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Release Date for HERE (8.4" Uconnect screen) NAV Map Update

Reinen

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Well, I'm 73 yrs. old but know that the old way/paper maps.... that I was very adept at using.... and used for many years.... is the laughable way to go these days, if you are out on today's interstates.
I'd agree with that as a primary nav tool but they're still the best backup nav method there is. Electronics can break. Satellites can fail. There's a lot of infrastructure involved in GPS. I don't mean in a conspiracy theory first strike either, solar flares are real and it's just a question of when the Earth will find itself in the path of one.

Unlike GPS, a good waterproof map is still useful even when partially damaged.
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Always get a kick out of the 'factory nav sucks' posts that come in like clockwork on any factory nav thread here.

You know what's nice about factory navigation compared to Google Maps, Waze, HERE WeGo, Sygic, etc? The factory nav doesn't require you to take your damn phone out of your pocket to plug into a USB, doesn't drain your phone battery, doesn't use up your data plan, locks onto satellites better if you're in an area with poor cell reception (aGPS), still shows all maps if you're completely without cellular service, doesn't show you ads and probably tracks and transmits your location far less than smartphone apps (if at all).

I've used many different GPS systems from stand-alone units from various brands, OEM and aftermarket in-dash units and countless free and paid smartphone apps over the last 2 decades, and while nothing's ever been perfect, they all seem to do what they're designed to do as long as you don't follow them blindly (and even really old maps still work just fine if you realize that some things will have changed slightly).

Imo, having in-dash or portable nav, smartphone nav and folding paper nav covers all your bases and beats needing to ask some stranger for directions.
 

BKLYNJeep23

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Software updates for Uconnect may be free, but HERE map updates are about $150 US. About 6 months after a release date, HERE may offer the aging update with a $50 discount.
The last time I used the Jeep Mac it routing was just as bad as Waze and Apple Maps I do t know if I would pay 150 for an update
 

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People aren't really paying for updates for such an antiquated and poorly designed piece of software, right? And no, you don't even have to take your phone out of your pocket if you take that upgrade cost and buy a wireless adapter. Or you can take your phone out of your pocket and charge it too.

In other words: spend your money on better things than an update to a horrid nav system.
 

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People aren't really paying for updates for such an antiquated and poorly designed piece of software, right? And no, you don't even have to take your phone out of your pocket if you take that upgrade cost and buy a wireless adapter. Or you can take your phone out of your pocket and charge it too.

In other words: spend your money on better things than an update to a horrid nav system.
Just an FYI, but according to Google, the wireless functionality of Android Auto is only available for v10 and v11, which would require quite a few people to literally buy new phones to get. Iirc, CarPlay isn't so rigid with such a requirement. My phone is about 4 years old now (just started using it since my decade old phone doesn't have voLTE), but the battery lasts days and has wireless charging, so I keep the USB type-C port plugged with a stopper, since there's no other reason to use it.
 
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Always get a kick out of the 'factory nav sucks' posts that come in like clockwork on any factory nav thread here.

You know what's nice about factory navigation compared to Google Maps, Waze, HERE WeGo, Sygic, etc? The factory nav doesn't require you to take your damn phone out of your pocket to plug into a USB, doesn't drain your phone battery, doesn't use up your data plan, locks onto satellites better if you're in an area with poor cell reception (aGPS), still shows all maps if you're completely without cellular service, doesn't show you ads and probably tracks and transmits your location far less than smartphone apps (if at all).

I've used many different GPS systems from stand-alone units from various brands, OEM and aftermarket in-dash units and countless free and paid smartphone apps over the last 2 decades, and while nothing's ever been perfect, they all seem to do what they're designed to do as long as you don't follow them blindly (and even really old maps still work just fine if you realize that some things will have changed slightly).

Imo, having in-dash or portable nav, smartphone nav and folding paper nav covers all your bases and beats needing to ask some stranger for directions.
I’ve never seen an ad on Google maps. They either are not there, or so unobtrusive that they don’t get in the way of functionality.

My phone always comes out of my pocket when I’m driving anyway, so that’s a non-issue for me.

If you’re plugged into the USB, your battery isn’t draining. And for less than the price of one map update, you can go wireless.

Doesn’t everyone have unlimited data now?

None of the areas I’ve been to with poor cell service are covered by the factory nav maps. Most, if not all nav apps allow you to download for use offline.

You’re being tracked by pretty much every other app on your phone. Using a nav app won’t significantly add to that annoyance.
 
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JamC12H23

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Next time you are deep off-road, no cell service, hit up the factory NAV. My last trip was on some really old forest service roads between Pagosa Springs and Chama, I had saved the map onX Off-road but for some reason it wasn’t loading properly, it was a one way forest service road so no reason to be concerned about getting too lost, it was more for distance. Factory NAV had the road and was able to show me where I was on the road, my iPhone did not. There is a purpose for factory NAV, I just don’t think it is for highway driving.
 

SH556JL

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People aren't really paying for updates for such an antiquated and poorly designed piece of software, right? And no, you don't even have to take your phone out of your pocket if you take that upgrade cost and buy a wireless adapter. Or you can take your phone out of your pocket and charge it too.

In other words: spend your money on better things than an update to a horrid nav system.
I did one of those wireless adapters and didn't like it... I gave it away. I don't recall the brand, but believe it was one mentioned in a long thread about a wireless Carplay project where the user hid it in the dashboard. I wrote it off ass Chinese junk, it came direct from China anyways. It wasn't cheap either.
 

Ratbert

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Next time you are deep off-road, no cell service, hit up the factory NAV. My last trip was on some really old forest service roads between Pagosa Springs and Chama, I had saved the map onX Off-road but for some reason it wasn’t loading properly, it was a one way forest service road so no reason to be concerned about getting too lost, it was more for distance. Factory NAV had the road and was able to show me where I was on the road, my iPhone did not. There is a purpose for factory NAV, I just don’t think it is for highway driving.
That's a great scenario for when to use the built-in navigation: as a last resort.

One of the first things that I do when I get a new phone is go into Google maps and download the big chunks of Colorado that don't have coverage. I do the same thing when going on overlanding / rock crawling trips to other states. It's pretty simple to do.
 

Ratbert

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I did one of those wireless adapters and didn't like it... I gave it away. I don't recall the brand, but believe it was one mentioned in a long thread about a wireless Carplay project where the user hid it in the dashboard. I wrote it off ass Chinese junk, it came direct from China anyways. It wasn't cheap either.
I only use wireless when there's some reason to not want to plug the phone in. E.g. it's already fully charged.

It wasn't cheap in comparison to typical Wrangler mods? That's surprising.
 

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My first method for navigation: memory.
Second method: onboard
Third: G Maps

I do need to get some basic paper maps. I don't care if they are out of date, they will be close enough for the next decade or two, or until I can no longer drive. I despise Waze, so won't be using that (and I was one of the OG users, I found a link to a discussion forum post in my email from 2009!).

I am pretty burned out on tech stuff. Very little of it anymore improves my life, and a ton of it just makes my life worse.
 

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And because I'm old, I have a copy of my Rand McNally Road Atlas or AAA maps for where ever I'm headed. They may be dated but still provide good nav info.
Those are certainly worthwhile for getting the big picture.
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