They finally, really did it. Have you been lugging around that G1
and a GPS unit, grunting disdainfully every time you have to bust the latter out? Well it looks like TeleNav has heard your cries of disgust. The company is officially launching its turn-by-turn GPS navigation for the Android-powered device come February 24th. The software will feature full color 3D graphics, speech recognition, one-click rerouting, and traffic alerts, as well as weather updates, gas prices, and restaurant reviews (the PR claims over 10 million business and services). The service will launch with a 30-day free trial, after which it'll run you $9.99 a month. While we can't say we're too stoked on the price, it's still not too terrible of a fee to pay to actually put that GPS chip to use (and save some room in your glove compartment). Convergence: we're almost there.
posted Feb 12th 2009 8:00AM
I'm so excited.
anyone else notice the notification icons look different...
Yeah looks like a simulated image cause i have never seen the ? in the bubble before on my G1
what the .,i thought it came with gps at launch back in sept of 2008.,lol.,typical overhyping android again.5 months out n only out on 1 phone so far. Yeah really quick at penetrating the market.,actions speaks louder than words.no excitement here.......
ok android fanboys , add $120 for 2 years of gps svcs.,sprint wants their money now!!!!!!!!pay up.
will the battery life be further reduced?
I'm not sure battery life is an issue. I can get through an entire day on the G1, even with all the wireless stuff enabled. By the time the day is over, there is somewhere to plug the phone in, unless you are living off the land or something, then you could get a solar charger.
I keep the USB cable - that comes WITH the phone - on me and just have it plugged in while I'm working on my laptop. Then I have a regular wall charger that I plug it into when I'm not working on my laptop - which ALSO comes with the phone. However, I did have to drop a HUGE amount of cash - about $4 plus shipping - to get a G1 car charger off eBay. Man, I thought I was going to go broke just so I didn't have to worry about battery life!
Yes, the battery life will most certainly be reduced. If you're on a long trip or something you better have the car charger with you. For simple searches though you'll be fine.
many PNDs use mini USB for charging and most of them come with car adapters. so if you replace your old PND with this admittedly costly software on your G1 - no problem battery wise.
Further than what? Further than sitting in your pocket turned off, sure, but if you were going to have GPS going anyway then I doubt this would be a significant drain. Since this is for driving, just buy any generic mini-USB car charger and plug it in, problem solved.
Cut the price to either a one-time fee or a much lower monthly deal. Or here's an idea: If you just want navigation and not restaurants and stuff, make it near free. Then tack on the extras for those that actually want all that stuff.
Yeah, if they did $30-$50 a year, I'd do it. Also, they should launch a version that has ads at the bottom like Garmin did with their ad-supported traffic updates. Since I don't use my GPS a ton, I could care less if there are ads, but some people that don't want ads could pay the subscription fee(s).
No thank you, I'll stick to my Garmin Mobile XT on Windows Mobile 6.1 running on my Blackjack 2.....
$10 a month? no thank you
b..b..but Windows is UGLY!! Haven't you heard?! Clunky! Bloated!
OK got that out of the way.
I've been using Google Maps, Live Search, TomTom, and whatever nav apps I feel like for the past year and a half on my WM phones (first a HTC Titan and now a Touch Pro). Doesn't cost anything extra either. I know you can pay a monthly fee to use the Sprint branded Telenav but I never bothered as I would rather use a free option or just pay once for the software.
Yep,
Also using TomTom, Google Maps, Live Search, (and my choice of about half a dozen Turn by Turn voice navigation GPS apps) for 0 monthly fees on my Touch Pro.
Got to love WinMo and its nearly endless supply of options and apps.
Can someone please explain why customers have to pay for GPS if Google made this phone? The iPhone doesn't have to pay a monthly fee to get directions on it. Now I understand that there is a difference between the iPhone's directions and no the G1's turn by turn directions but can't Google just offer them a service similar to the iPhones which would be free?
You sir, are an idiot. The iPhone offers up shitty simple point to point driving directions, and that is all. Telenav is real time routing with 3D maps, traffic updates, automatic re-routing, voice prompts (with street names), as well as many other features.
And yes, the G1 also has google maps, as does every other phone since 2004. The iPhone is nothing special when it comes to GPS.
@ Yankees368
Amen brother! The iPhone fanboys are rather annoying... Oh, and the people who don't even bother to do their research before they throw out their ill-informed comments.
