The radar detector helps to avoid troubles on the roads: it warns that there are posts with speed measuring devices nearby. We have prepared for you a list of the newest ones with the “Radar Detector” function for iPhone.
Choosing a radar detector with great functionality for iPhone.
- Radarbot works with your GPS so you can make route adjustments and receive radar alerts at the same time.
- Like the previous software, it can work when the screen is dark with voice notifications.
- The application will not bother you in vain - it only lets you know about those radars that are on a given path, excluding all unnecessary ones.
- If you're riding a motorcycle or in a noisy car, you can turn on vibration mode so you don't miss an alert.
- There is a good built-in speed detector and a speed warning function.
- Live chat allows you to send voice alerts to other app users and ask them questions.
The app is constantly being improved and updated to stay relevant and useful.
HUD Speed
Quite with an unusual feature - Head-Up Display, which allows you to project an image from the iPhone screen directly onto the windshield so that you are not distracted while driving and can easily view the route and warnings. In general, the application also relies on existing databases to detect cameras, radars, dangerous roads, traffic police posts, etc. When approaching a controlled area or exceeding the speed limit, you will receive a voice warning.
The appearance of stationary and mobile cameras on the roads that record speed violations has greatly complicated the lives of car owners. Moreover, conventional anti-radars, which operate on the principle of detecting radiation, turned out to be helpless against visual fixation systems. But smartphone applications that contain a database of camera locations and road signs came to our aid. If the car approaches an object, the program warns about this. Let's try to check how useful the radar detector application for iPhone can be.
Three of the most popular applications in the Russian App Store were purchased for testing: HUD Speed- 199 rubles, Mapcam info- 279 rubles (monthly subscription to updated databases 59 rubles), Arrow- 279 rubles. All of them have high ratings and a large number of reviews. To test the programs, I traveled along the route from Altufyevo metro station to Tverskaya street (from the outskirts to the center of Moscow). The trails along this route are crammed with cameras, perfect for testing. Let's see who is capable of what...
To objectively compare the performance of radar detectors, each application was installed on a separate device (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4S, iPhone 6). And during the test, all three programs worked simultaneously.
I was pleasantly surprised that all applications work stably even on Phone 3GS with firmware 6.1.6.
In addition, all tested radar detectors operate autonomously, without the need to connect to the Internet. Updated object databases can be downloaded as needed. Now in more detail about each...
HUD Speed
Remember the motion sensor from the movie "Aliens". This is approximately how cameras are displayed relative to your car in HUD Speed. There is no map, just a black screen with radar dots.
When approaching the cameras, this radar detector for iPhone displays a notification about their operating mode in the form of a picture. The information is also duplicated by voice. This could be speed control or lane control for public transport.
There are very few settings here, you can only influence the sound. The database contains objects by country: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan. In particular, 12,564 objects were downloaded for Russia.
The application honestly worked the entire route, warning about cameras 500 meters away. But with accuracy it turned out to be the worst of all. The distance to the object is shown with an error of 100 meters. You have already passed the camera, but HUD Speed is still counting the distance to it. Since the cameras are located almost one after another on Altufevskoye Highway, the countdown is interrupted before reaching zero and a warning about a new camera follows. In general, there is a problem with accuracy.
HUD Speed has one unique feature that its competitors don't have - glass projection. If you place your iPhone closer to the windshield, you can see the reflection from the screen without being distracted from the road. For this purpose, the application has a special HUD mode that shows inverted the speed of movement and the distance to the next camera. The idea is good, but not very well implemented. The distance to the camera is shown in small font, and the speed of movement is shown in large font. It would be more relevant to do the opposite - display the distance to the camera in large numbers. Unfortunately, you can't change anything in the settings.
Mapcam
The first thing I did after launching the application was to go into the settings to adjust the screen brightness. For some reason Mapcam suppresses it to a minimum. There are significantly more settings here, unlike HUD Speed.
The working screen is confusing at first. But when you start moving, you realize that the needles scattered everywhere are the camera viewing sectors.
