Just hours after the first whispers, Google Maps Navigation, a free turn by turn app for Android 2.0 phones, has been outed. Yes, free. Pull out your calendars and mark down the date – this is year zero for GPS.
Google Maps Navigation is one of the highlights of the Android 2.0 update just made official. It’s free, doesn’t have ads, offers live traffic info and features both satellite and street views, and on some phones, will even run with a special car dock, kicking it into gear automatically.
Although Google Maps Navigation doesn’t match some of TomTom’s powerful live services, that price slash will scare dedicated PND makers silly. ALK’s CoPilot Live software for mobiles is badged pretty attractively at £26, but you can’t put a price on the number of customers Google will get locked into Android with Google Maps Navigation.
Google Maps to get turn by turn navigation?
Now for the bad news. Though there’s every possibility Google Maps Navigation will hit other mobile platforms, it’s US only. That’s not surprising, as Google still has to licence mapping data in other regions, but it does mean we may have a Street View length wait for it to arrive here. We’ll keep you posted.
Out TBC | £TBC | Google Maps Navigation
Very rare I agree with what you lot write, but this is one of those times… I think today the wheels just fell off Apple. TomTom and Garmins gravy train…
You have to wonder what it’ll do to the market, especially if it comes to Europe as well. On the one hand, it’s free, but on the other hand, that lack of profit from it (rather than Google’s search/ads) could stagnate innovation. Time will tell I guess, and in the short term it’ll mean everyone else will have to up their game.
[...] Google Maps Navigation, the new free GPS app from the search giant, is one of the biggest bombshells that’s hit planet gadget all year. We’ve brought you pictures and details on just what it can do already, but here’s the company itself to take you through the earth shattering satnav software on video, turn by turn. [...]
This is a great feature, I’ll be able to use the Maps a lot.
I am definitely looking to get an Android phone when its time for me to upgrade.
[...] since Google Maps Navigation was first unveiled last month, we’ve been itching to give it a test drive. And now it seems [...]
[...] Google Maps Navigation might be US only according to Google, but who are we to tow the official line? With the help of our trusty readers, we’ve gone and got the free satnav software running in the UK already. No need for a US passport, and no need for a Motorola Droid! Check out the photos here and stay tuned for a full tutorial to get Google Maps Navigation running on your own Android phone later today. [...]