The Navigon company was bought a few weeks ago by Garmin, but it seems that for now it will continue to operate under its own regime and will maintain its applications from the App Store. The company's developers are working hard on version 2.0 of the application, which will bring you a lot of important news, but among them I will talk about some that the application producer to present themt at IFA Berlin 2011. First of all, we are talking about a new interface for the application that will be much easier to use, will provide more information for users and will provide easier access to the settings and options menus.
Navigon plans a revamped interface in the 2.0 update, aimed at making its navigation apps easier to use. The developer is adding animated menus to help users switch between different pages more easily; the update also supports new multi-touch user gestures. More specifically, in the navigation screen, the Options button will be replaced with two separate buttons—one for settings and one for route information. The screens are designed to provide simpler, better organized access to MobileNavigator's assorted functions.
Secondly, we are talking about the implementation of a map fragmentation system that will allow users to purchase and download maps for various regions around the globe. More precisely, let's say that we purchase the European version of Navigon but we don't need all the maps, well the application won't contain all of them but we will be able to download for free any maps we are interested in and only when we need them so as not to take up space useless in the terminal. And thirdly, Navigon will implement a map update system that will allow users to pay a single fee and receive updated maps every 3 months.
The 2.0 version of Navigon's MobileNavigator apps will let users pick which map regions to download to their iPhone. Say you've got the MobileNavigator USA app. You can download the states you want immediately—your home area, for example—with the option of adding other states when you need them. That way, you're only carrying around the maps you need, which Navigon says will free up storage space on your iPhone. That's not the only map management change Navigon has in store with its upcoming update. The company is also offering a quarterly map update feature called FreshMaps. Users will be able to get the latest maps, including updated points of interest, every three months for a one-time fee that covers the life of the Navigon product.
Of course, Navigon is preparing more changes for version 2.0 of the application, but we talked about the most important ones that will prove extremely useful for iDevice owners.
