Telmap Navigator 4.5 review

The BlackBerry platform isn’t exactly overflowing with big-name navigation vendors; ALK once produced a test version of CoPilot, but it never made it into production. Other than that, probably the best-known BlackBerry satnav tool is Telmap Navigator.

It uses off-board navigation and map delivery, so needs a GPRS or 3G data connection at the start of the journey to download the planned route data and the maps, and at times while driving as it checks for traffic hold-ups. Small deviations from the original route are handled using the initial route data, but if you stray too far the application will request a new route from the remote server. This is frustrating if it happens in an area with poor mobile coverage.

The onscreen mapping is clean and clear, which is especially important given the smaller screen size of a BlackBerry compared to the other smartphones here. And the voice prompts are excellent, too, with very good attempts at pronouncing street names.

The routes provided aren’t always the best ones, and tend to favour urban roads rather than bypasses or ring roads. We found this added a minute or two to our test journeys. And we’d prefer to see a one-off purchase option rather than a hefty £50 annual subscription charge, especially when safety camera updates cost £2.99 per month. BlackBerry owners are best advised to buy a standalone GPS instead.

Author: Paul Ockenden