CoPilot live is updated and continues 30 day free trial offer
A new version of CoPilot Live enhances and fixes a lot of issues in the previous versions. According to the company, the app now includes improved guidance at complex intersections, Facebook status updates, free local search, and the latest maps of North America. More than 15,000 miles of roads have been added, 73 completely updated counties and hundreds of map improvements submitted by the CoPilot Live User Community.
If you want to try a sophisticated nav app but don't want to shell out any money right away, ALK technologies is continuing to offer a free version of CoPilot Live Directions for a month. The app is full featured, and includes things like voice guidance and 3D mapping.
If you decide not to buy the app, you'll lose the voice guidance and 3D, but still will have use of turn by turn directions throughout the U.S. and Canada. If you want to upgrade after the 30 days, the app charges U.S. $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year. You can get more details on the free app deal here.
We've reviewed the app before and gave it average marks. User reviews have complained about out of date maps and frequent app crashes. Hopefully this new version fixes a lot of the issues reported.
Having this app as a subscription tends to make it pretty expensive over time, but it has a low cost of entry. After using it for a couple of years, you could have bought the higher rated TomTom or Navigon apps.
Another alternative from ALK is CoPilot Live North America. It's $29.99 at the app store, and it's a one-time purchase with turn-by-turn voice directions, 3D maps and a pretty good points of interest database. Here again, some additional features are extra like live traffic alerts and fuel prices.
I've said before, and will say again that there are just too many confusing options in buying the CoPilot family of apps. The company does keep updating the software, and improving it, so if you are totally motivated by price the apps are worth a look. I'd prefer to just buy a nav app and not have to worry about constant up-sell of features or renewing my subscription. I understand charging for traffic or fuel price info, as the all the map companies have to license some external data, but I think the ALK bewildering options and pay-as-you-go philosophy may not be worth the trouble for many.