I think GSP on the G1 will bring great things. This company to start it then other competitors will start doing it for cheaper. This is only the begining. and GO ANDNAV!
Trust me, someone will end up finding a way to utilize Google Maps (with Street View) to provide turn by turn voice-guided instructions, and charge just a one-time fee.
And if I had the programming know-how, I would have already been all over this.
No, they wont. At least, not legally. Its not Apple that decided to lock up the iPhone's use of Google Maps as a solution for turn-by-turn nav, its actually Google as part of the contract with their content providers. The G1 is actually tied down by the same legal issues. If you want turn-by-turn you gotta bring your own data...
Offering such a service goes against the TOS of the googlemaps api
9.99 a month?
This price is included in my 69.99 a month everything plan with Sprint on my Touch Pro -- and by everything, I mean everything is included.
The only thing I don't have, is unlimited minutes. But since I don't talk that much, it works fine for me.
Unlimited texting, data, GPS, picture mail, TV (sucks, though), and a much beter data usage allowance than what AT&T provides. Yeah, the signal at my house can be spotty at times, but then again, everyone's phones who come into contact with my area have trouble. I'm rather satisfied thus far with my device.
Same on my Instinct. Everything is included. Navigation works great!
x2 on the instinct. no monthly fee, great nav system.
The appeal of this phone is that it is open source, and Android is pretty easy to program for. There are some pretty sweet programs out there already for Android (the G1), I would take this phone over any other phone out there, anyday.
This is one of the reasons why Sprint is looking more and more attractive everyday: the best value for wireless/data plans, best 3G coverage (in US, along with VZ) and a bunch of great phones with the upcoming Pre and an Android device later in the year. Despite the current number things are looking up. It's all about the long term.
@ DP
I dropped Sprint because every time I walked into a building of any kind, Sprint dropped me. =P
You do realize that the $10/month isn't going to T-Mobile and that it isn't to use the GPS right? The G1 Data plan includes GPS and it works well in a lot of application already on the phone. This is a 3rd part company that is charging $10/month for their own service. They could do the same thing on Sprint.
I'm glad that you enjoy your $70 a month data plan with full navigation. I will sit back and enjoy my $24.99 Unlimited Data plan and if i want to, I could have turn-by-turn directions for another $10 a month. VZW used to do the same thing with their VZNavigator and I know tons of people who have Verizon but don't wanna pay for the added fee for the Navigator. What TeleNav is doing is no different from your carrier offering Navigation on your phone. The only difference is instead of T-Mobile offering the software, a third party company is, and it is a smart move on both T-Mo's and Google's part because they don't have to support the application. The Samsung Behold has TeleNav on it but no one complains about that phone.
The G1 data plan doesn't include GPS, the G1 *itself* includes GPS. The only reason you have to pay for this is that the data in Google Maps isn't licensed (or detailed enough) for realtime turn-by-turn directions.
WAY WAY WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. No way am I shelling out that much every month. These apps have to be priced lower. WAY lower. I might consider a one time fee of $9.99 but that's about it. Never a recurring fee.
I'm sorry, but I just can't understand the CHEAPNESS of some of you. $10/month is expensive? How much did you spend at Starbucks over the last two days? What about that expensive meal this month? We come up with silly things to buy during a month that equates to MUCH MORE than $10, but when it comes to something useful and practical we balk at the price because it's recurring. Your Starbucks and expensive meals are recurring too. If some of you would sit down and look at last month's expenses, you'd see that you've spent well beyond your means for things that weren't productive or necessary (and that includes me). $10 for this is a great price point, and I'll never have to buy a traffic service with my Garmin again ($60/year), and I won't have to update the maps ($60/year). And it's all in one device that can be taken anywhere with no separate traffic receiver, cords, attachments in the car, etc. Look at the big picture people!
@Wilson
Not to mention the upfront cost you had to incur buying your Garmin GPS.
