G-Maps USG-Maps US for the iPhone is such a large and complex/complete application that a short review posted from my iPhone would not do it justice.  When I say large, I’m talking about 585MB in size.  It’s HUGE!  And that is just the Eastern states.  But it’s also hugely useful.  Sometimes big things need big packages, and that is the case with G-Maps US.

I have to be honest here before I get started.  I don’t have (and have never really used) a GPS turn-by-turn direction system before.  Never needed one.  Back when I still drove, they were out of my price range.  Now that I’m disabled and don’t go anywhere, I don’t need one.  But the nice folks at G-Maps US were very prompt in responding to a request for a review copy, so I really want to do this fine piece of software some justice.

As I said, there is a lot to this app.  And as sparce as this overview is going to be, there is a TON of documentation, case studies, FAQ, Quick-start Guide, and so forth on the  G-Maps US web site.  If you want to skip my opinion and go straight there, you may be better off. :)

My first impression of this piece of software, once I deleted enough test/review apps to install it, was one of amazement.  I’d played with the iPhone GPS before, as well as the built-in Maps application, and was not overly impressed in it’s precision and detail.  The iPhone generally located me fairly close to where I was (usually indoors), but the maps didn’t even show my street.  To my amazement, G-Maps US not only had my street and address, but located me there with a precision of feet instead of miles.  Turn-by-turn directions without this level of precision was going to be an issue if the app didn’t pass this test, but it did so with flying colors.

G-Maps US answers some critical questions for the traveler…Where am I, How do I get there, and Where can I find X.  I’ve already mentioned the precision of “where am I”.  Searching for some destination could not be easier.  You can give it a city, search for a point of interest, give it a specific address, or just about anything you can think of.  You can even search by putting in the phone numbers of some businesses.  You can find local banks, ATMs, food, fuel, and so forth under the Emergency category of destinations.  Police and Hospital options are also available. Under general points of interest, you will find everything from attractions, grocery stores, restaurants by category, truck stops, and everything from Vets to Realtors.  I could find everything I could possibly think of except for one thing.  If I could add one suggestion in this area, it would be to also search for the closest free Wi-Fi.  There are so many options and categories there that I may have missed it, but if it is not included, I would think that it would be very helpful to have.

Once you locate your destination, the route info is where this application really shines.  You can follow along on the map as it tracks your progress (zooming in or out to the level of detail that you wish to see), , or even “play” the route in configurable speeds to watch how to get somewhere.  3D views of junctions in major cities are also available.  Routes can be saved and reversed as needed.  The app even calculates approximate travel times based on time of day, traffic or no traffic, and route preferences like avoiding toll roads or dirt roads or whatever.  There is even a “game” built into the app where a random local destination is chosen and you have to try to find it.  The app doesn’t talk to you yet, but that is expected to be added as soon as firmware 3.0 comes out this summer.

Other than adding Wi-Fi hotspots, my one major suggestion would be the ability to delete states that you don’t need.  I rarely travel more than 30 minutes from my home near Atlanta.  Having detialed maps of Detroit and all the businesses and points of interest of Chicago is just more than I need.  I’d love for there to be a way to delete states that you don’t need in order to free up space.  I’d also love to be able to see the directions printed out on the screen and the ability to email them.  Finally, if Apple allows it, I would love for there to be an option in the app to never lock the screen or to never lock it if the iPhone is being powered.

G-Maps US is available in a US-East and US-West version from the iTunes store.  It is $24.99, which sounds like a lot when compared to the $0.99 fart apps, but is a whole lot cheaper than having to purchase a separate GPS unit.  All in all, considering what you get, I believe it is a fair price and something that every traveler should consider.