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Seth Weintraub

Apple versus Google

Google introduces amazing GPS Navigator for Android 2.0, others coming

7 comments

TAGS:android 2.0, droid, google navigation
IT TOPICS:Macintosh & Apple, Mobile & Wireless, Operating Systems, Personal Technology, SaaS & Cloud Computing

Google today introduced a beta of their navigation app for the Android 2.0 powered Motorola Droid. The application is an extension of its Maps.app for Android but it has a lot of the qualities of personal navigation software products from TomTom, Navigon and Garmin.

Google's offering is in the cloud, which has a lot of benefits which it mentions in the video above including:

Search in plain English (watch video). No need to know the address. You can type a business name or even a kind of a business, just like you would on Google.
Search by voice (watch video). Speak your destination instead of typing (English only): "Navigate to the de Young Museum in San Francisco".
Traffic view (watch video). An on-screen indicator glows green, yellow, or red based on the current traffic conditions along your route. A single touch toggles a traffic view which shows the traffic ahead of you.
Search along route (watch video). Search for any kind of business along your route, or turn on popular layers such as gas stations, restaurants, or parking.
Satellite view (watch video). View your route overlaid on 3D satellite views with Google's high-resolution aerial imagery.
Street View (watch video). Visualize turns overlaid on Google's Street View imagery. Navigation automatically switches to Street View as you approach your destination.
Car dock mode (watch video). For certain devices, placing your phone in a car dock activates a special mode that makes it easy to use your device at arm's length.

But, it also has one obvious monster drawback. When the network is out, the app is useless.

As someone who uses AT&T's network and tries to get by with Google Maps on the iPhone, I can tell you that more often than not, I can't get a signal on the road.

And the points which you can't get a signal are the times when you need the GPS the most. My AT&T signal is almost always non-existant along backroads in unpopulated areas (though I can't get an AT&T signal anywhere near my home 15 miles from New York City). That's why fully downloadable maps navigation applications like TomTom still are pretty useful - at least on AT&T/iPhone.

Now, Verizon's network might be a different story. We've all seen the commercials that show their coverage being many times better than AT&T's. Maybe their network could yield a more positive experience with this type of application that AT&T's.

It is interesting to note that Google plans on bringing their mapping technology to other GPS platforms including the iPhone (if Apple let them). Perhaps stand alone TomToms and Garmins will soon have google functionality built in.

Oh and for you international readers, Droid is also a GSM platform and should be showing up globally very soon.

Adsense geolocation advertisements will undoubtedly start appearing in this navigation at some point, making it a money-maker for Google. But in the meantime, Google's Navigation looks to differentiate the Droid from other smartphones out there, most notably, the iPhone.

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Now will you get an android phone?

Submitted by Tony S on October 31, 2009 - 4:40 P.M.

Now that Android phones will be available through all major cell phone carriers, will you get one?
http://www.polladium.com/poll.php?poll_id=374&location_id=1

Take a sec and vote anonymously.

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Mobile Data Coverage

Submitted by club penguin cheats on October 28, 2009 - 7:49 P.M.

Until mobile data coverage is as good and reliable as that of wired connections, apps that rely on data while mobile will not work consistently. Caching may help, but if the caching involves viewing the route prior to travel, people will forget to do so. Another problem will be detours or other interruptions in the route during periods of non-coverage. Downloading full maps would be a great option to get around these issue.

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Google maps

Submitted by Anonymous on October 28, 2009 - 5:37 P.M.

There are whole subdivisions that have been built in my neck of the woods that still show up as rolling farmland in Google Maps.

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not on the map

Submitted by Henry on November 11, 2009 - 2:36 P.M.

As I read this comment I thought it strange that I could see the garden I had tilled this summer in Google maps. Does this commenter expect real time updates in the Maps application, like oh there's the cigarette butt I threw into the gutter on my way to work this morning? So whats a good refresh rate, daily, weekly, monthly ... why not contact Google and ask their refresh rate or suggest a new one if it is not to your liking. Maybe the demand of the public will dictate a faster refresh.

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We have a freeway extension

Submitted by Anonymous on November 21, 2009 - 6:00 A.M.

We have a freeway extension here that has been in place for one year, and still does not exist on google maps.
A six monthly update cycle for maps would be a good thing.
I know the service is free, but if it wants users, it needs to be relevant.

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Losing the network

Submitted by Brian on October 28, 2009 - 2:41 P.M.

Quick comment on losing the network - if you're just viewing the map or starting your journey without service, you are correct, the service is useless.

However, when you create a route, the map of that route is stored locally, so you will still have access to the map of your route. Additionally, since the GPS is placing you on the map, not the data connection (that's downloading the maps and business locations), you probably won't even notice that you've lost service.

Unless, of course, you want a cheeseburger while you're still in the dead zone.

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That's only if you look at

Submitted by Anonymous on October 28, 2009 - 2:50 P.M.

That's only if you look at the whole route so that it gets cached. If its a long route and you're only looking at the beginning, I don't believe its going to cache the unseen portions of the route or more zoomed in views.

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