Among the features of this radar detector for iPhone, we can note the most accurate location of the cameras. The indicated objects correspond to real ones almost up to a meter. Warnings are triggered at 700 meters. It’s too far for the city, but this can be adjusted. In addition to cameras, the application warns about speed bumps.
Arrow
In Strelka, camera locations are not displayed at all. Only a gray screen and speed numbers. When approaching the camera, information about the object and the type of restriction is displayed.
This is the only radar detector for iPhone that displays information about inactive cameras and dummies. And here I was very surprised. It turns out that half of the cameras on Altufevskoye Highway are dummies!
Here's one of them. Everything seems to be in place, but the transmitter equipment is missing.
Another surprise from Strelka awaited me when I drove through the coverage area of the camera I knew. In HUD Speed and Mapcam, the warnings had already gone off, but the Arrow was silent. I began to look for the familiar box on the pole with my eyes and did not find it. They filmed it just the other day. And this has already been noted in the Strelka database. Very prompt. Out of curiosity, I looked at Yandex maps - the camera was still there.
Like Mapcam, the arrow shows speed bumps and possible locations of police checkpoints. There are 43202 objects in the database.
Strelka has another useful function that other radar detectors do not have - notification in hidden mode. When another application is running, the same Yandex.Navigator, when approaching the camera, Strelka displays a message about the object as a pop-up banner.
Results
In fact, all tested radar detectors for iPhone turned out to be working. Each copes with the task of warning about cameras and will help you save on fines. But if you compare them with each other, then I got the following result.
As I wrote at the beginning, all applications work autonomously, even without connecting to a cellular network.
Therefore, owners of older smartphone models can use their iPhones as radar detectors.
Thanks to the General Account ijuice.ru for the applications provided.
There is a solution.
In the first three months of 2016, more than 1 billion rubles in fines were issued using cameras in Moscow. Half of all violations are speeding.
Everything is understandable; the dynamic rhythm of life in big cities requires time, which people try to save on the road.
The traffic police associate the increase in the number of decisions issued with the introduction into operation of additional photo and video recording systems. There are 849 such complexes in Moscow, and in the near future their number will almost double.
Considering that only last year the traffic police issued more than 50 million fines for violations, we can say with confidence that this year the record will be broken.
How to stop receiving “chain letters”? Essentially, there are two logical solutions. The captain's option is obvious - stop driving and breaking. An option from reasonable people is to take care of the means that can warn about your own violation and, thereby, protect yourself from possible fines and accidents.
Personally, I’m still a fan of “sinking.” Therefore, I have been thinking for a long time about possible solutions to stop replenishing the state treasury due to my own weakness.
The most affordable radar detector costs about 3.5 thousand rubles. I paid the same amount in fines over the last six months. The amount is small, and it would seem why not, but there is a more beautiful and cheaper solution in the form of useful applications for drivers. Today I will tell you about the three most interesting of them.
The choice fell on three “radar detectors” from the App Store.
Each of them has its own features; despite all the similarity in their functionality, the applications have differences. For each driver, the pros or cons of each program can be critical. Choose for yourself, I will not give specific advice, only bare facts. Go! In all senses.
1. Home screen, choose to your taste
"HUD Speed" meets with a pleasant, clear interface. The main menu includes three modes: Speedometer, Radar Mode, and Glass Projection.
The “Speedometer” section is clearly intended for those who find it more convenient to see their speed and the permitted speed limit at the moment. The “Radar” section is familiar to such applications and is capable of schematically displaying cameras within a radius of 1.5 km. We will talk about the “Projection on Glass” section below.
Application "Strelka Radar Detector" meets with a not entirely clear interface that raises certain questions. If you have launched the program, you will no longer be able to access its settings. Such a button is simply missing on the screen. I personally couldn’t figure out how to get into the settings, because even after relaunching the application, the required button was hidden. Take this point into account. Of the possible settings on the main screen, there is only a choice of application profile - Highway/City/Metropolis. Why the program divides the city into two types is also a mystery.
"Radar detector info" visually similar to “Strelka Radar Detector”, the main mode is a schematic map of the nearest “dangerous” objects.
