The combination of GPS and mobile phone to create a satnav system is very useful and this year TomTom started selling their navigation software for the iPhone. Now Google is entering the market and it is doing an amazing thing, it is giving away turn-by-turn GPS navigation, with voice guidance, for free in its Google Maps for mobiles software.
This new variation of the Google Map software is called “Google Maps Navigation” and it comes with a whole bunch of cool features. But there is one important thing to note, it is an Internet based product. Good because you don’t need to download huge maps and store them permanently on your phone. Bad because you need to be connected to the Internet to use it. If your tariff doesn’t include unlimited data then this could be a problem.
Google Maps Navigation has some unique features:
- Like Google Earth and Google Maps you can do fuzzy searching for locations, you don’t need to enter an exact address or postcode but you can search for things by name like “Wembley Stadium”.
- It has voice recognition! You just speak destination and it works out where you want to go. The example Google gives is “Navigate to the de Young Museum in San Francisco”.
- Google Maps Navigation downloads current traffic information and an on-screen indicator glows green, yellow, or red based on the current traffic conditions along your route.
- It also has “search along route” which makes it easy to find the next petrol station or fast food restaurant on your way.
- As well as a map view, you can also see where you are going using satellite imagery like in Google Earth.
- In top of satellite imagery there is also photos of your route and turnings using Google’s Street View
- There is also a car dock mode that makes it easy to use your phone at arm’s length (while in its dock on your dashboard or window-screen).
Currently Google Map Navigation is only available for phones running the next version of Google’s mobile phone operating system Android 2.0. Although technically the iPhone would be able to run this software, my guess is that Google will keep it for themselves, at least for the time being, as it is a killer app and it is free!
Google Maps Navigation is currently in Beta and is only available in the United States but it expected it will be available in the UK either as part of the Beta or when the full product is released.
5 thoughts on “Google Maps With Turn by Turn Navigation”
It is just as described.Although not being a user of Tom Tom but that of navman,which does not seem to be updateable for new mapping, I suppose the step will also evolve into having to register Nav sets by Mobile phone No,s Hence making a huge Mobile Bill as well as excessive megs download.Imagine the revenue hat could raise.One would think that the message would have sunk in by now that monetary greed near killed the Plane off recently,but It obviously has not.I have sympathy for small busuness owners that may in he end be paying out the equivalance of a mortgadge if they need google earth for there jobs,ie Taxis etc.Googke earth cost enough now for downlowding high def maps as it is anyway. A very good article from you Many thanks. Steve.
mmm, they are becoming like Microsoft – giving everything for free without leaving room for other companies to benefit from the market.
I need maps
PLEEEEEEase, when are the UK maps coming ?