Google has announced Google Maps Navigation (beta) in the UK and Ireland for Android devices 1.6 and higher. Navigation includes features such as 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance, automatic rerouting, traffic, satellite and street views and more.
According to MacUser, Google has confirmed that it plans to bring the Google Maps turn-by-turn GPS Navigation with voice guidance to the iPhone.
MacUser UK reports:
Google confirmed at a London press conference that it plans to bring free satnav to other smartphone platforms, including the iPhone, although it wouldn’t say when.
If it is indeed true then it is great news for iPhone users as turn-by-turn GPS with voice navigation iPhone apps like TomTom are quite expensive on the App Store.
Since Google Maps Navigation doesn’t store maps on the device like other apps it pre-caches the entire route when a user requests for directions. Google Mobile Maps product manager, Steve Lee explains:
“Google Maps pre-caches the entire route. It needs a data connection when you ask for navigation. But while driving to your destination, if you intermittently lose the connection, it will still carry on. As long as you stay on the route.”
Google Maps Navigation has some really neat features such as:
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Ability to search in plain english just like you would on Google
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Search by voice, which is convenient for mobile devices
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Traffic view
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Satellite view
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Street view
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Search for gas stations, restaurants, or parking along the route.
You can checkout the demo video of Google Maps Navigation below:
It’s pretty cool and the best part is that it will be free. We can’t wait for Google to release this for the iPhone. How about you?
[via MacUser, Google Mobile]
I hope they release this in the states also.
Not gonna happen….no way Apple will allow a free app that competes with some of their highest grossing apps!
So who is going to bring 3.1.3 jailbreak to the iPhone ?
I just hope apple is ok with letting it's users know that it's google giving us the maps with voice. You know they want to take out the google name from search bar
lol
I rather have the TomTom anyway
if apple said no to google this time .
it is gonna be mucho problemas
amegos!
asta la vista
I don't see a controversy here. Why wouldn't Apple allow this? Some people like Tom Tom and some people like Google Maps. There's a huge difference. The only app I can think of that may suffer is GPS Motion Drive powered by Bing because they also require Internet unlike Tom Tom. They do however have a nice iPod feature that let's you control your music without leaving the program which may be a good enough reason to keep using that app over Googles especially since it's not expensive at all. I think it's great Google will bring these features to us. I have tried tons of Navigation apps and always come back to Google Maps. Now if they could only update some of these maps, that would be great. Every now and then the directions are wrong.
hope we get this if droid can run it so can we
I really hope this comes very soon. I like the idea that the maps are not stored to the device like TomTom. I don't think this would be an issue for Apple since they already have the app Google Maps. This would be a major, much welcomed update!
This is the one feature other than tethering that makes me want to jailbreak my iPhone
If Apple offered a Native SatNav app then Google, TT, CoPilot apps probably wouldn't exist
I use TT & CoPilot so Googles offering isn't that great
Especially as Xgps already provides 'Cached Routing' & it's free
why not? Map QUest is free and work in the same way this would. only thing if that google will offer more views like hybrid and street view.
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