2. Main mode of operation, everything is logical
Apple has taught us to use devices and applications right out of the box. That’s why I initially tested programs solely based on the “bought-downloaded-launched-let’s go” principle.
"HUD Speed" It works absolutely adequately in both the “Speedometer” and “Radar” modes. Essentially, the only difference is in the display. In the first case, large numbers show the current and allowed speeds, as well as the distance and time to the camera (if you continue to move at the current speed). If a violation occurs, the screen lights up red.
In the “Radar” mode, the speed figure is lower, and the main place on the screen is occupied by a simplified map of the camera locations. Other items in this mode are identical to the “Speedometer” mode. If a violation occurs, the screen also lights up red.
If the program “does not see” any objects ahead, then the average speed of movement, the distance traveled since the application was launched, the number of “hazards” in the database and the current time are displayed.
"Strelka Radar Detector" in its standard mode it also shows the current speed in large numbers, and at the top the type of the nearest object (if it is within the visibility range of the application) and the required speed limit.
Finally, "Radar detector info" very much reminiscent of the previous application, the difference is in small details. If the speed limit is violated, the program colors the interface in yellow and red tones.
3. Sound warnings, the difference is in the details
All three apps feature female voices narrating a variety of events. As it seemed during testing The voice in “Strelka Radar Detector” seemed more pleasant.
IN "HUD Speed" When approaching the camera, a warning occurs in the form of a characteristic beeping sound and the sound message “Camera at 60”. The figure, of course, depends on the situation and speed limit. After the car passes the silent road guard, the program announces the phrase “No cameras.” Comfortable.
IN "Strelka Radar Detector" the warning phrase sounds differently: “Attention camera, limit 60, 400 meters ahead.” The fact of voicing the distance allows you to calmly navigate the situation. Depending on the previously selected profile (highway/city/metropolis), the distance over which the sound notification occurs differs. After passing the object, a characteristic sound signal sounds.
Finally, "Radar detector info" displays the phrase “Camera. Limit 110” and periodic beeping (the figure again depends on the situation). The application also informs you that a car has passed the camera with a characteristic signal.
4. Object databases, there is a leader
Over the past testing period (more than a month of use, trip St. Petersburg-Moscow-St. Petersburg) there was no situation in which “Arrow Radar Detector” or “HUD Speed” did not report the presence of a stationary camera or a stationary traffic police post. Antiradar Info clearly lags behind its competitors in terms of the number of objects in its database.
As for mobile tripods or ambushes, they were rare. And there were times when none of the programs saw them. Oncoming cars and their kind-hearted drivers saved the day. It is worth considering this point.
Of all three programs, of course, “Strelka Radar Detector” stands out. Unlike its competitors, the program is able to report bumps on the roads and speed bumps. Just don’t expect her to know all such objects; the database is replenished by the users themselves; it’s obvious that not everyone considers it necessary to warn about something other than cameras.
As of May 22, 2016, the total number of objects in the database is:
“Strelka radar detector” – 45,413 pcs.
“HUD Speed” – 12,591 pcs.
“Radar detector info” – information unknown.
5. Adding objects to a common database, together make the world safer
I highlighted this point separately, since it is the convenience of adding objects to databases that allows you to keep them up to date.
After passing a “dangerous” object "HUD Speed" clarifies with the driver in the form of a menu that appears whether or not the previously announced object was present. It is also possible to add a new camera from the main screen. In this case, you can choose from several options for “hazards” and the required speed limit.
"Strelka Radar Detector" also suggests adding different types of objects, including even railroad crossings and dangerous turns. The only negative is that there is no notification that the program has taken the entered information into account; the application simply silently returns the user to the main screen.
"Radar detector info" does not offer to add new objects. The big disadvantage is that you won’t be able to become a people’s assistant. Not surprisingly, in the previous paragraph I noted that the program is inferior to its competitors in terms of the number of cameras found.
6. Work in the background, pay attention to the settings
All three programs are able to continue to work adequately after the iPhone is put into lock mode and send appropriate push notifications. The same goes for simply minimizing applications.
