Review: ALK Copilot Live 6 satellite navigation

Previously known for its Pocket PC GPS applications, Copilot has now branched into the wider-reaching Symbian platform.

Initially, Copilot Live 6 for Symbian is available only with T-Mobile's World Cup Edition Nokia N70 . Copilot tells us it will release it to other phones and mobile operators in the autumn.

If you're unsure about getting a GPS for your phone, you'll be very unlikely to want to ditch your current phone and sign up for a contract with T-Mobile in order to get Copilot Live 6.

Don't get too excited about the World Cup Edition of the N70 either; it's basically an N70 filled with World Cup tat such as video clips and wallpaper.

That said, the Nokia N70 is a decent 3G handset and the large screen works well with Copilot Live 6.

The included GPS receiver connects to your phone via Bluetooth. It's a fair bit larger than other GPS receivers we've seen, but it's also reasonably light and slim. Three lights indicate Bluetooth activity, GPS reception and low battery.

Copilot includes a car charger, but there's no AC adapter so you've either got to buy your own or hope that your phone doesn't need charging at the same time as the receiver when travelling in the car.

Impressively, the GPS receiver managed to obtain a signal almost immediately.
As is usual with satellite navigation devices, you can plot a simple router by inputting an address, town, POI (point of interest) or pinpointing a location using the map. Seven-digit postcode support is also available.

Alternatively, you can plan a route with multiple stop off points.

It's not the fastest when it comes to calculating routes, but the Nokia N70 is always going to hold things back in terms of processor power.

During navigation, Copilot will only display the real-time map when you're approaching a junction; a sensible safety feature since it's very tempting to keep glancing at a moving map while driving. At all other times, the screen displays the next turn in the form of an arrow, the current road name and the distance to the next junction.

If you're on foot, you can switch to the Walking Mode, which basically just draws a straight line to your destination. Since even the most advanced GPS device won't be able to work out the best walking route to a destination, this serves as the second best way of doing things - you simply follow the line, taking whatever shortcuts you can find en route that aren't picked up by the map.

The Live part of Copilot's service is an interesting addition. Via the web, people will be able to track your movements and even send messages directly to your phone should they realise you've bashed in the wrong address.

It also serves as a good way for people to see how long you're likely to take to arrive at your destination.

Only those invited by you will be able to monitor your progress and, if you prefer, it can be turned off altogether.

Traffic updates are received via GPRS and are free for two years. After this point, you'll have the option of upgrading to a new version of Copilot Live (costing £50), which will include free traffic updates.

At present, traffic updates are only available to T-Mobile customers, which will disappoint those who use a different mobile operator.

Copilot Live 6 has a good selection of features and, despite the slightly slow calculation method, works well. If you don't want to hang around waiting for the exclusive deal with T-Mobile to end, Route66 is a similar GPS application for Symbian phones.

Related reviews:
Route66 Mobile 7
Not as easy to use as standalone sat nav systems, but a good alternative if you want GPS on your mobile.

Like this story? Spread the news by clicking below:

 del.icio.us     Digg this     reddit!