For tastes, colors and to find your favorite navigation app, Google Play Store. I have been using Android for years and I have had the opportunity to test GPS navigators both directly from the mobile phone and in Android Auto: Google Maps provided by default, Sygic, TomTom AmiGo, Maps.me… and I have one thing clear: overall Waze is the GPS navigator that satisfies me the most.
What surprises me a lot is that even though Waze was born as an independent project, it has been part of Google for years and without being “its pretty daughter”, it has retained its essence and its virtues that make it better than Google Maps when you’re driving. The icing on the cake is that it is free, although the B side is that it includes advertising. After trying many browsers it is clear to me that Waze shines above the rest in these features.
Your active community for road incidents
The main virtue by which Waze stands out from others is its “Wazers” community
These few minutes are not an exaggeration: it won’t be the first time that the police have been on the road near my house (and in view of my window) and when I get out of the car and turn on Waze, the The warning is already there. Activity is a plus which makes the difference in avoiding inconveniences, but it is also Waze makes things easier and easier: first, with the simple existence of reporting (something that other applications also have), but two clicks are enough to do it… even from the car’s infotainment system.
A relaxed interface, but above all clear and intuitive
I have to admit something: I’m poorly oriented and it’s difficult for me to read the maps. This will therefore be neither the first nor the last time that with the navigator in front of me I choose the wrong path I should take. Yes, I have no idea and I’m getting nervous, but there are some apps (most actually) that aren’t particularly clear when it comes to marking routes and the chosen colors are too similar.
In this sober and conservative aesthetic scenario, Waze came along and made my day. The application uses purple to delimit the route (tone rarely used in this category of applications), a wider and more striking variety of colors. And for dispersed people like servers, these larger, more informal icons attract more attention.
The road experience
Until three years ago, my use of the car was limited: within Pamplona, from there to the nearest beach and also to my city, without forgetting some trips to take a mountain route in the surrounding area. That is to say, rather simple roads with little traffic density. From time to time I sometimes took longer trips, but that had nothing to do with coming to live in Madrid and dealing with heavy traffic.
It’s normal for navigation apps to have options for avoiding tolls or highways for those who don’t feel like opening their wallets, but Waze has two essential tricks up its sleeve:’Unpaved roads
Personalization
Please note, this is a secondary section compared to the previous ones, but being able to configure the application as you wish is a plus. Here Waze shows his chest and his eyes because it is not only matter of preferences, is that it can also improve the experience.
Thus, in terms of voice prompts, it is possible to choose from its long list of languages male, female and celebrity voices (special mention to Leire, the Basque assistant) and even be able to use your own voice after recording the Voice off. . Another point of customization, in this case fun, is that you can change the car icon to another and be careful because at Christmas they even launch a version with a sleigh and Santa Claus giving directions.
Cover | Alex Alcolea (Xataka Mobile)
In Xataka Android | Google Maps vs Waze, in-depth comparison: which app offers the best navigation options?
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