On Android I use Navigon (was bought by Garmin last year). Very good application for a smartphone (at least in Europe) but a bit costly. There are newer alternatives using open street map data (no cost for the map) but I didn't use them yet.

The problem with a smartphone is that it will ring exactly when you reach some important place you don't know with multiple roads, cagers and road signs. Then the screen suddenly shows the picture of your wife who wants to know if you're okay.

You must also power the smartphone because the GPS quickly draws the battery. Then you have wires for power, the turn-by-turn navigation audio may be difficult to hear, phones don't like rain, the touch screen hasn't been designed to be used with gloves, etc.

A smartphone may be okay for a car, but for long rides on a bike it isn't very handy. Sometimes I even prefer to print a few screenshots of google maps or open street map.

I've ordered a Zumo for my EG...

 

TomTom app continues to work when call comes in - settings allow you to allocate priority, so voice commands continue or ignore the call, which is the smart thing to do!

Simple cable from cigar lighter to phone, waterproof case on a Ram mount, audio cable to stereo or Bluetooth headset as applicable, gloves not an issue cos case plastic is conductive...
It works for me, that's all I can say.

 

Been using my Samsung Note II with the Google Navigator app on my bike. Helmet has Sena Bluetooth so I can hear the directions as it can be hard to see the screen in bright light. Has yet not to get me where I'm going. If the weather is really bad I'll leave it in my saddlebag and just listen to the directions. Otherwise it's in a somewhat waterproof case with a power cord feeding it -- works great. And it's free as it came with the phone that i need anyway.

 

I study and carry a route marked paper map so i can get a general idea of directions and travel plans.
For longer trips i do the same but also program a route on my Garmin 5 inch (large screen is easier to see) Nuvi GPS using the HD Ride planner.
I also make some detailed notes regarding the route, reservations, things to see/do etc and throw it in windshield pocket.
I have ridden in the smokies, NC,SC Virginia, West Virginia, TN and parts of Georgia were there was NO cell phone reception and NO wifi signals for long stretches and sometimes overnight. I think that some smart phone GPS systems may not work in less densely populated areas.

 

iPhone 5 with TomTom like some others have said does a great job. I carry maps I always look at them first before I even set up the TomTom. I still like to know where I am geographically . As far as cheap what other device can do what a smart phone can do for the money.

 

I have my smartphone and tablet, you can save your maps for offline use and be able to use it on the road.
to be honest though I keep a map in the bags when travelling and each gas fill up I check it.

I rarely need the GPS even though I load them and keep them ready, if I get lost I'll pull it out and check the route I mapped and saved .
Lump

 

Interesting and timely tidbit about how to download maps from Google onto your phone so it will continue to work as a GPS even when the cellphone signal is lost.

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/...-android/?_r=0

 

"Once upon a time long ago in a land far, far away there were no smart phones or GPS units. Miraculously we were somehow able to get from here to there and we survived...................."

 

And during that same time, there were no computers but typewriters;
No cellphones but public pay phones at the local gas station;
women were home taking care of the babies and only men worked.

Come on man, join us in 2013...

 

Thanks for the link. I use my phone for many reasons, I always turn on my Video recorder when I am In any city or heavy traffic, there is always a chance of the dreaded cop who insist you ran that light or someone in a cage who is texting and side swipes you and decide to keep going, well it's all recorded for future litigation.

I always carry a firearm and it's not easily concealable on a bike, my mounted Galaxy allows me to video and voice record every and all Interactions with a LEO, these stops can get crazy in seconds and when the LEO recognizes that the encounter is being recorded, they tend to follow the constitution instead of their opinions or beliefs.