It was less than 10 years ago when physical maps were still being used to navigate, From Melways for drivers to a map for tourists around the city. Yes they all still exist however the rise of the smart phone simply made the traditional a slight inconvenience.

The GPS age basically came and went for several years from 2010 onwards. Whilst they still have their purpose they are a single use object. Point A to point B, your phone can do some many other tasks and plays a vital communication role.

GPS’s needed updating and some brands required you to pay for these updates, this isn’t ideal as some consumers understandably aren’t satisfied with paying more for a product down its life cycle. Bulky size and unsightly cables are other reasons the humble GPS had a short life span.

The need for one device to do all

Inbuilt car GPS sits above the physical GPS device due to its design and screen size. Factor in you’re essentially paying for it in your car purchase rather than as a standalone cost it seems like a bonus rather than a forced cost. Keeping in mind that only select cars have and are being produced with inbuilt GPS systems lets move along to a very popular handheld item…

Smartphone apps for Maps and GPS directional assistances are many, but there is one that stands at the top. It is no secret Google loves its data and building profiles to better display ads and help ai but Google Maps is one top-notch product.

The app is free which can lead some warning signs as to “If its free you are the product” i.e your data is the payment for using the free app. But Google Maps works fine with a dummy account. Turning of the location and updating whilst not active setting is a must do and only having the app open when you need it helps minimize the data suck.

Highly useful and reliable

For how much or little data Google uses from you it can be said that Google Maps is a great and useful app. You get satellite maps, traffic, busy times, notable locations, business types, route time and directions (GPS mode). Google Maps app itself is feature packed compared to a car GPS unit and the app is free.

From using it in the car (in a cradle) or when your on holidays trying to navigate a foreign city Google Maps will help you get to or find your location. As a huge convenience in everyday life Google Maps deserves credit for actually being useful and from my use it has been bug proof.

Give some to get some

It can be lost at times with privacy violations and data seeching of the modern world but Google has in some aspects helped people improve in how they go about their lives. Google maps shows this, it’s just you have to give a little to get some back and Google Maps gives a lot back.