There are also no problems with listening to music when the radar detectors are working. When warning, they turn down the music a little. Here you can only select the settings "Radar Info" and "HUD Speed", which allow you to adjust sound alerts and turn them on only in case of speeding. This seems like a logical and convenient point, why do I need to know that there is a camera in front if I’m not in violation anyway?
On the other hand in "Strelka Radar Detector" you can configure the notification order for each object. Fine flexible settings are good, but if the user uses it “in the heat of the moment”, he will listen to all the warnings without exception. Also, “Strelka Radar Detector” has ready-made settings blocks, where everything unnecessary is turned off. The main thing is to find the desired menu item in the settings.
7. Battery, you can’t save it
Applications shamelessly eat up battery power. Take this point into account and keep a charger in your car.
"HUD Speed" After half an hour of use, it consumed 15% of the iPhone 6's charge. At the same time, the device itself became quite hot.
"Strelka Radar Detector" I ate only 9% during the same time, but you need to take into account that the program in its default mode put the iPhone into sleep mode after a minute of use, which was a little annoying. If desired, you can enable constant backlighting in the settings.
"Radar detector info" for the same 30 minutes I spent 12% of the battery.
8. Settings, everything can be adjusted to suit you
The most pleasant settings menu is made in "HUD Speed", visually everything is clear. You can select a country (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan), configure notifications only for verified cameras, and select the color scheme of the speedometer. In general, solve all the main issues that the user may encounter.
"Strelka Radar Detector" has the most serious customization. Here you can automatically switch profiles (Highway/City/Metropolis) depending on the speed limit and design theme, and the ability to turn on the HUD mode (more on that below) and a personal account with saving your settings and objects from other devices.
Against the backdrop of Strelka, it seems that "Radar detector info" simpler, although in fact all the necessary settings are also present here.
9. Projection on glass using iPhone
Applications "HUD Speed" and "Arrow Radar Detector" They offer the so-called HUD mode, in which the phone is placed under the windshield and all the necessary information is projected directly onto the glass.
Interesting idea, but absolutely useless during the daytime. And besides, you still need to figure out how to fix the iPhone so that it doesn’t fly all over the dashboard when turning.
In other words, a nice bonus, but nothing more.
What's in the bottom line?
HUD Speed
[Download from App Store]
(RUB 299)
- Nice interface, bright rich colors
- Two options for displaying information
- Selecting the color of the speedometer number
- Country base selection
- Landscape mode looks the most developed
- There is a free version with a 5-day demo mode
Radar detector Strelka
[Download from App Store]
(379 rub.)
- The database of objects includes not only cameras, but also pedestrian crossings, dangerous turns, speed bumps, etc.
- Lots of different settings
- Manually selecting the desired profile (Highway/City/Metropolis)
- Ready-made options for settings blocks
- Advanced design menu
- Personal account with cloud storage of your settings and objects
- Projection of information onto the windshield
- In the operating mode of the program it is impossible to get into its settings
Radar detector info
[Download from App Store]
(379 rub.)
- Automatic database update every 12 hours
- Enable alerts only when speed limits are violated
- Only one information display mode
- Inability to add a new object
- There is no information on the number of objects in the database
I note Since testing the applications, there have not been any more notifications about fines in my mailbox, and I tested the programs brutally, risking costing more than the standard 500 rubles (as can be seen in the screenshots).
Of course, my advice is if you don’t want to receive fines, don’t violate them. If speeding has become a habit for you, you should take care of your safety and the “security” of your wallet.
Over the past years, motorists have witnessed a confrontation between technologies for recording traffic violations and means of counteracting these technologies. Anti-radar (radar detector) is no longer a panacea, because modern systems, such as Strelka and Avtodoriya, are not always detected by everyone, and work according to a much smarter scheme, leaving the driver defenseless and with a “letter of happiness” from the traffic police as a bonus and evidence of the inevitability of the law.
