When it comes to maps, Google has had almost everything: great satellite imagery, massive coverage, and even some basic navigation features, but not what everyone that’s ever used a GPS device actually wants: turn-by-turn navigation.This changes today, as Google has released a beta version of Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0 and here is a quick overview of the features:
- Search in plain English, so you can quickly search and navigate to places, businesses, landmarks.
- Search by means of voice.
- View of live traffic data through Internet.
- Search along route, so that you can find locations near your current path.
- Satellite view, so that you can view the same satellite imagery you have seen Google Maps, on your mobile phone.
- Street View, check out what the accurate surroundings of a location look like.
- Car dock mode, when you leave certain devices in a car dock, a special mode activates to enables easier operation.
Google Maps Navigation does two very essential things for Google: it makes it a competitor to established GPS firms similar to TomTom and Garmin, which should make this space a lot more interest, and it suddenly makes Android – the only platform this app is now available on - a lot more desirable. And - you guessed it - the very first Android 2.0 phone to support this app is the forthcoming Motorola Droid.
Since the application is free of charge, we may expect Google to add advertisements to it at some point. But currently, as you have to pay for every other mobile turn-by-turn navigation app out there (we are not talking pocket change here, either), the sheer fact that this thing is free will definitely make it a huge hit.
Take a look at the video overview of Google Maps Navigation and a few screenshots.
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