Google adds free turn-by-turn navigation, car dock UI to Android 2.0 (video)
By Ross Miller 
posted Oct 28th 2009 10:00AM
posted Oct 28th 2009 10:00AM
In addition to demonstrating the basic navigational functions, Gundotra also showcased a new user interface that appears when the device hooked up into a car dock, one that is intended for use "at an arm's length away." Essentially, it means much larger iconography and a convenient "voice search" option front and center. We later got confirmation from a Google product manager that car dock detection was definitively a hardware-based feature, which we take to mean Android devices currently on the market won't necessarily have the same convenience. If Android 2.0 takes off how Google (and Verizon!) hope it does, companies like TomTom and Garmin are going to seriously need to worry about their bottom line. Watch Gundotra demonstrate the app after the break.
Update: Navigation for the iPhone? Gundotra said the ball's in Apple's court, so no telling if / when that'll happen. Remember how well Latitude integrated?
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Can't wait to see this for iPhone's and Blackberrys too because anything Google produces comes out on iPhone and Blackberry eventually.
I wonder if this will make the $100 GPS iPhone apps come down in price. ;)
Not necessarily: where is the ability to use the compass to navigate street view now that the 3GS has a compass? Android has had that since day one. Apple worked with Google to have the native maps application on the iPhone back when their relationship seemed more mutually beneficial. It seems to me that Google is more of a competitor with Apple today than ever, and given Apple's rejection of the native Google Voice app, I don't necessarily see this coming to the iPhone. As a 3GS user, I certainly hope it does (I have been less than thrilled with the TomTom app), but I wouldn't hold my breath in anticipation.
Yeah...like Latitude and Google Voice...wait.
....aaaaaand we have even MORE of a reason to make the Droid our next phone!
:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
This seems like the perfect way to draw people away from competing systems, and turn us all into googleminions. My guess: this is not coming any system other than Android.
@Aaron Brown I for one think Google wants to look like a good company (not evil) and I expect to see this on iPhone at least after Android 2.0 devices have come out if not sooner.
pal :)
And WinMo too, hopefully.
@Aaron Brown
"Not necessarily: where is the ability to use the compass to navigate street view now that the 3GS has a compass?"
The G1 has the ability to use the compass to navigate street view. It's right in the options menu.
@George
Read the rest of Aaron's comment...
@everyone
i don't see it going to the iphone, especially with Google and Apple's recent falling out. And Apple announcing over rolling out their own mapping engine.
google do not care which phone you use, as long as you use their services. the point of android is to have a platform where they're in control of whether they get turfed off or not. i'd imagine this has already been submitted to apple. the ball's in their court. a killer app like free brilliantly functional turn-by-turn satnav may very well cause apple to reconsider pulling google maps and if so that's the result goog are after.
I think there is still a chance this could come out for iPhone, blackberry, etc. Google's main source of income is not Android. Its Advertising, and that is how they can afford to give this away free. So what would be more profitable? Android being the only one with free turn by turn software and a little ad income from there, or most Smartphones on the planet with free turn by turn software providing a significant amount of income?
Simply amazing.
Viva la Android, WinMo is becoming more and more irrelevant by the minute.
Purchase a GPS app? With Droid, I don't need an app for that.
I can't imagine apple being too thrilled with this - think of all the lost revenue from tom tom (they get ~$30 for each copy sold, slightly less for navigon etc). But it would be a killer feature.
I can't imagine apple wanting to miss out on this though. I can see the big poster dedicated to 'free innovative turn by turn' hanging in an apple store already
@Kamokazi: Well, Microsoft has Bing. You don't think WinMo 7 will have an even better GPS app? You'd bet your ass it will.
I can see the down vote for adding iPhone but Blackberry's are still valid dammit...
Don't get too excited. There is a big FLAW with Google'a navigation! It
REQUIRES cellular network access at all time while using it. A GPS solution
TomTom and Garmin includes preinstalled maps that doesn't require cellular
network access. I wouldn't go to remote areas with Google's navigation.
Well so far Latitude does show up on Windows Mobile and while Google didn't make their own app for it there's a couple GV dialers for Windows Mobile (frankly I think it's all complicated by the fact that there's so many different phones) so I'm still hoping this will come to WM. If not then maybe this is the beginning of evil Google after all.