Of course, you need to drive according to the rules, but no one has canceled the human factor. That is why Lifehacker decided to scour the Internet for ways to protect himself from modern means of recording violations.
Who are drivers afraid of?
Arrow is real evil. This monster is so cool that it detects a violation from a distance inaccessible to the radar detector, and then simply drives the car, waits for you to come closer, and gladly records your license plate number. To put it simply, in any case, the Strelka catches you before you catch it.
Avtodoriya is a dead end for those who like to slow down in front of the camera. This system consists of two or more cameras, and it does not care at all how fast you drive past them. The average speed of a section of road between cameras is calculated based on time, which means you need to adhere to the speed limit along the entire route.
Total: technologies are improving, rendering existing detection and warning tools helpless. You can constantly change radar detectors, but this costs tens of thousands of rubles and does not guarantee results at all. Tomorrow they will start installing new cameras - should we buy a new radar detector again?
Exit
It all comes down to the fact that current recording cameras are almost impossible to detect or deceive in advance, which means a different approach is needed. In fact, you just need to know where each fixed camera is located, and also have a tool that will tell you in advance when you are approaching the next camera. Lifehacker would not be Lifehacker if he had not found such an application for smartphones. It's called "Strelka" and is available for both Android owners and users of Apple products.
In the App Store the application is called iStrelka.
How does it work
In fact, this development solves the problems of drivers in the simplest and most elegant way - the database of the location of cameras, traffic police posts and other unwanted things is glued together with GPS geopositioning. You just drive along the road, and the application informs you about all the dangers in advance.
The data is taken from the two largest thematic auto communities on the Runet - rd-forum.ru and speedcamonline.ru. Thousands of people from all over Russia live there, and together they daily supplement the base with new discovered cameras and other objects. In this case, it would be inappropriate to talk about the applicability of Strelka only in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The application automatically updates a new version of the database every day. If you have time and desire, then the base can be supplemented with anything on your own. Do you remember that terrible pothole on the way to work? Enter it and set up an alert.
Alerts
They are very flexible and differ slightly between the Android and iOS versions. Both platforms have different voice alerts for each type of danger, a customizable sound signal (beeper), and vibration. You can set up a triple alert as you approach the next unpleasant camera - first a couple of kilometers away, then a kilometer away, and a third - in close proximity.
Android users, in addition to this, receive a visual widget, as well as a pop-up visual notification that appears on the screen on top of any running program, including the navigator - the tools will not interfere with each other’s work. iOS, due to its limitations, cannot do this, and therefore only a static screen is available there indicating the type of danger and the distance to it.
Both versions of the application work perfectly in the background.
Demonstration
Instead of a thousand words - several short videos with a clear example of how the application works.
Difference between Android and iOS versions.
Against 2 sections of Avtodoriya.
Against Avtodoriya and Strelka.
About the Internet
To maintain the relevance of the camera database, the application, for obvious reasons, will require periodic access to the Internet. Not often, once every few days. But for direct work the network is not needed.
About synchronization
About the benefits
So which is better: a classic radar detector or Strelka? Logic answers.
The cost of the application is 169 rubles in the App Store and 190 rubles in Google Play. The minimum fine for exceeding the limit is 500 rubles. Triple payback happens when you first meet the camera.
Tomorrow even more advanced cameras will be introduced on the roads, which means that craftsmen will throw new and even more expensive radar detectors onto the market, which may or may not work. The Strelka user doesn’t think about this at all, because the next update will simply add the locations of these super cameras, and you will find out about them anyway. Database updates are free, and therefore there are no additional costs to speak of. The system will work flawlessly until our smart officials prohibit the distribution of such applications and information at the legislative level.
Flaws
Strelka has only one drawback, and it applies, rather, to all modern smartphones - high power consumption when GPS is active. The problem can be solved by having a charger in the car, and when finishing the trip it is better to stop the application.
It is also impossible not to note the hardcore interface of the Android version. Fortunately, you only have to see it during setup, since while traveling the user sees only visual notifications.
Otherwise, without exaggeration, Strelka can be called the most effective and promising way to protect yourself from receiving chain letters from the traffic police in the foreseeable future.
