Published: Wednesday 28th October, 2009 | Author: Parm Mann
Products: Maps Navigation
Companies: Google (All Google content)
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email to a friendGoogle has potentially shaken the world of GPS navigation today by announcing Google Maps Navigation - a free navigation application designed for Android 2.0 devices.
Although users have for years made use of Google Maps on a variety of mobile devices, Google Maps Navigation expands the basic mapping functionality with a number of GPS-based features such as turn-by-turn voice guidance.
Google claims the service has been built from the ground up to take advantage of mobile internet connectivity, adding that Google Maps Navigation will take full advantage of Google Maps' existing functionality - including Search, Traffic View, Satellite View and Street View.
In addition to its solid foundation, Google Maps Navigation has another major advantage compared to traditional GPS navigation devices such as TomTom; as a cloud-based service, Google's maps will automatically keep up to date, and the completely-free service will be funded by Google Search. Google hasn't, however, specified if an offline mode will be available, suggesting that Google Maps Navigation is likely to warrant a sizable mobile data plan.
The app is first expected to appear on the Motorola Droid - one of the world's first Android 2.0 devices - but Google has suggested that support for other platforms is a possibility.
Unfortunately, Google Maps Navigation will initially be limited to the United States. Check out the Google-provided demo video below.
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The whole reason you pay for satnavs is that they do a whole lot of things like update traffic camera (for all those law breakers) locations, remind you of the speed limit and have regular updates of both traffic and road changes. Google Maps doesn't have every single road in its database and so while it's probably good for general use, it won't replace a TomTom.
The upside is of course it's Google Maps and if you've got an unlimited dataplan that effectively means you have a very very good database of shops, attractions and so on. Plus it's satellite which most satnavs don't yet have.
One major downside besides the data plan aspect is battery. Try to run a phone as a satnav continually connected to the internet displaying maps is going to suck power like anything. Presumably this would only make sense with a cigarette lighter adaptor.
I don't know why Garmin tumbled.. most of their business is in serious GPS systems like avionics and nautical navigation. They shouldn't be worried.Quote
Google maps uses Tele atlas mapping (owned by TomTom) AND NavTeq (owned by Nokia) so it will be interesting to see how well that works out if they use both for this. I dont know of any other sav nav that uses both.Quote
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