WTF is it with all the iPhone haters.
"Other platform support will be announced "by carriers and phone makers" when they're ready, but Google implied they are working closely with Apple now on it."
Source: http://gizmodo.com/5391408/google-maps-navigation-a-free-ass+kicking-turn+by+turn-mobile-app
So fanboys calm down a little business 101:
1) Google makes $ from selling advertising (repeat this point a number of times)
2) Google need to make sure no one OS dominates the mobile space and could then lock them out of the platform
3) It is in Googles interest to see multiple mobile OS platforms Symbian/iPhone/Palm/Android.
4) It would be natural to beta test/release applications on Android first
a) Because they control the platform
b) They want to give their platform 'a leg up'
5) Read point 1 again.
Thanks Google!
I wonder, are these maps downloaded on the fly through data, or is it like your traditional GPS where the maps are pre-loaded?
in terms of loading maps...it's no different than the current Google Maps on cell phones. Which is to say it loads maps from online on the fly. There is no preloaded map like a traditional stand alone GPS unit.
in terms of loading maps...it's no different than the current Google Maps on cell phones. Which is to say it loads maps from online on the fly. There is no preloaded map like a traditional stand alone GPS unit.
Sounds cool. I would like if it could save maps in my area though. I can see bad reception and dead zones being a huge problem if I were to try using this.
I think that's the one real weakness of this system-there isn't always good data reception everywhere. And by everywhere I mean when you get lost in bumf*ck nowhere on some road trip on unfamiliar roads and you whip out your GPS only to realize that while you have satellite signals you have no data and thus no maps. Hopefully they come out with some local storage setup because while this is ok for Google Maps as it is (since nobody expects it to function as a full GPS nav package).
I hardly ever use my GPS on a day to day basis anyway since I generally know the local roads, so it's mostly only whipped out when I'm going somewhere new. And even then if I'd probably just read the routing first (whether on GPS or Google Maps) then just drive it. If I'm using the GPS it's only because I think I might get lost (or am already lost, lol) or because I want to monitor how far along I am.
ZOMG its come true!!! FINALLY TURN-BY-TURN GPS FOR GOOGLE/ANDROID!! The interface is actually nice, you've sold me motto/google/android/VZ, I'm getting this baby come Nov. 6th!!! Who's with me!?!?
So I wonder if this will work on an iPhone....
Seeing as Apple reserve the right to "review" Googles apps forever, I doubt Google will be in a rush to get this out for them.
We'll probably see it in Cydia shortly, just like GV...
PS, yeah Brookline Ave! That's my neighborhood.
So now google will know where you go, and what you do on your way there. I love the google services, and have a g1, but it is getting a little scary how much data google has on me.
Google now knows that you are afraid of them.
...and they can sense fear.
unless your a terrorist or a pedo you should have nothing to worry about.
Even if I get downranked, somehow I agree with you. It is a bit scary how much knowledge google has now. It is indeed now the Big Brother.
Seriously doubt the G1 gets Android 2.0 unless they make modifications to allow a lot more use of sdcards.
(unless you have your G1 rooted of course, than anything goes.)
@jay jay - The only thing that worries me is things like online banking, or my information being sold to telemarketers. I don't mind the US government knowing my stuff - it is like having a parent - but I do mind Google - it is not quiet regulated to what I know from it.
@tikiteko
And to think, how many of our founding fathers originally thought of the federal government more as a glorified security guard. How far we've come...
You guys need to read the book 1984. The complacency for losing your privacy is scary. While I think they see most of these features as ways of gaining revenue, it scares me because at some point its going to be used for more malacious intent.
If you're scared about them having data on you, STOP USING THEIR SERVICES. Problem solved.
Take off the tin foil hat. You aren't interesting enough for Google to care about you.
"What is the Google? Control. The Google is a computer-generated dream world built to keep us under control in order to change a human being into this."