@Everyone who dislikes the price
Look at it like this. If you buy a traditional GPS, you have to fork out about $150-$250 for a decent GPS with the features the TeleNav offers on top of a fee for traffic updates, map updates, etc. How many people use their GPS for going to the mall, or trips to the grocery store? The point is, it is an On-Demand service that is there when you need it without the upfront costs. You go on a road trip and want GPS navigation for finding your way around, i would much rather activate my TeleNav service and pay the $10 and if i feel i don't need it, cancel it until i do. You can't return your traditional GPS when you don't need it. Its all about convenience. The people who say $10 a month is too outrageous to ask for a service you can activate and cancel at will are mostly people who spent $200+ on a quality GPS that does the same thing. I bet you wish you could pay $10 a month for your dash-mounted GPS and take it back to the store whenever you didn't need it anymore and then buy it again for $10 a month when you needed it. But then again, if that were the case, you'd want your dash unit to be free too.
this feature would be great and really useful.
also telenav gps navigation video -
http://www.techreviews4u.com/2009/02/12/telenav-launches-gps-navigation-for-android-phones/
I think I'll just wait until Garmin or one of the other guys (or even a newcomer like AndNav) brings out a one-time fee program.
Screw that! $9.99 a month? I am going to get a Motorola V195 and a compass. And use that $9.99 to buy a Kindle book a month.
Come on, iEye, you of all people should know about the joys of being nickel and dimed while using the AT&T + the iPhone...
If you don't wanna pay that much, you should get an iPhone 3G
Uh... We're talking about the G1 here... Do iPhone fanboys feel so inferior with their "non-GPS-navigation-allowed" and "locked-down" phones that they have to bring up the iPhone every time something is posted about the G1 to try and show that their iPhone is superior to every other phone out there?
Good grief, why doesn't the iPhone have this yet? (I mean, other than it's still waiting for cut and paste and push notifications). Dash Express - I'm looking at you? If you're out of the hardware game, get some software shipping for the iPhone, Android, and Palm WebOS platforms pronto. Ok hell - even WinMo and BB.
I mean, isn't the real value to them (Dash) in the ability to harvest accurate traffic data from connected GPS devices? Isn't that worth more (selling to news bureaus, government, traffic models and civil planners) worth more than the software license revenue?
@ lu1de
You're being sarcastic, right? Because the iPhone is even more locked down than the G1 when it comes to anything being GPS-enabled. In fact, the iPhone SDK even prevents GPS navigation applications... Soooo... Why would I want to get an iPhone for navigation when it's not even allowed on the phone?
$10/month seems a little steep. I think people would buy it as an app if they priced it at $50.
The price is just asking for them to never have any consistent subscribers... people will use it one time when they're in a pinch and cancel after that. GPS standalones are too cheap to charge that much for that. Plus this is just begging for somebody do something for free with reading google map directions....
Past that... unless they send you a mini-usb GPS antenna with a splitter so you can still charge your G1 in the car, this won't get any subscribers since the G1 alone is a little flakey from inside a car unless the weather is perfect..... Trust me I have a G1, I live in Maryland where I see all types of weather...
Hmm...I also have a G1 and I've had the opposite experience. I'm in Michigan, but it's winter, (read: overcast, snowing, etc), and I've gotten great performance in the car. In the house is a different story! (But I've yet to get lost there, so it's cool.)
I'll agree that it does have problems with poor weather. I was driving home from Southern Utah earlier this week and wanted to use Google Maps to figure out how many more miles I had. It couldn't figure out where I was.
I left Verizon to be free of $9.99/mo GPS nav fees.....
Please... Someone give us a one time fee app. Oh, and may I suggest > $20
See also: Sprint's simply everything plan
That's the point of my previous post; by using a connected GPS device, we are providing them with very valuable data; they should be paying us (through subsidized purchase of hw/sw) to provide them real time traffic data from OUR vehicle, which can be harvested to provide the most accurate, up to date traffic information available.
Seriously... $10 a month is to much :OP Ive been using Google maps and the GPS to get my directions and it hasn't failed me yet. That's good enough for now.
$10 a month is TeleNav's M.O., they won't be changing it. It's an absolute ripoff. I had it for a year or so and finally got a Garmin to get away from the fees and the HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE customer service, the faulty software (which TeleNav ALWAYS blames Sprint for), and the FUCKING PR0N SPAM ON THEIR WEBSITE FORUM THAT'S BEEN ON THERE FOR 2 YEARS!!!!2!!
I will say that when it works, it works well. However, this is rare.
Seriously, if you NEED a GPS full time, buy one. TeleNav is the debil.
Agreed... G1 does have GPS, just very rudimentary point to point directions and showing your location. etc using Google maps. Works for me... someone paying $10 a month for turn-by-turn and traffic/weather updates is someone who must travel quite a bit, like a truck driver or traveling salesman type. For them, this would be a great service.
