[slein]

I have a new Bold 9780. Garmin indicated they would not transfer the version I purchased for my Bold 9000 as per the license agreement. Garmin also indicated they do not have a version compatible with the non touch OS 6 version on my Bold. I am not willing to give Garmin another $100.

I need navigation with voice. I note that some of the free applications do not work in Canada.

[plagus]

Decent apps are thin on the ground - have you tried Amaze GPS (http://www.amazegps.com/)? Their site claims Canadian coverage. I use it in Europe fine (although it's no Tom Tom or Co Pilot).

[garpt]

Amaze full feature (navigation with voice) is no longer free, it's around $40.00 which is ridiculous for the performance quality- slow and clunky with cartoonish maps. I HAD it when it WAS free and deleted it back then. There were a few free fair to decent voice nav apps a couple of years back- none still exist. Believe me, I searched high and low. I finally bought Garmin after searching hard for the $79.00 special. Don't know why a freebie doesn't still exist.

[TNCC97]

Don't know why a freebie doesn't still exist.

Not trying to be a smart*ss, but this kind of app takes money to make. As you mention in your post, Amaze was kind of dodgy when it was free, illustrating that you get what you pay for in this case.

The only free offerings for cell phones that I know of are through Google/Android (Google Maps) and Nokia (Ovi Maps). Google runs their own mapping service, or purchases licenses from other vendors, and are offering the voice-guided navi free on phones running their Android OS. They're basically leveraging their clout in the online services market that they have built up over the years. Nokia bought Navteq a couple of years ago, and now offer voice-guided navi free on their newer phones. They both do it to generate phone sales.

There are some free online map files such as OpenStreet maps and OpenCycle maps, but to include the navigation part takes a lot of resources and development I would imagine. Maybe RIM will offer something similar in the way of free navi, but I'm not sure how they would go about it.

[papped]

They exist or existed, but they've either
-been dying
-quality depends on your expectations.

Amaze was free, now it's not. It was decent for a free app at the time (needed some fixes) but it's not very good for paid...
Nav4all died...

Etc...

Waze and Lifeinpocket are the only current ones. Lifeinpocket devs told me the Torch version is still WIP.

[plagus]

Ubinav is a new kid on the block. A good friend has tried the 15 day trial and highly recommends it. In app world now.

Not free, but not furiously expensive either imho, I might give it a look once my current Amaze sub is up.