Nowadays, drivers have no shortage of information about the location of police cameras. The database with their GPS coordinates is embedded in radar detectors, video recorders and navigators. But all these are not cheap gadgets: decent devices cost at least five thousand rubles. And not everyone is ready to put up with additional devices and wires in the car. There is a more budget-friendly (sometimes even free) option - a mobile application for a smartphone.
There are several suitable programs in online stores for the iOS and Android platforms. I chose the most popular ones for the test on my Android smartphone - with high user ratings. Four applications are specifically created to warn about cameras, and the fifth is Yandex.Navigator. Many residents of megacities use it to get directions through traffic jams, and quickly updated camera data is a good addition to route navigation.
All applications are easy to install and use. The Internet is only needed when downloading and updating the camera database. To perform the main function, it is enough to have GPS turned on. The main feature is the ability to work in the background, issuing warnings on top of other running programs when approaching the radar. The exception is Yandex.Navigator, which must be expanded to full screen and connected to the Internet to notify about cameras.
Developer IVolk The best application in our test, which is definitely worth the money. Three operating modes (“city”, “highway”, “metropolis”), the most complete and accurate database of cameras, an extensive list of settings with which you can spend dozens of minutes adjusting the program to your taste. In addition, during the entire test, only the Strelka Anti-Radar issued warnings over running applications and when the smartphone display was turned off, without a single glitch. For its high quality and good workmanship, it receives our recommendation. |
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| Yandex.Navigator Yandex.Navigator | Yandex.NavigatorDeveloper Yandex This program is first and foremost a navigator, and only then everything else. However, on the test route, the application knows all the cameras. Thanks for this should be said to its users. There are practically no settings. You can only select the type of alert and the objects that Yandex.Navigator will trigger on. Radar reporting abilities are weaker than rivals. For example, it cannot work in the background: notification of cameras is not the main, but a secondary function attached to good navigation that knows the traffic situation. It is precisely this combination that makes Yandex valuable. |
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Developer Mapcam.info The free version only warns about speed cameras, as well as potential mobile police ambush locations. All other data, including complexes operating in the back and on bus lanes, is for money. A monthly subscription costs 40 rubles, an annual subscription costs 360 rubles. In its extended version, MapcamDroid is not inferior to the Strelka Radar Detector in terms of knowledge tested on a test route and the number of settings, but in the long run its use will be more expensive. However, the quality of this application cannot be denied. |
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Developer Road Soft In terms of the number of settings, it is inferior to the Strelka Radar and MapcamDroid applications. The advertising line is annoying. There is a “city” mode with reduced sensitivity and two display modes: in the form of dots on a picture simulating a radar or on a full map. But in terms of the main parameter - the relevance of the database - there is a big minus. For some reason, there are cameras from Avtodoriya filmed more than a year ago and cameras that never existed, but several of the new ones are missing. Alerts do not always fire in the background. This applies to both sleep mode and the phone working with another application on the screen. The program left the impression that it was not the most useful and convenient. |
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Developer AIRBITS & Reactive Phone There are virtually no settings: you can only turn on voice warnings and select the alert option - always or only when speeding. There is a paid version of the same program for 99 rubles. However, a huge number of glitches in the work and inaccuracies in the camera database discouraged any desire to check what they take money for. And we are not even talking about the number of points in memory. GPS AntiRadar does not know the correct speed limits! In particular, on the Dmitrovskoye Highway within the boundaries of Moscow, for some reason he considered the permitted maximum to be 80 km/h, and only under certain cameras, although the limit of 60 km/h is in effect along the entire length of the highway. We do not recommend downloading even the free version. |
The set of settings varies greatly from application to application, but even a minimal amount is enough. I checked the completeness of the database and the features of the work using the standard method for such tests: I drove along a long-familiar “calibrated” route around Moscow and the region, on which almost 30 video recording cameras were placed, some of them installed recently.
The result was extremely logical: the paid application turned out to be the best. This is the very case when saving is unreasonable. Besides, it's cheap.
