Among GPS mapping and navigation programs available, Telenav is unique. Most are so large they are sold on - or must be transferred to - large memory cards with at least 100 megabytes. But Telenav takes up a mere 799k in RAM and no memory card space.

Sound interesting? It is! Despite the miniscule footprint, Telenav provides exceptionally detailed directions including street names. Hearing “turn right” is nice. But hearing “turn right on Elm Street” is nicer.

So how can Telenav give you all this, without taking up all your memory? Maps are transferred to your device over-the-air in real time using your data service, showing you only what you need as you need it. The downside is that you must have a data plan to use Telenav, and ideally an unlimited one, and be within cellular range to receive maps.

Because Telenav requires an active data stream, it is important to consider where and how you’ll use it. Some people might not like that the program cannot transfer information in areas of spotty or poor reception. I’m not one of those people. I tend to shut my Treo on long stretches of highway anyway, and in places of poor reception, where I might lose my navigation system, I’d never know. Most cities have good coverage, and if you lose your data connection while navigating, you can generally keep going unless you leave the path (according to participants in Telenav’s forum).

What do you get for $10/month with Telenav? For starters, you get turn by turn directions on the most current maps available. The voice directions are easy to follow, and given in plenty of time to make turns. As mentioned earlier, one of the best features is that the voice gives you street names, and not just directions. While you can’t choose the voice you want to hear, the one voice available is clear and easy to follow. I have VolumeCare installed on my Treo 700p, and the directions can be heard over the sound of radio and traffic in my car.

As you can see from the screen shot to the right, Telenav’s main menu includes Navigation, Biz Finder, Map, GPS Tools, Preferences, and Support. The Preferences are limited, and certainly don’t compare to the myriad options available on other navigation systems such as Tom Tom. As you can see from the next screen shot, Preferences are restricted to Distance, Route style, Backlight, Nav screen, and selected GPS receiver.

Telenav is not only available for all flavors of Treo smart phones, but also on all carriers including in Europe and parts of Asia. The Distance options are Miles/Feet or Km/Meters. Route style includes Fastest, Shortest, Avoid Highway, Prefer Highway, and Pedestrian. Telenav seems to work better than some other navigation programs I’ve used when it comes to pedestrian navigation. This is incredibly helpful when off-road, or in large parking lots!

The Backlight option includes Always on or On at turns, which can help save your battery if you’re not charging when driving (or navigating on foot or bicycle). The last option is the Nav screen which offers a Moving map or Next turn indicator.

One of the features where I prefer Telenav to Tomtom5 is the Map option. Because the maps are all coming from my data connection, I can access any map any time I want, whether my GPS receiver is on or not. In the screenshots below, you can see where I pulled up a map from my Recent address list. Notice the slider bar at the right of the map – you can zoom in or out on the map and see as little or as much detail as you want.

Finally, let’s look at ordinary navigation. I say ordinary, but again Telenav is anything but! Your basic navigation screen (Drive To) includes the usual options of Recent address, Recent cities, Business and Airport locators, and keying in your address. You may miss the option of navigate from contacts, but fear not: this can still be accomplished with Telenav. When you sign up for service with Telenav, you get a web account where you can pre-plan trips, add new addresses, or import your entire contact database. Once you have put an address into your web account, it will automatically show up on your device as a Recent address. You can, of course, enter the address the old fashioned way with your keypad, or you can Call in address. This is an extremely cool feature that integrates seamlessly between Telenav and your Treo. You know the address, but don’t or can’t take the time to key it all in. Just press the button to Call in address, and Telenav’s automated center is dialed. The call is answered by a voice recognition system that will prompt you for city and state, and then street address. If at any time during the call the system does not recognize what you’re saying, you can start over by simply saying “go back.” After your address has been entered, your call will end and you re-launch Telenav where you will find the address you just called in.

This next screen shot shows what you can expect to see while navigating with Telenav. Here, I’m Off Route because my car is parked in the driveway. Nonetheless, what you see is the street you are on, how far until your next turn, the strength of your GPS, and the total distance to your final destination. Notice the destination is 1337 miles away? You don’t have to worry about changing maps with Telenav. Cross country trips are a snap.

I have managed to navigate to airports in 3 states, and to friends’ homes all over the country (for fun) without a single wrong turn. However, when using the option of Fastest, rather than Shortest route, Telenav seems to like taking me the long way home. As you can see on this final screen shot, instead of directing me straight down Orleans St. and then left to my house, it regularly has me loop around so that I am not taking a left turn. I can only guess that it thinks there’s more traffic on my street than there actually is.

Telenav offers some totally unique features; web interface, call in address, and the most up to date maps. You’re not locked into Telenav, so if you don’t like it after your initial subscription, you can cancel at any time. Telenav will work on all Treo models, both Palm and Winmob as long as you have a data connection.

I recommend trying Telenav. It’s a great alternative to committing yourself to a mapping system that has to reside on your sd card.

Related Links

Discuss Applications in the Treo Discussion Forum

Discuss Accessories in the Treo Discussion Forum

Visit Telenav’s website.

Purchase a GPS Receiver.

Filed under: Software reviews