Google has taken much of the wind out of the turn-by-turn navigation industry's sails this Fall thanks to the introduction of fee-free
Google Maps Navigation, but it's got a fatal flaw for the moment: it's only available in the States. Navigon must be banking on the fact that Mountain View is going to take its sweet time spreading the love around the world, because it has announced at iCE Amsterdam today that it'll be releasing its own app for Android on December 10. Pricing hasn't been revealed, but for comparison, Navigon's European solution for the iPhone runs a stout $140 -- and as long as Google doesn't tell everyone that European navigation is no longer a valid business model as they've done in the US, that could very well be the number we can expect on the Android side. It'll be compatible with devices running anything from 1.5 to 2.0, so
Dreams and
Milestones alike should be welcome to apply.
posted November 26th 2009 11:14AM
any chance they are going to release the Google navigation on the iphone?
@(Unverified) I would say "inevitable".
Too bad XDA figured out how to make google navigation work outside of the US.
Hehe, hopefully this will push Google to launch an official paid apps store globally.
Initiatives like these are perfect, it pushes competition a little, good for the customers.
"but it's got a fatal flaw for the moment: it's only available in the States. "
Nope , Google Nav's fatal flaw is that it has to stream maps (and rape your monthly bandwith) unlike Navigon.TomTom, CoPilot (maps are stored on your device).
@Crapolin It's going to be interesting to see how Navigon will accomplish this without having to stream too --- reason being most Android devices have a 256MB cap for apps, and cannot store the app on the "external ram" e.g. SDCARD w/o having to root. The app for the iphone is over 1 gig --- so they will have challenges so far as I can tell this will be their biggest flaw (hardware limitations)
@(Unverified) Only the .APK file itself has to be on the device. Apps can and do use external storage (the SD card) for data and backups.
@Crapolin
Actually, the data usage is VERY light. Just for kicks, I measured my bandwidth usage while using GoogleNav on a 350mi trip recently and I use more bandwidth browsing the web than GoogleNav used the whole time.
As long as you don't use the Satellite view and street view/compass mode, the data usage isn't bad at all.
@jonnythan Unfortunately, this isn't the case in point. The case in point is the actual app will have to be about a gig to be equal quality to the existing apps out there, and this can not, and is not, stored on the memory card --- Only the 'settings', 'custom poi's', as you said, can be stored on the external memory card. Also, there is a 256MB ram limit, which means even more of a limitation (e.g. slow access to stored sounds/voices if it exceeds that)-----so this and any other heavy memory footprint apps (e.g. games too) will take some good programming to get to work well. So there is still this limitation (unless you root it).
@(Unverified) You are wrong. I don't remember which apps, but I think it was the speech app in 1.5/1.6 that did this. When you downloaded the app it was only a few megs (if that), then once downloaded it required you to download the speech data to your SD card which was much more. It would be no different for the maps or any other application, and it would not require anymore RAM that it does now because the only difference is that it would pull the maps from the SD card instead of the internet.
@(Unverified) What? Why shouldn't it be able to store the maps on the SD card? If you look at e.g. the Windows CE versions of Navigon, you will see that the executable file is rather small, a few MB IIRC. The maps are separate files. And I don't see any reason why that wouldn't be just like that in the Android version.
No wonder Navigon tanked in the US
Forget about the content for a minute; that's a great looking mount. Anyone know who makes it?
@(Unverified)
Navigon make the mount. It's available in Europe but I don't know when it's hittins the states.
@(Unverified)
here you can look for details (in German):
http://www.navigon.de/portal/de/shop/zubehoer/produkt.html?produktFamilieId=14970&produktId=6530491
Who really cares, does navigon do voice based searches?
Google maps/Nav works fine, and who cares if you use a few hundred meg on an unlimited data plan... ???
@MJ I do if I'm travelling across Europe and have to pay roaming charges ($5-10 per mb). So will you if you get lost somewhere and you don't have a mobile data signal.
Granted, the roaming issue is moot in the the current States-only version of the app (for US customers), but the mobile data signal part is still valid.
@Pete
Actually, I used GoogleNav this week for a trip and I did lose signal for about 4 min while going through the mountains, but it didn't miss a beat.
When you put the route in initially, it caches your route and a 1/4 mile around it for detours I guess. As long as you don't stray from the route when you lose signal, you'll be fine.
@PBB It also caches the directions and route, so even if you don't have a map behind it then you can still use it to some extent.
I'll wait for 2.0 on the hero thanks!
Um, what is with the "all GPS manufacturers are doomed because of Google"? I'm sorry but unless Google is going to let you install the maps on your device then there will almost certainly be a market for applications that will. I like "free" as much as the next person but when it comes to navigation I prefer "reliable", which is more than can be said for cellular data networks pretty much everywhere. Besides, can you imagine the data roaming costs if you use the application outside of your home country? Bugger that.
And, to echo another comment on the subject, that's a nice looking mount. Is that Navigon's own one that is supposed to be coming or a 3rd part one?
@Kelmon
Not so much doomed as they are not what you have to go to for navigation any more.
Before GN the only threat to the big boys was crowd sourced navigation products. Which wasn't much of a threat at all. But Google has not only brought out its own nav software. But is providing it for free. And to top it off, Google owns their own maps (which are quite good).
I can say that for POI on GN vs the others, Google wins hands down. I had Navigon for the iPhone. I tried the ATT navigator for the iPhone. Both couldn't find stores or locations that have been around for more then 2 years. Heck, Navigon listed an intersection that I was trying to find but would not route me there no matter what I tried.