So does this mean that the full PAY market is going to come out with the next 30 days..... i want to start seeing some more pay apps, iphone is coming out with some killer apps and G1 needs to keep up.
probably won't fit on mine. it complains to me like three times a day about how im low on space :\
The BB storm has Garmin Mobile for a one time fee of 80$...way better than a monthly fee and better than VZ navigator or even n4all...i would just wait for garmin!
Yeah, too bad it's on the Storm. :x
i think the reason its $10/month is because you don't always need a navigation service, google maps does just fine. But those times when you're going on a road trip or in an unfamiliar city or in the middle of nowhere with no reception and want turn-by-turn directions, you can just pay $10 and have it for a whole month. Thats what I do. I use google maps very frequently but only pay for Nokia Maps Navigation whenever I really really need it.
Agree totally guys, someone like Garmin or Tomtom will bring theirs out soon enough and blow the rivals away!!!
Again, another reason I can't switch from Windows Mobile, our software choices are NOT limited to stupid things like this. We have many full blown 3D GPS software options with turn by turn, voice, traffic, etc for a one time fee.
On the flip side of this, the iPhone could use some catching up on this front. Google Maps is everything you do not want when operating a car.
iEye, when doing your math factor in free software and map updates. Also, what are you willing to pay for convenience and a superior solution?
Hum.... $10 a month or free?
I choose free:
http://www.andnav.org/
SW is currently in alpha and only works in California in the US for now. but it has way more detailed maps
$10 a month is pretty steep, but I'm going to assume that the monthly fee is for their own server-side services and map updates, rather than the ability to continue using the program. If you're cool with outdated maps and no internet search integration then you could probably use the vanilla turn-by-turn for free since it doesn't require any services on their end in order to function.
Unless, of course, it's designed to stream maps live instead of downloading them to your SD card. Then maybe you'd need to keep paying the fee in order to use the program because it costs them bandwidth every time you use it. I think we'll have to wait and see to find out what the full details are here.
This is sweet, and I'm glad someone finally got around to it, but there is no way I'm paying $9.99 per month or ANYTHING per month for this. I can put up with using Google maps as-is, thank you.
I know there's AndNav ... is that being blocked by Google? I could see how it would impact the bottom line, if Google has a deal with TeleNav. But if you're going to stop people from developing software, why bother having an open source operating system in the first place?
OH MY, Im not excited over a monthly price because you could go with the new Navi phone for free, but then youd have to put up with windows mobile, but this is cool, this is what I would want, if that is I had a G1, lol, nice there movin forward with this so your not left behind from other phones
You can currently get directions on the G1 exactly the same way as if you get directions on google maps - all free. Turn by turn is a different type of service.
makes me proud to own an instinct
finally...but i hate the monthle fee
too bad this would take up all your space on the SD card. Oh wait, you cant put apps there.
On a rooted G1 you can. T-Mobile doesnt support it, but Google don't give a shit.
"google don't give a shit"
That's why u gotta root your phone right?????
i dont get why theyre charging monthly, normal gps makers dont charge u monthly for turn by turn. Cant they just charge for the application for profit?
I would only pay one time $30. When it crosses $50 mark then it is competing with stand alone cheap PNDs.
No way I am paying monthly fee for this. Google map works well in a pinch.
what the .,i thought it came with gps at launch back in sept of 2008.,lol.,typical overhyping android again.5 months out n only out on 1 phone so far. Yeah really quick at penetrating the market.,actions speak louder than words.no excitement hereGoogle your just a good search engine,stick to that and nothing else. Stop trying to get these iphonehaters,n sprint fanboys all wet.
ok android fanboys , add $120 for 2 years of gps svcs.,sprint wants their money now!!!!!!!!pay up
Well, even though I believe in one time pay for GPS navigation apps, I can see why this is $9.99 a month. No it is not for updated maps or anything like that. After watching a video of TeleNav, I realized that this Nav app streams the maps over data rather than having you download them to an SD card. This in itself is stupid. What if you happen to be roaming and need the nav? You get charged twice! once for the GPS service, and twice for your roaming data usage.
Really sounds like a great ploy to charge the unsuspecting masses!
The great thing about the Garmin Mobile app is that you put the maps onto your microSD card, and away you go, no data connection required.
People hate TeleNav for their mobile devices because of monthly fee. But what if you paid a one-time fee then changed phone platforms? Monthly makes more sense people.