Editor’s note: The following app list, ratings, and descriptions were sampled from the Android Market website on Jan. 10, 2012. All ratings are ranked on a five-star scale.
Community GPS navigation
Waze
Rating: 4.5 stars (above average)
(83,746 ratings)
Free
Waze is a free social traffic and navigation app that uses real-time road reports from drivers nearby to save commuting time and improve your everyday driving. Way more than just another free navigation app, Waze’s social layer is what sets it apart — giving drivers the power to work together to report and receive the most relevant traffic information available at any given moment.
GPS Navigation
Sygic
Rating: 4 stars (above average)
(25,780 ratings)
Free, time-limited
Sygic is a voice-guided, turn-by-turn GPS navigation app. It’s packed with TomTom maps and a robust set of navigation features. Both app and maps are updated at no charge. Maps are stored on the phone for offline use.
Google Maps
Google Inc.
Rating: 4.4 stars (above average)
(1.58 million ratings)
Free
Download the latest release of Google Maps and never carry a paper map again. Get Google Maps with Navigation (Beta), Places, and Latitude. Navigation: Free voice-guided GPS navigation system. Places: Find, rate, and get recommendations for places. Latitude: See friends on the map and check in at places …
ROUTE 66 Maps + Navigation
www.66.com
Rating: 3.9 stars (above average)
(654 ratings)
Free
Highlights include Follow Me, the best in augmented reality navigation and an innovative, smart, and fun way to reach your destination; and Maps, offering free access to the latest crystal-clear maps with stunning 3-D content and handy links to Wikipedia and 14-day weather reports. Free Text Search lets you find places with less effort …
Free GPS Navigation
Navmii
Rating: 3.6 stars (above average)
(1,160 ratings)
Free
NavFree is the world’s first free crowd-sourced navigation system! Unlike many other "free" (GPS navigation services), we offer you fully featured, non-time-limited turn-by-turn navigation. No hidden payments: after the map download you can use it forever for free and update it from time to time, also for free.
AT&T Navigator: GPS navigation
AT&T Services Inc.
Rating: 3.5 stars (above average)
(1,138 ratings)
GPS navigation, traffic and search. The first 30 days free, and then the cost is $9.99 per month. Features include voice-guided GPS navigation, traffic and search; automatic map updates, one-tap traffic avoidance, search for and navigate to the lowest gas prices …
Navigation by TeleNav for Verizon
TeleNav, Inc.
Rating: 3.9 stars (above average)
(285 ratings)
Free
TeleNav helps over 20 million people find where to go and what they need with turn-by-turn directions spoken by a person, 3-D moving maps, automatic rerouting, and the ability to search and drive to over 22 million local businesses, restaurants, landmarks and more …
Google Map Navigation Book
adaptroid
Rating: 4 stars (above average)
(2,963 ratings)
Free
Need an address book for Google Maps locations? Do you use Google Navigation turn-by-turn directions often? Add your commonly used locations to the address book, and with one click load the navigator.
GPS Test Plus
Chartcross Ltd.
Rating: 4.7 stars (above average)
(644 ratings)
$3.12
The GPS Test Plus app for Android is a utility that shows basic GPS information read from your phone’s internal GPS. The app has several color schemes, which could be used to match other instrumentation used along side the app. It has a "night mode" color scheme …
CoPilot Live USA
ALK Technologies, Inc
Rating: 3.3 stars (above average)
(1,271 ratings)
$9.99
Premium voice-guided turn-by-turn GPS navigation with U.S. street maps stored on your phone so you can navigate "offline" without a data connection. CoPilot Live is packed with advanced navigation features including 3-D maps, lane assist arrows, millions of points of interest, multistop trip planning, and more …