RIM, creator of the BlackBerry, predicts that standalone sat-navs will soon be museum pieces, because mobiles will do the job better.
A spokesperson, interviewed by T3, said: “maps on mobile phones are continuously improving, with GPS or assisted GPS coming as standard now on most smart phones, there’s no need for specific devices for navigation, your mobile can do it for you. GPS is the next big thing on your mobile and the likes of Tom Tom and Navman are perfectly placed to make great map apps”.
If BlackBerry is right that mobiles are the future of sat-nav, there will certainly be demand for third-party software from the experts. The BlackBerry Bold, for example, only ships with BlackBerry Maps and Google Maps. Both are fine for telling you where you are, but not where you’re going. Want turn-by-turn driving directions? Sounds like a job for the new BlackBerry App Store.