[holds up a Dollar Bill]
"If you're scared about them having data on you, STOP USING THEIR SERVICES. Problem solved."
seriously, i hate conspiracy theorists and these tin hat people. stop using it if it bothers you. It'd be like complaining that mcdonalds big mac has too much fat, and its gonna make u fatter. stop eating it. same damn thing
http://comics.com/pearls_before_swine/?Page=8
Video doesn't work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGXK4jKN_jY&feature=player_embedded
It is working now.
unless that GPS is screwed up, but Boston does not have those street names with the exeption of Brookline Ave.
Those street names are all correct, Landsdowne street is also known as Ted Williams Way, not sure if the name change is official or not.
Sat nav companies have nothing to fear unless google let u download maps on your phone to use offline (PLEASE DO THIS ASAP) how much data must u down load to use google maps never mind using it with turn by turn option. What we want is the ability to download maps just like Nokia Maps come on most phone can support a 32gb card so space is not an issue.
That's a very good point.
umm... Gears. Presto.
Even the iPhone caches maps in a limited sense, I can only imagine the amount of awesome they stuffed into their own Android baby.
I think this might be the turn Android needs.
"Maps cache along your intended route, so even if your connection dies along the way the route will still show you what you need to see, and voice synthesis of street names still works, too."
From the Gizmodo article.
http://gizmodo.com/5391408/google-maps-navigation-a-free-ass+kicking-turn+by+turn-mobile-app
uhhh dude...i think your part of the 50% of people who use nav apps. The other half (myself included) DONT want to have to get a 8, 16 or 32 GB storage card...and would much prefer to ALWAYS have the latest and most up to date maps, and never have to think twice about their memory card being halved (or less) in available space because a nav app is taking up half of it.
i want to have as much movies, videos, music on my memory card as possible...
Europe is a different game. each country has different operators, so if I drive over into Italy or Switzerland, I am roaming, and there is NO way you want roaming data on your mobile for a 4 hour car journey. can you imagine the phone bill ? "Live" up to date maps are only a selling point to justify the monthly prices of online maps, but roads dont change that often that they are necessary... Last year I went to Athens and my offline maps were a huge help to find the landmarks in Pedestrian mode... can you imagine doing that with a internet roaming connection open ?.. Online maps are financial handcuffs.
Fantastic news!
anyone else get a message saying video unavailable?
Doomsday for all GPS device maker is here. Google is the new Microsoft... only their products are FOC which makes em 100x better and more dangerous.
Not unless you can download maps on your phone to use offline like Nokia Maps, u will use up your monthly data usage in a couple of days
I disagree. I have already heard it reported that one of the major GPS manufactures, TomTom I believe, is working with car manufacturers to integrate their systems into cars coming off the factory floor. Garmin, TomTom, et. al. will simply move to OEM for the car manufacturers. In the matter of a few years, it is likely GPS will become as common as A/C on cars, which will almost always be a better implementation than any phone could be. I think phone GPS really only has a future in public transportation and walking directions, which it is very good at.
It wont effect them as much as you might want to think. Like Paul mentioned if you can't use it while not connected to your service provider than it will not put more than a tiny dent into the traditional navigation units market, especially the newer units with the traffic alerts and additional features. You can't swap it from your car to the spouses or kids car. Can't lend it to that neighbor that is always borrowing you stuff.
Also if the maps and data are constantly streamed people will not use it as their main navigation unit unless they have unlimited data plans. Plus the fact that traditional units have only the initial cost of purchase. With these apps you have to maintain a contract with a carrier. No one will go out and get an android phone just for this feature if they already have a traditional navigation unit.
I have the Verizon navigator program on my Samsung Omnia but it does not EVER take the place of my actual navigation unit. I only use it when I fly somewhere and use a rental car or hope in another persons car at work and they don't have a unit.
@cashmonee @ Oct 28th 2009 10:21AM
"I disagree. I have already heard it reported that one of the major GPS manufactures, TomTom I believe, is working with car manufacturers to integrate their systems into cars coming off the factory floor. Garmin, TomTom, et. al. will simply move to OEM for the car manufacturers. In the matter of a few years, it is likely GPS will become as common as A/C on cars, which will almost always be a better implementation than any phone could be. I think phone GPS really only has a future in public transportation and walking directions, which it is very good at."
I disagree with your disagreement. Every new car I've bought priced integrated GPS at 2 to 4.5 thousand dollars. I supposed I could tattoo moron on my head and spend 6K on GPSs for my two cars, or buy a portable one that is water-resistant for use on both my cars and my bike; so I bought the Garmin NuVi for $399.
