ViewRanger on the iPhone - First impressions and field test

Price: £14.99
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Compatibility: iPhone



The competition may have got there first, but ViewRanger has already built up an envious reputation for entering a market late but doing it right first time. As a daily user of the impressive ViewRanger software on the Symbian platform (that's Nokias and most non Windows hand-helds of the last few years) I've been awaiting ViewRanger's entry into the iPhone market.

The beauty of ViewRanger is it's been built to do one thing, but do it well. It doesn't pretend to be full digital mapping solution with 3D fly-throughs, but it does provide the most intuitive and clearest mapping and GPS on a mobile phone. Initial impressions of the iPhone app have been very favourable - although there are limitations placed on the software by the Apple platform.



The installation process was typically easy through iTunes and well documented for both new users and those transferring from another phone. This immediately highlights why ViewRanger stands head and shoulders above the competition - if you're an existing user with existing maps a quick email to re-licence your maps and you can transfer your investment. Where some software manufacturers moving over to the iPhone prevent you from using maps you've already bought ViewRanger make it easy. Some will obviously question the very idea of paying for an app to run maps they've already purchased, but to make up for this you get an allocation of download points on registration which can be used to select additional map downloads free of charge.

Map download and transfer is a simple process, whether by connecting to a PC/laptop or through a WiFi connection, and maps can be downloaded directly from the server over 3G - handy if you have an unlimited data contract and want a new map when out. To make things easier ViewRanger has made it possible to combine different maps into a single zip file for faster downloads - with the iPhone unpacking the zip file automatically and allocating file paths accordingly.

There are a few things missing from the iPhone version - noticeably the server based Buddy system that allows you to display friends positions on screen, but these are early days and the core software is all there from good map display to import export of routes/tracks and POIs. One advantage of the new app seems to be an exceptionally fast GPS pick-up - with a really handy "where am I" button that re-centres the map with your GPS generated position centre-screen. On first installation the app found my position within 3 seconds - while sat inside the house!!

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Real World Test:

We gave the ViewRanger iPhone app an outing over the May Bank Holiday in Edale. Edale and the surrounding area is an ideal testing ground with deep valleys like Grindsbrook for checking reception and the Kinder Plateau for accuracy.

Edale's about 25 miles from home, where it was last used, so on starting the map display was from the previous location. The GPS was turned off, but having been used a few hours previously it should be armed with the essential data from the satellites to achieve a quick lock. On tapping the button to centre your location on screen your last verified position is shown, with the option to update this live from the GPS. From to tap to recentre - now in Edale, took a very respectable 2.4 seconds which puts it up there with the latest dedicated outdoor GPS receivers.

In terms of accuracy there was no noticeable difference between the ViewRanger app and the dedicated hardware/software of the SatMap Active 10 - our favourite GPS. For those familiar with ViewRanger on the Symbian platform there's some noticeable features missing, particularly panoramas and server based features like on-screen Buddy icons, but don't let these detract from what is by far the best iPhone mapping solution for the UK.

Along the base of the screen you get 5 icons, which fade and disappear after a few seconds unused, of which 2 are zooms and 1 is the centre on-screen button. The Organizer is the heart of the system, where you can control almost all the features from grid settings to downloading new maps. You get all the essential features from custom POIs to Routes and Tracks, but along with your own data the app makes use of the iPhone's 3G connection (or Wi-Fi) to connect with a selection offerings from the AA and WalkingWorld. These 3rd party routes, like map downloads, cost On Air Credits, which range from 25 for an AA walk to 100 for one from WalkingWorld.

You can only connect to the ViewRanger server for downloading through iTunes, but given that iPhone users will need iTunes anyway this is no real restriction and it does offer security advantages with its password protection and restorable downloads for when things go wrong. In real life the system seems to work flawlessly with the downloads running smoothly and a simple and intuitive interface for selecting map tiles or route downloads.



As a first offering the ViewRanger app is simple, stable and accurate - all the essentials in a GPS system, yet still has room for tweaks. At the moment the only way to check your On Air Credits seems to be by selecting a purchase from the store, at which point you're shown the cost of the downloads and your available balance, and it would be nice to see some of the community based features of the Symbian versions make it to the iPhone.

The iPhone is never going to be a rugged, weather-proof, device to compete with dedicated receivers like the Active 10, but we don't always need a dedicated device and the chances are your iPhone is going to be with you wherever you are so it makes sense to make the most of it. The ViewRanger app is without a doubt the best OS mapping system available for use in the UK, but it doesn't stop there with a range of maps now available for continental Europe and National Geographic maps for the USA.

Verdict:
Unquestionably the best iPhone app for UK users, ViewRanger delivers clear GPS enabled mapping with an intuitive and efficient interface that actually works in the field.