@CaptCaveman
OK, I think that's probably fair and I'm sure the competition from Google will have an impact on the products/services offered by the likes of TomTom. However, the fact remains that Google's maps aren't on your device and that's a Big Issue for me, so no matter how good the service was I would never trust it for anything other than casual use. If I could get a Google Navigation solution that put the maps on my device for a reasonable fee then, well, that would be very interesting.
Well, if it's $140 for the iPhone, then it very well may be $60-$70 for everything else.
Google's problem in Europe is the fact that it isn't one country. Most (European) people use navigation systems when they're travelling to an unfamiliar destination. In a lot of cases this is a foreign holiday. While they might have unlimited data plans on their phone in their own country, this won't be the case when travelling abroad. Meaning Google's navigation is effectively useless in any country other than your own. Sure there might be a way to cache a route when you're still at home, but that is far from a solution.
Google Nav isn't free. It's $200 for the device, and ~$80/mo for 2 years. For well under $200 I can get a GPS with voice guidance, BT, etc, that doesn't cost $ every month, and has maps even if I am out of cell coverage.
@(Unverified)
But you can't call people on the GPS unit. How was that comparison ever going to work?
@(Unverified) Christ, you sound like a idiot. If you did not have a cellphone, or a need for navigation, or KNEW what google was, you wouldnt be reading this article.
I would like to point out the problem with Google Navigator, you need 3G coverage to get timely accurate information which you don't have that issue with something like CoPilot Live with the maps downloaded already. As long as you can get a GPS it will work even without a data connection! Google Navigator won't work without a data connection.
Wow, this sounds pretty pointless. I can't see anyone paying any significant amount of money for it unless they don't have access to Google's service, or if they have crappy 3G coverage.
And even then I could see people being really reluctant to pay more than $50 for it. And of course this GPS app would be one update away (Google putting out an update where maps can be downloaded to the phone) from being useless.
Got 80% of it on there already. Just missing the voice.
to all you fools complaining google navigator wont work if u lose cell phone signals, just installed another memory-card gps software as backup! use memory-card gps when u dont have cell signal! since u only use it as backup/emergency, u dont need to buy the updated version every year! just keep the current version for 3-4 years! yes, all other gps will be doom where there is google navigator available!
You can use a crack version of google maps for android that allow you to navigate in all countries.
It work here in Brazil
http://www.androidiani.com/applicazioni/hack-google-maps-turn-by-turn-funzionante-in-europa-4505
you stupid fools complaining about google navagator requires another 200buk for the phone device, and 50$ data each month! you just use your current android phone, and your already subscribed data plan!
I'm waiting for Garmin for my Droid, Google Nav need some serious growing up! The routing engine is a farce when you drive a route and have your nuvi and GN running at the same time.
Maybe since Google devastated Gamin's stock they should buy Garmin, keep the routing and easy "recent" and "favorites", and chuck the rest.
Larry Page, are you reading this?
@(Unverified)
While i'm a big garmin fan, the mobile versions are a little lack luster.
Garmin xt has been out for some time, it's even gotten a few updates, but still no text to speech.
Seems odd when you can buy CoPilot for Android for around £20 including maps of the UK and Ireland. The software plus maps for the whole of Europe only costs £40ish and to add maps of the whole of North America is £20.
I've been using it for months in the UK and also used it in Canada in August on holiday. Great software and very very inexpensive. The maps can also be stored on the local MicroSDHC card so a network connection is not necessary.
Not sure Navigon (or Google Navigation) will be able to beat that.
Lol nice picture you guys used there.
Adding Google maps is an interesting development, but in my experience they are pretty out of date and in areas outside of the major metropolitan areas, they are poor at finding addresses. Maps are the achilles heel of all GPS systems since they are never real time up to date. Google's free maps are worse than any of the systems I've looked at.
@mossdaddy
thank you very much. Here in Dallas, TX, a spawling yet metropolitan city, Google Maps has led me astray multiple times, while my Garmin Nuvi has done me all sorts of favors. All of this GAME CHANGER GAME CHANGER GAME CHANGER bullshit that Engadget is putting out has placed them squarely in the role of advocate.
Lol nice picture you guys used there.
Until these companies that make mobile gps software take into consideration that they have NO hardware to build/design when they are making the prices, people will continue to steal or pirate these programs.
Decent standalone gps units can be had for $100, so why the hell would we spend that much or more on just a program, that usually doesn't give you a real gps experience anyway.
just make it $999.90 and some rich brats will surely fall for it.
Everyone else will just use google maps navigation .
It's interesting to note that the iPhone in that picture must be jailbroken and unlocked, because it says it's running on T-Mobile's network. Look at the picture...in the top left corner of the iPhone it says T-Mobile!
Is this an official picture from Navigon? If so, that's very...strange. Am I the only one that's noticed this?
@Magnesium If you looked at the app it is not the american version it is the European version so no not unlocked so to speak.
@Magnesium
AT&T can still roam in T-Mobile when there is no AT&T signal and they have a roaming agreement. That is the more likely explanation.
@seancca @AphotiX @heikoka
OK, that makes more sense then...either Roaming (but would it just say roaming or have the little triangle then? I don't know...don't have an iPhone) or probably as y'all said, just it being out of the US. I didn't realize that T-Mobile was the default carrier for the iPhone in Europe. I'm just used to seeing the screenshots with "AT&T" up in the corner. :-X
@Magnesium T-Mobile in other than the US have iPhone contracts with Apple, problem solved.
.. jailbroken ?? Its a screenchot driving the "Berliner Ring" in Berlin, Germany. Here t-Mobile is the default carrier for the iPhone - people in Germany use jailbrake to use the iPhone for other providers ..
Who would ever buy this? Google Nav is going to add international navigation soon.