Do you really expect GPS manufactures to integrate an LCD into various cars and trucks, make a profit, have GM et al. piggyback their markup on top of that, and have it be less than - ummm, free? If integrated GPS came down to about 250 bucks, with no monthly fee and usb/flash map updates, I'll take 2. Until then, I'll use my GPS or phone as unaesthetic as it might be.
Now I got to chooose between an HTC Hero an iPhone or getting a BB Bold2 with an iPod Touch
man I LOVE COMPETITION
Thank you Apple for getting these people in gear with the iPhone
Why a Hero??
You have the Dragon supposedly coming. There's the Droid. The X3 (or whatever) is being released on Nov 3 hopefully. Hero is old news, lol..
off topic much?
iDavey is right. I love my Hero but with things like Droid on the horizon unless you need a phone now I'd wait.
yeah it's nice, but i'm bad at making decisions. i thought i was set on the HD2, but now i might have to give android a closer look.
@Chaz
Yeah, I'm still working with the G1 (thankfully rooted, so I'll still be up-to-date)
But I wont be getting a new phone until I get out of basic training next year. Hopefully I'll have more choices. yay!
Video is unavailable.
But this is getting me excited. I can not wait to get an Android 2.0 device. Ugh.
GIMME THE DROOOOOOOOOOOOOID
As a Verizon subscriber, I feel like I'm dreaming.
I just hope it doesn't turn into a nightmare...
The satellite view is nice eye candy, but I'm not sure it helps in a practical sense while navigating. The street view, on the other hand, could have some really brilliant applications.
street view on my HTC Magic renders way to slow to be effective in real time at any speed faster than 10mph. Snapdragon could change that, of course.
It's not real time street view.
The street view mode is use to show you what the next turn looks like as well as what your destination looks like once you are in the vicinity.
Game. Set. Match.
I'm content with Tomtom on my phone, which is a reputable GPS service, unlike whatever this service is.
Um, Google Maps? The maps will always be up to date, there will not only be more accuracy due to the constant updates Google maps receives, but you'll have access to all other resources Google has, such as restaurant reviews and other user generated comments. You'll have a very difficult time finding anything your TomTom service can do that Google Maps cannot do better.
Google IS a reputable service. Welcome to 1998 buddy.
Yeah, who ever heard of this Google Maps thing.
To me, Google Map's search feature makes this application far far far (*100) better than anything Navigation makers put out in the market.
I used to search with Google Map for address and then manually enter the address into whatever the navigation available to me (Car Navi, Gamin, Tomtom). Now, it's just search and go!
Preloaded, outdated maps FTL.
Eeeerrrrm, you mean the "reputable" GPS service that is charging $99 for an app that has zero text to speech, limited capabilities compared to similarly price PND's, and poor GPS location abilities? And, oh yeah, their solution for better reception is a $120 dock... That's sounds, um, very reputable to me. TomTom blows. I have to admit I was excited to have TomTom on the iPhone, but since I've had my 3GS I have been very unhappy with the GPS performance and the extremely lackluster capabilities of the TomTom app. My location routinely off by enough to have me on the wrong street, and it frequently struggles with updating my location fluidly. Apple and TomTom's solution is an f-ing overpriced dock. Google FTW, and until then Navigon FTW.
Ah hem. I don't know about tomtom maps but I do know about google maps. We use maps.google a lot for work and it is average at best, most roads don't line up with their actual location and then there is the missing roads, less than the many missing lanes, malls and other non standard roads. As for dirt roads, forget it and round where I live if you can't navigate the dirt you aren't going many places. As for POI I've seen them up to 300k away from the actual location and much else is quite general.
Brand Blindness is unwise regardless of brand, Google included.
Google Maps are incredible (amount of data and info) and really quite average (accuracy) to sloppy (POI) and non-existant (non standard roads)
@ Cy
Sorry you live in the woods. Actually, most GPS providers are pretty useless in the boondocks, but in places where humans actually reside, their maps are as good as any and this has the advantage of being free.
I would be surprised is Verizon lets this feature fly on their versions of the phones. VZ Nav or what ever it is called is probably rather profitable. Who knows, maybe they are turning over a new leaf.
