App Review: Waze

Category: Navigation
Price: Free
TiP Rating: 3/5 stars
Release Date: January 8, 2010 (Update)
Version: 1.5.1
Languages: English
Seller: Waze Inc.
Rated: Ages 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch. Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.
Link to app (clicking launches iTunes)

App Store Description: Waze is a free, 100% user generated, social navigation app that allows drivers to build and use live maps & real time traffic updates to improve their daily commute.

Summary: With so many paid navigation applications available, can the free option be considered a contender? Waze comes with some impressive features like minute-by-minute traffic updates. Unfortunately, with the lack of features like voice search, taking the free route might not be the best option for you.

Review: We love our iPhones and all, but the thought of that sweet, sweet Google Maps Turn-by-Turn Navigation app has made more than one of us think about heading over to Verizon to grab the Droid – just admit it. So while we wait on Apple to coerce Google into giving us their little navigation nugget (or develop their own awesomeness), what are we to do?

Well, outside of your average, overpriced navigation apps scattered across the App Store, there is one little app that most might look right past. It’s a freebie called WAZE (iTunes Link).

Waze is a community based turn-by-turn navigation, traffic and road reports app. Unlike the Google Maps app, where the company drives vehicles around and maps out the roads, Waze relies on end users. When someone drives with the app open on their iPhone, the app connects with the phones GPS and tracks things such as location and speed. With this information the program can automatically map roads out and tell if the traffic is slowing down which could point to a problem.

For example, if you use the app to navigate home, and you happen to head down the same road that another Waze user just traveled, the app will notify you if there is a slowdown ahead (by marking the road in red), thus giving you the opportunity to find a way around.

Waze also allows you to take pictures and send text (not while driving) for more information on what the holdup is. So not only are you getting turn-by-turn navigation but you’re also getting up to the minute road and traffic conditions for free.

Now let me be the first to say, Waze is not without its down falls. Since Waze is all user generated, there are times that the navigation part is not accurate. The app can take you down a route that’s not the fastest or best way to go. But Waze does learn fast. As you drive to and from your location, it will learn the different ways and will eventually find the faster or better route.

But all of this takes time, so I don’t see Waze replacing the TomTom’s and Magellan’s just yet, but as more people use it there’s a good possibility of it becoming a serious contender in the navigation category.

After spending some time with the program, I can say that for free, it’s an impressive app that comes with a decent set of features. One thing I would like to see added in an update would be voice search. But little things like automatic night mode make it easier for me to look past some of the shortcomings.

So, if you’re looking for a cool little app that can help you get home and help your fellow commuter out, give Waze a shot. It’s free, so there’s nothing to lose. And if you get lost you can always spring for the CoPilot Live North America (iTunes Link) navigation app for 25 smackaroos or the tried and true TomTom (iTunes Link) which goes on and off sale regularly.

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UPDATE: Version 1.6.0 of Waze was released in the App Store on January 27. The listed changes mainly deal with performance improvements (improved responsiveness and lower memory use) and sync bug correction, among others, including the ability to add new routes. These changes don’t necessarily impact my overall impression of the app itself, though, which is that this is handy and useful, but not perfect — and definitely not a comprehensive replacement for full-fledged GPS navigation products. So with this, as with any app, expectations need to be kept realistic.

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