Smartphones (or “superphones” to use Google’s term) have significant advantages over standalone GPS devices when it comes to navigation. With an internet-connected device you can get up-to-the-minute traffic, weather, and law-enforcement data — as long as you’re under a data-bubble, that is.

The following apps are available for Android, but may also be available for your device (Windows Mobile, iPhone, etc.).

Google Maps Navigation

Google Maps Navigation combines turn-by-turn navigation with Google’s massive set of aerial and satellite photography. Google keeps their POI’s and maps fairly up-to-date. Traffic-data is compiled from their proprietary sources and presented in “near-real-time” to the device, allowing you to avoid that traffic jam, and potentially saving you time. Unfortunately, users cannot submit their own data to report things such as traffic hazards, police activity, red-light cameras, or speed traps. Google Maps is free of charge in the Android Market (1.6+).

Waze

Waze is another “connected” GPS application. What sets Waze apart from everyone else is their user-generated content. Roads and speeds are updated by the people who are driving on them with the Waze app active. Additionally, “Wazers” can report speed traps, road construction, and road hazards, alerting Wazers who drive the same area later. Waze is free of charge in the Android Market. (Waze starts up and runs MUCH faster on Froyo than on Android 2.1.)

Trapser

Trapster is a very basic program that does what it does well — very well. Simply put, Trapster allows you to report red-light and speed cameras, active police activity and speed traps, as well as frequently used speed traps. Users can then vote on each of these to help “crowd-source authenticate” their accuracy. Trapster is free in the Android Market.

PhantomAlert

PhantomAlert is a basically Trapster with camera feeds added in (where available). This is less of an app and more of a service, and as such it’s going to cost you $50 per year or an introductory offer of $100 for lifetime updates. That seems a bit expensive, but when you consider the cost of a ticket (or even a high quality radar detector), and it’s not that bad.

Of course, using these apps is no excuse for exceeding the posted speed limit, nor for driving carelessly. I am not a lawyer, but if my logic holds up in court (don’t count on it, find out for yourself), since none of these apps use radar to “detect” the presence of speed traps, in theory that could be used in locations where radar detectors are illegal. What these apps do is provide you with information about your surroundings in a fairly unobtrusive manner, which can hopefully make the roads a little safer, and your commute a little faster.