This could really be a killer feature if it is well implemented and the caching of maps works well. The only problem for me is that I still would prefer a dedicated GPS to my phone. Some things converge into one device very nicely, but others just don't make a whole lot of sense, especially if GPS comes standard in cars over the next few years. I think that is TomTom, Garmin, etc ace-in-the-hole. No one will use phone GPS maps if there is a nice 4-5" display built into the dash of every car.
Too all you iDont fanatics...Do you really think Verizon will let you have this free GPS when it comes out?
Even as a Shoales is on my short list, I whole heartedly agree. Let's not forget that the only carrier with a free GPS app is Sprint on the WinMo phones. And let's face it, TeleNav blows.
Yes.
Get over it. Quit hanging on to the past.
VZW is the open carrier.....at least that's kool-aid they served. We'll see how it tastes soon enough....
Uh, it's an open device. Verizon can't do anything about it... they'd be in breach of contract with Google. They demo'd it on a Droid for a reason.
In other news, Garmin stock down 7%...
@cactus
How do you know? Did you read the contract? Verizon may tout as "open" but it has yet to prove that it is. If they were really letting the handset companies take full control of their devices, the iPhone would be a verizon phone.
All of this talk will come at a price that will not be worth it.
Yes, they will. That's the whole point of the 'with Google' thing. Google is protecting their brand with that...if they were locking it down, they would not have made it a 'with Google' device, and made just as big of a deal out of it. A 'with Google' phone will be the same across Android versions regardless of carrier.
And the iPhone is not on Verizon not because of handset control, but because they wouldn't share as much of their service revenue as Apple wanted.
Will VZW let you use google maps? Yes..
I have the current (beta) version of google maps on my VZW HTC TP2, and it rocks. Not quite as good as the version discussed here, but far better then many stand-alone mapping programs. Plus the ability to shift over to the aerial photography version is entertaining.
I think the days of the $10 VZW navigator are almost over. That is one of the reasons that VZW now requires a $30 data plan on every single PDA style phone. They need to gouge you somehow.
VZW/HTC is missing the boat on not arranging with google to have the google maps program loaded by default on their WinMo phones (I guess they still want to get that $10 per month from the newbies).
once they release the device there's nothing they can do about it. Google supplies the OTA updates which includes the GPS firmware.
@jsoconter... or whatever
The Google Maps terms and conditions:
For individual users, Google Maps [...] is made available for your personal, non-commercial use only. For business users, Google Maps is made available for your internal use only and may not be commercially redistributed [...]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_maps#cite_note-terms-41
this is a big 1 up for android and google. I wonder too if this will be available via iphone. I can see google not making an app for it since apple shut them down on their GV app. But who knows. It's all getting quite confusing.
Despite what is said to the contrary, you will never convince me that the GV fiasco was Apple's idea. Apple had nothing to lose with that app. AT&T however new that their horrible network would crumble under the added pressure. I want an iPhone something terrible, but won't switch over to one of the worst networks in the nation to get it. VZW has its problems too, but at least I don't have to worry about not having service.
I guess this will test how complete google's map service really is. All satnavs have their faults, though. It'll also be interesting to see the pros and cons of route of having google's servers plan your route, rather than download the maps to your machine, and have it done there instead. You don't have to faff about with memory cards if you travel a lot, but if you find yourself somewhere without service you're screwed.
If it delivers, Garmin et al are gone, simple as.
unless Garmin et. al. are total morons, they should have seen this coming. for their sake, hopefully they have some sort of plan.
Google's routing is pretty damn accurate. I've been using maps since the website debuted, and it's managed to locate and route me to every address I've ever thrown at it.
I think Tom Tom, Garmin, Navigon, et al. should be worried.
I have the complete opposite opinion of Maps directions. I travel to new locations almost daily in my work, often staying in hotels during the week halfway between customers sites at night. I used to just download the directions for the next day to my laptop, but too many times it gave me completely bogus directions that I finally went out and bought a real gps navigation unit. I've had it, where there are two cities in the same state with the same name, give me the directions to the wrong one ignoring the zip code I gave it and never asking me to choose between the two so I had no idea.