries to pronounce Indian names.
vii) You can custom download the map of each state separately. So I have downloaded only the data of my home state and surrounding states where I travel. If you are planning to visit some where else, you can download the maps for that destination before your travel and remove that once you come back. This is a great way of saving your download time and memory in your phone.

Some negatives of Sygic based on my user experience:
i) I have seen many force closes and mobile freezes while using the product. Once it happens mobile automatically reboots. I have a Motorola Defy. This is very frequent when you try to go to main screen of the phone while using navigation or when a phone call comes while you are in navigation. The way out is that I use my Android Tab to navigate while I drive and keep my phone free for phone calls.
ii) As I mentioned before, map upgrades take up 3 months to 6 months to show up on sygic.
iii) Sygic does not allow map downloads to the computer and then transfer to mobile. So if there are map upgrades you need a Wifi to download to your device. It takes atleast 1-2 hours if you are upgrading 3-4 states at a time. Cannot imagine doing this in a 3G / 2G connection.

There have been complaints about Battery drain while using Sygic. What I have felt is that it is due to two reasons.
i) If you use the native GPS of the device, it consumes a lot of power. The way around is to buy a separate Bluetooth GPS Receiver and download either Bluetooth GPS or Bluetooth GPS Provider from Google Play.
ii) The display is on while the navigation is on, leading to battery drain. What I do while I go on road trips is to keep the device on only when I am nearing confusing junctions or need to bypass cities. You can also invest on a cheap android device and use it primarily for navigation.

Nice summary. As a user of Sygic since v11.x, I agree about the major downside. The maps are outdated by more than a year for Pune city. In comparison Tom Tom maps are updated just like Google maps.

This is reason enough not to buy Sygic anymore.


I used to have this problem with v11.x on Android 2.3.
Now with v12.1.2 on Android 4.1.2, there are no such issues.


I think all GPS devices have a battery life of 2-3 hours, so Sygic is not very different in that respect.

The best option is to connect GPS device through Bluetooth. I have an old GPS Bluetooth device called G-Space, it has a battery life of 10-12 hours and its size is like matchbox. This is especially useful when you are travelling outside your car with no place to charge like AutoRikshaw or some cab or by walk. I have seen most phone gets drained of battery within 1 hour if you use GPS. So here you just use bluetooth and it can go on for 10-12 hours!

Just observed that Sygic+Mapmyindia is on sale @google play store for just Rs 499 for limited time. Should be the best time to buy if you are planning.

Installed Sygic Map My India app today on my iPhone 4. Worked superbly and was spot on in directing me from Whitefields to Electronic City in Bangalore. About 25 kms taking 45 mins.

However, battery drain is high, so got to keep it connected to a power source all the time. It was fine for me, as I usually connect my phone to the Head unit via USB for music. The voice guidance is over the car speakers, so there is little chance of missing an instruction. If phone is not connected to head unit, then voice is over the phone's speakers.

The app took 1.2gb of space on installation. I installed it from App store from the phone itself. The space occupied grew to 1.4gb when I connected to iTunes.

They have dropped the prices even more. It is selling for Rs 199 (USD 3.90). This is the best value for money for the software ss you can install it on multiple devices AFAIK. Good yhing I did not buy it at 499! Saved another 300 Rs.