Google will provide real-time, turn-by-turn directions directly within cell phones, representing a competitive threat for stand-alone navigation devices offered by Garmin and TomTom, reports Reuters. The product will be free for consumers and will initially be limited to driving directions in the United States.
Google Maps Navigation, introduced today, is an internet-connected GPS navigation system with voice guidance. It uses its newly announced Android 2.0 software. It features speech recognition and a visual display that incorporates Google street views. It also challenges Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software and Apple’s iPhone. TomTom sells a $99.99 turn-by-turn navigation app for the iPhone (and a $120 mounting kit).
Google executives said that they hoped that the new Google Maps for Mobile with navigation capabilities would eventually be available on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. But they said it was up to the makers of those devices to decide whether to include the application.
Google executives told reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday ahead of the announcement that the company decided to offer turn-by-turn driving directions in its four-year-old maps product because it was the most requested feature by users.
The new navigation service will work with Google’s forthcoming Android 2.0 software. The company announced development tools for Android 2.0 on Tuesday, but a spokeswoman said specific details about when Android 2.0 will be available should be directed to phone-makers and wireless carriers.
Google’s announcement may also indicate an uphill struggle for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDS) using the Moblin operating system if Android apps can run on more devices — and provide free navigation. However, Google’s turn-by-turn application is quite platform independent, and can run on the iPhone (if okayed by Steve).
In related news, GeoLife and PosiMotion today announced they have submitted an application to the Apple App Store for navigation on the iPod touch. It is made possible by PosiMotion’s G-Fi GPS router, which costs $99, and sends embedded GPS info to WiFi connected clients. Unfortunately, it’s only good to 100 feet. Apparently the GeoLife application stores maps on the device. The Navmii navigation application for the iPhone costs £29.99 for UK maps and $39.99 for US maps. The $99 TomTom iPhone navigation application only works with the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G — not an iPod touch.
Currently, 21 percent of American adults own a personal navigation device, and that market is expected to continue growing at 33 percent a year for the next five years, according to a recent study by Forrester Research.
In 2008 a total of 155 million smartphones were sold, or 13% of all cellphones. In 2013, IDC predicts that 20% of the 1.4 billion phones sold will be smartphones, or 280 million.
In 2007, personal navigation devices dominated the GPS device market with more than 90% market share. But the availability of GPS-enabled mobile phones will account for around 70% of the market share by 2013, says a new market research report by RNCOS.
In 2009, market tracker iSuppli says, there will be 114 million personal navigation devices in use, compared to 57.8 million smart phones. But by 2014, the numbers will flip: 305 million smart phones will be in use, versus 128 million PNDs.
Today, roughly 2 million iPhone owners used navigation features on their handsets, according to a iSuppli. That’s about 4% of the total number of standalone GPS devices. By 2013, iSuppli sees 28 million iPhone owners using the navigation features, or roughly 38% of the expected 72 million GPS devices Gartner sees in production that year.
In other news, Orange and Google have joined forces to enable one-click access to Google’s mobile search application from the homescreens of Orange phones in Europe. Orange said the agreement was the first of its kind between a European mobile operator and the US search giant. T-Mobile (UK) and Orange (UK) are merging to create the largest mobile operator in the country.
Orange plans to launch ‘Google Mobile App’ across its footprint in a phased approach. The application will initially appear on the homescreen on Signature Android handsets, alongside other services such as Orange TV. The handsets include the LG Eve (France, Spain), HTC Tattoo (France, UK, Spain) and HTC Hero (France). In the UK and France, Google mobile search results will also include relevant content from Orange’s own mobile portal.
All Points Blog, The Map Room, GPS Review and Google Maps Mania have more, including Fifty Drives of a Lifetime which is now an iPhone application. RoadTweets is a smartphone application that makes it super easy to capture and share travel experiences from the road.
Related navigation articles on Dailywireless include: Google Dumping Tele Atlas Maps?, Google Launching Android 2, CLIQ Vs Droid: Fight!, Zoo Apps, AT&T Rolls Out Garmin Navigation Phone, Ford Sync Inventor Leaves — Takes Patents with Him, iPhone Navigation Apps Compared, Augmented Reality: 3 Apps for That, Tom Tom: $99 iPhone Navigation App, Motorola’s Android Handsets, Hands-free Vehicular Calling, Location-based Apps from Navigon and Skyhook.
