INavX Marine Navigation Mobile App v4.7.4

$49.95, chart prices range from $9.99 to $249.99; www.inavx.com

makers of the iNavX marine navigation mobile app have improved its function and practicality to make the data that boaters need more accessible. The app, introduced in 2008, brought a variety of cartography sources to Apple iOS iPhones and iPads.

of what’s improved about the app is something boaters will never actually see: the back-end software architecture has been modernized and streamlined. This is noteworthy because it means the program will run more smoothly on the device and provide a more fluid experience.

of the features that has always set iNavX apart from other mobile navigation apps is its ability to use a variety of cartography sources, including Navionics, X-Traverse, Explorer, and Theyr .com, and that continues in the latest version. The new app will offer a real-time update to the list of available X-Traverse charts, a response to feedback from users.

background tracking and recording functions have been improved, resulting in better performance, according to iNavX. As always, users can manipulate the charts by panning, zooming, and rotating.

app also can incorporate NMEA data via TCP/IP, meaning a boater can use an external GPS, and connect and display data from an AIS transceiver and onboard instruments.

BENEFIT ANALYSIS: As navigation apps improve, the smartphone or tablet that boaters bring on board becomes a navigation tool and a backup system. The computing power, GPS source, and network connection are all there already, why not use them?