Motionx GPS Lite iPhone app review

I downloaded the MotionX GPS Lite app with high hopes for its use as a GPS in areas where there’s little to no cell coverage. The app has the ability to function in such a capacity, although the iPhone’s assisted GPS chip hampers the possibilities of such usage. 

MotionX GPS Lite track: This image, shows the app's accurate GPS tracking function.

I’m going to break this review into two parts. The first part will discuss the app when used in an area of good cell coverage, the second part will discuss the app when used where there is no cell signal. 

With Good Cell Signal

With a good cell signal, this app really shines. I tested it on my near daily two-mile walk with my dog. It takes a minute or two to get a good signal, but once the signal is achieved the GPS is very accurate. 

The Lite version of the app lets you use up to three waypoints, while the full version allows 303. I really liked the photo feature, which lets you take a photo on your route and the app creates a waypoint linked to the photo. 

I was similarly impressed with the app’s information screen. This screen shows the elapsed time since you started tracking your movements, current, average and max speed as well as distance traveled. On my test, the app said my max speed was 6.1 mph, which wasn’t the case, but everything else seemed very accurate. 

MotionX GPS Lite info screen: The app's info screen display's relevant data

Even with the iPhone 3G, which doesn’t have a digital compass, the app’s compass feature works well. The documentation states that 3G users need to keep moving in order for the compass readings to be accurate. 

The app also integrates with iTunes, although I did not test this feature. 

I had hoped to test the app while at my family’s cabin near Estes Park. The cabin is in an area where there is no cell phone coverage. Before the trip, I turned on MotionX’s map caching feature and then zoomed into and explored the area that I was going to be. This allows the app to download the map tiles, so that it can still load the images when there is no data signal. I also created a waypoint at the location of our cabin. 

The app’s user interface is not as intuitive as I would have liked and it took me a while to figure out how to save the waypoint and how to turn off the automatic routefinding to the waypoint. Another annoyance, was that when I was zooming in to the map with the “+” button, I would occasionally hit the button next to it, which would take me to my current location. 

MotionX GPS Lite without cell signal: Without a strong cell signal, the app couldn't lock onto my location, in this case I was at "The Cabin" waypoint.

The apps’s documentation states that when there is no cell service available it may take up to 15 minutes to secure a satellite signal. During my tests, I found that it was never able to secure a signal. It did pick up the cell signal from nearby Estes Park, but that was as close as it ever got. I turned the unit off and on, I turned off wifi and Bluetooth, but still could never acquire a satellite signal. At one point, I even sat the phone on a log and left it there for half and hour, but still never got a signal.

I was also disappointed in the map caching feature. I had hoped to be able to at least see the map of the area that I was in, but for some reason, the maps would not load. 

The bottom line is that this app works very well when there is a cell signal, and not at all when there isn't one.