At a first glance, Waze looks like a traditional GPS navigation app. Once you start using it you can start seeing some interesting functionality. I will describe some of this functionality in this post.
Social
The first difference with any traditional navigation software is that you can have friends, and share with them your rides, chat with them, etc. Also, you can interact with other users of the service by reporting traffic issues along your way. This crowdsourcing of the traffic information allows all the users of the service to know what the traffic conditions are and use that info to, for instance, optimize their route. Another useful feature is that users can report the gasoline prices on the way.
Fun
As an incentive to use the service as much as possible, you may be involved in some competitions. For instance you can team up with fellow wazers to collect points. These points are collected by means of amulets you find on your way. Sure, it is far from being functional to the use that a standard user of a GPS navigation app will expect, but it keeps you busy and entertained while using Waze.
Collaborative
Waze provides some basic mapping infrastructure. So the maps still may suffer from defects such as incomplete or incorrect information. Users can then report problems with the maps so that Waze can take care of fixing it. The interesting thing is that these backend fixing actions can also be done by regular users. They can fix issues by themselves thereby helping all the other users in a more effective manner. This is particularly useful for far away places where mapping is not profitable for the state of art companies providing mapping solutions.
Some caveats
The usage of this app has some disadvantages for standard users. Here are a few are listed.
- You need a working data connection. The app cannot do offline routing. However, it is not a data hog once is setup. For a 300km ride it will use about 10MB of data. Not bad at all but it may be deterring you from using the app, especially if you need to pay roaming fees for that data traffic.
- Your device needs to be running. A car charger is a must if you want to use it for long rides. Dimming the screen (or even turning it off) can be measures that can help to keep your juice from draining.
- The app needs to be started every time you hop on your car. Yes, if you want to take advantage of the service you need to start the app. That means taking your device, fixing it to a holder, connecting the charger and start the app. This can be time-consuming and too cumbersome to do every time you start driving your car.
- GPS navigation experience is not that great. The app does its thing as a navigation system. However, if you ever used other services you will miss some important features. An example is lane guidance. The map graphics also leave a lot to be desired.
Download
The app is available for free from the app stores of the most popular mobile OSes (iOS, Android, Windows). If you are a passionate driver, willing to help your fellow drivers, you will most likely enjoy using the service. Head on to Waze website to start having fun.