Turn-By-Turn Navigation Coming to Maps... Someday

[Paul Daniel Ash]

The Google Maps mobile app brought GPS mapping to a lot of people who would never have bought a standalone device. Jailbreakers have had turn-by-turn navigation for the better part of a year with xGPS, but Google has been dragging their feet. Finally, they announced Google Maps Navigation last year, but only for Android. Today, however, in a press conference in London, Google said it will bring free turn-by-turn to the iPhone, along with other mobile devices... but didn't say when.

At the press conference, which was meant to announce the release of UK mapping for Google Maps Navigation, Maps product manager Steve Lee explained that - unlike standalone devices or other mobile phone GPS navigators - Google's app doesn't do the route planning itself. Instead, it pushes that task to Google's cloud, improving speed of calculation and using Google's (hopefully) accurate best-path algorithm. However, it does mean that you need a data connection while you're planning your route, though not when you're driving. "If you intermittently lose the connection," Lee said, "it will still carry on, as long as you stay on the route."

The company's spokespeople seemed to relish the anxiety their free product would likely cause to competitors like TomTom or Garmin. “Google prides itself on innovating in markets that have been stagnant for a while,” boasted Hugo Barra, the company's director of mobile products. “I think navigation is a good example. It will be good for users.”

[vokal_guy]

sounds good

[uzz]

I thought Apple bought thier own maps and was gonna get rid of Google maps??

[helvete]

from the picture i guess it'll be available from when iphone 4G/G4/HD is out

[iLaw-One]

Paul, your image (in the article)is in dire need of some photoshopping...

[sobeniceguy2]

This would be a great idea and would be a nice slap to Tom Tom and Garmin's faces

[billchase2]

This is great news. Looking forward to the release!

[TheOrioles33]

I wonder if this would cause Navigon and TomTom to not update their apps anymore. That would suck for people who purchased GPS apps.

[z3r01]

t-pain chopped and screwed photoshop lol "T-PhotoChopped"

[stfudvs]

good to hear, look forward to it.

[mikerlx]

I like that iPhone 4G

[metaljay]

lol really bad photo

[FoneWeasel]

TomTom and others are still going to be better. Google's routing sucks. It's very basic and far from the fastest. On a trip from Minneapolis to St. Louis, the Google directions would have taken 70 miles/1 hour longer vs those of TomTom for iPhone. From St. Louis to Madison once again it was over an hour longer should I have followed Google's directions. Stick with a company that specializes in routing rather then one that's trying to do a little bit of everything at once.

[confucious]

I was looking at this on a Nexus One yesterday. Great for those that don't have a sat nav product already.

[wolverinemarky]

cant wait for the added free option

[billchase2]

Update:
Google Dashes Hopes of Free iPhone Turn-by-Turn GPS - PCWorld

"We did not say we would bring it to iPhone, we said to date we've had it on Android and that in the future it may come to other platforms but did not confirm this will be coming to iPhone at all," a Google spokesperson told PCWorld.

[techrider62]

I love the voice turn by turn on my nexus one and it works great.

[Ticko]

cant wait

[tudtran]

Someday. Why not this summer?

[sziklassy]

The greatest perk is that this will be free. Before I get esxcited I will have to see it in work though. Currently using Navigon, and I actually got rid of my stand-alone garmin nuvi unit because Navigon was just so damn good. Free is great, but it will still have to be awesome to work out well. I also feel it will need some sort of data storage capability so that you are not REQUIRED to download maps on the fly. There are places on every network that are spotty (understandably) and you would hate to be stuck in one of those places and have your GPS rendered useles due to no data capabilities.