Device, mount, power.

What the app needs

• Android 8.0 or later. The app cannot be installed on older Android versions.
• A processor with ARM architecture. The package on Google Play carries the program parts for 64 bit (arm64-v8a), from version 0.10.0 also for 32 bit (armeabi-v7a).
• Location. For navigation the phone needs a satellite receiver (GPS). The app needs no special sensor and no accessory.
• Voice output. The app speaks announcements only where a text-to-speech voice is installed on the phone.
• Memory. We do not name a minimum: we have not yet measured NavX4 on a reference device, and we keep no list of tested devices. On very old phones the map can stutter.

Something running badly on your device? Tell us, with the device name plus your Android version.

Storage for offline maps

For trips without a connection the app downloads one pack per region: the map, the routing data the phone calculates with, and elevation tiles where the catalogue offers them. Before loading, the app shows the size and checks the free storage. The routing data is unpacked on the phone and briefly takes twice its space, and the app leaves 200 MB to the system. The first pack also brings the base data of the map once, that is fonts and symbols.

Packs can also live on a memory card: you choose the storage location in the app under “Offline maps”, and that is also where you move installed packs.

Criteria for a phone off road

We recommend no brand and no model. These data sheet entries help to compare:

• Protection rating IP67 or IP68. The rating under IEC 60529 has two digits. The first, a 6, means dust tight. The second means temporary immersion at 7, and continuous immersion under conditions stated by the manufacturer at 8. That does not by itself protect against water jets: it only does when the marking also carries the digit 5 or 6, such as IP66/IP68.
• Brightness. The data sheet gives the luminance of the screen in cd/m², often as “nits”. The higher it is, the brighter the screen can get. Whether you can read it in sunlight also depends on reflections and on the angle in the mount; try it before you buy if you can.
• Use with gloves. Some phones have a setting that makes touch more sensitive for gloves. In NavX4 the follow button and the zoom buttons can be enlarged up to 200 % (setting “Size of the follow button and zoom buttons”), and the “Touch lock” disables the screen so that rain, gloves or a branch cannot trigger anything.
• Temperature. The data sheet or manual usually names a temperature range for operating and charging. Behind a windscreen in the sun it gets warmer than outside; a mount in the shade or in the air flow of the vents helps to stay within that range.
• Drops and shocks. Claims such as “MIL-STD-810” refer to a collection of test methods of the United States Department of Defense. It is not an approval: the manufacturer chooses which tests, such as drop, vibration or temperature, were passed under which conditions. Read the individual entries in the data sheet or ask for the test report.

Mount

• AMPS hole pattern. Four holes in a rectangle of about 30 × 38 mm. Many holders, ball joints and adapters use this pattern, so parts from different makers can be combined. Compare the dimensions in the data sheets of both parts before you drill.
• Vibration damping. Engine and track pass vibrations on to the mount. Apple writes in a support article that strong vibrations in certain frequency ranges, such as those of high power motorcycle engines, can impair the optical image stabilisation and the autofocus of iPhone cameras, and recommends a vibration dampening mount for smaller vehicles. For other phones with optical image stabilisation, whether they are sensitive is stated, if at all, in their manual.
• Locking. Choose a holder that locks the phone and does not release it by itself, and always ride locked. A tether adds safety in case the holder itself breaks.

Power

• Connect watertight. Outside on the vehicle or on the handlebar you want plugs and sockets with a rating for wet conditions, such as IP67 when plugged in, a cable with strain relief and a fuse in the supply line from the vehicle’s electrical system.
• The phone’s charging port. Whether your phone may charge with a wet port is stated in its manual. Wireless charging in the mount avoids the open port; NavX4 treats it like a cable.
• Charging cable as ignition signal. If the power supply hangs on an outlet that switches with the ignition, the phone loses charging power as soon as you turn off the engine. NavX4 can use that as an ignition signal: in the settings under “Auto-off and charging cable” you choose whether NavX4 closes after a countdown or only releases the screen, whether that applies only while on the move and what happens when plugging in and unplugging, such as opening the cockpit. Auto-off is off by default, and a dropout shorter than 5 seconds does not count. This works while NavX4 is running; no app can switch the phone itself off.

Last editorial update: 17 October 2026.