While everyone is driving off bridges and looking for buildings that are really in different zip codes, Garmin got my attention by releasing their Basecamp application for the iPhone/iOS.
I was a little bummed when I read the app is not a GPS navigation app, but a companion app for their fenix GPS watch. I was hoping for a mature alternative to the current crop of complicated, over-featured iPhone land nav apps. But, this isn't it.
Basecamp mobile is software that makes viewing information logged in Garmin's fenix GPS navigation wristwatch easier. That tiny watch display will get you from point A to B, and a few places in between. But for analyzing your performance on the trail it can be frustrating.
The new app will display waypoints, tracks or routes and you can switch between map, satellite or hybrid view and pan and zoom in each of these. When selecting routes or tracks, you'll also be able to view elevation, temperature and speed graphs without having to lug a laptop or wait 'till you're home. Just connect over Bluetooth when needed and shut down the connection when you're done to conserve battery power.
Some of you might be wondering why Garmin doesn't just make Basecamp a full blown nav app using the iPhone's onboard GPS hardware. While I would welcome a Garmin nav app, I am glad that someone at Garmin appreciates the need for discreet devices, especially when used for something as critical as navigation.
If I am going to rely on a device for a critical use, then I will avoid taxing it by using it for ancillary functions that could hamper it's main purpose by draining its battery, for instance. Using a smartphone as a display and as a way to easily change settings on the watch is a pretty efficient approach when compared to just running a nav app on the phone.
Garmin says they are working on adding more functionality to the app.
