Vodafone's Wayfinder is first victim of free smartphone navigation services
By Vlad Savov 
posted March 12th 2010 5:18AM
posted March 12th 2010 5:18AM
So there we have it, the paid navigation services deathwatch has its first fatality, and it's the unfortunate nature of the beast that plenty of others will be following suit, unable to resist the destructive effects of the free and ubiquitous services now on offer."We could not charge for something that others gave away for free."
[Thanks, Chris]
Flawless Victory.
@Eternity this is f**king win! im so excited forthis to come to my vodaphone!
@Eternity Not yet - Google Maps still needs to "FINISH THEM!!!!"
Wayfinder was dead a while ago. We N810 owners were left with a useless app that has maps dated back to 2008.
Here's to hoping that Google Navigation comes to Europe (heck, International) by this summer..
@TRLKOR
this - i didn't quite get how the droid won the "gps device of the year" engadget award when it only works in such a small portion of the world
@TRLKOR
It isn't coming to Europe until Google uses its own maps for the region. In other words, it won't be happening any time soon.
@TRLKOR
I bought Copilot Live 8 for Android. It sucks to have to pay for navigation, but it's a one time shot at a fantastic program with excellent features. And it looks great, which is important to me. Vodafone SatNav worked well on my Blackberry but was 5 quid a month and looked like a Gameboy Color game.
@randall814
I've got the winmo version Copilot. While it's nice to have a free app with google that can even store route information, I'd rather have a standalone loaded that doesn't depend on an internet connection to plot a new route. It's not like my memory card is pressed for space. Admittedly, companies like Copilot (alk) are in an uphill battle, and I expect Google to buy alk or a similar company for a vehicle for adding entire maps to your phone while still allowing internet map content when it's more current.
@randall814 and kumar
well more so kumar i guess. but anyway, i've been considering buying CoPilot Live for my TP2 but was holding off because i wasn't sure how the licenses work and i flash my ROM a lot. is it just a serial number needed to activate it or is there like a limit to how many times you can activate it and such? i really want it but not if it's going to make me stop flashing the latest MightyROM.
I guess, though, if you were a company like Verizon, you'd figure out a way for your handsets' GPS chip to ONLY work with software you provide at a cost. That's exactly what Verizon used to do.
Looks like a.. !! dead end for paid navigation services
/pun
I think I love Anna Cloke. Honest and to the point. No waffling. Is she cute? :)
On another note... while you all celebrate the death of another company and the loss of so many jobs, perhaps it's worth considering that, once we get to where only 2 cartographers are left standing, presumably Google and Nokia, they may decide to charge, or cut down on their service or what not. In fact, it's to our advantage to see some of the other companies survive, both for the Capitalists amongst you (more companies means more employees means less welfare) and for the Capitalists amongst you (more competition means lower prices, but also better products).
Me, I don't really care. In a dog eat dog world, what use are feelings anyway? That's rhetorical, no need to answer. ;)
@Please forgive me Do you really see google putting a price on navigation? This kind of suicide moves you dont expect from them...
Google is giving away much more than just navigation, free os, free mobile os, free email, free storage... Why would they even want to block traffic to their service and stop gathering of data and ad selling?
And Nokia also wont backtrack. This is what is giving them the "edge" over the competition. Specially to those people that almost have a heart attack when they hear "internet" and "mobile" on the same phrase...
So I dont agree with you, but I forgive you...
@Please forgive me
Google doesn't have their own maps. They buy from Teleatlas and Navteq. Those are the big two, and they are owned by TomTom and Nokia respectively.
@jodyfanning Actually, Google replaced TeleAtlas with their own data for US maps last year. I assume they're working to do the same with other areas as well.
@Please forgive me
They might not charge, but we'll end up with mediocre products in the end. Nobody complains when something is free, so you use what you get. I don't want to use either Google Maps or Nokia's Ovi Maps (or whatever it's called these days) for navigation; yet that's what I may be forced to if others get out of business. That's what happened when Microsoft made browsers free - decades of domination of free but crappy software ruling the world, and independent smaller players either dying or hardly surviving.
And yes, I know that Google Maps have some cool features. Yet they have crappy routing algorythms and coverage gaps because Google only cares for places and markets where they make money from ads.
@Please forgive me
Do you also pine for the electric typewriter repair men?
@zakany
haha, that made me laugh out loud... but Yes, I pine for all those poor slobs who dedicated their lives to performing what society had asked of them, only to find late in life that society had no need for them or their skills. It's fine if we actually took these people and found something useful for them, retraining / similar employment / education / pension, whatever... but to leave them to their own wits is a disservice. Many cannot cope, heck, I have a Master's degree and I used to teach, and I might not be able to cope with a complete end to my profession.
In many ways, this is the tip of an iceberg, and even if you're not affected yet, you might be, and with the burden of a school loan, debts on credit cards, family to take care of, mortgage you cannot pay, just because the company decided you're redundant or because they're broke too. Believe me, the companies are predominantly consolidating and going out of business... very few are expanding and hiring like mad.
I luv my Nexus One navigation. Oh and it's easier to use than a dedicated GPS.
Now that's why Google is becoming increasingly annoying. They come to markets with no idea of how they're going to make money there and just crush prices. Somewhat like what MS did to browsers in the times of IE vs. Netscape. If this continues, there will be no good turn-by-turn navigation in a few years from now (well, maybe apart from the areas where Google Maps have great coverage, and that's far far from all the places where I drive).
@vangrieg
If you can make a much better product, people will pay for it. If you can't, well, no company deserves a profit. Either they earn one or not.
@zakany
When something comes preinstalled for free, most people won't search for alternatives. You need a huge marketing push, which costs a lot of money and years, to change that.
Free and ubiquitous? More like properly priced....
It's getting old seeing huge companies overcharge for simple and basic services. It's nice to see that at least a couple understand just how stupid it is.
It's good to see companies fold for making stupid decisions, too bad our government doesn't understand that.
@DerekUGA
Fine, but it's not the huge companies like Vodafone or Microsoft or Google that suffer in the end, but small ones like the makers of TomTom or iGo.
Verizon will get around this by simply charging an extra $10/month if I am using a phone with built in free mapping.
Just a matter of time.
@savagemike
TomTom owns Tele Atlas they license their maps to Google so they won't suffer that much. And Microsoft and Yahoo license their maps from Navteq (Nokia).
And for smaller players they can build niche maps for local markets.
Good. Nobody should be able to charge for something that should be given away free. GPS was intended first for military use, then as a public service. The satellites are owned and operated by the government and paid for by our tax dollars.
Paying a one-time fee for either the software or hardware necessary to use GPS is fine, but it should be treated as a product and not a service.
@badasscat
That free service from satellite operator doesn't come with maps and software and POI information and all the things that make great satnav apps.
Ah, M600....long time, no see.
Thank you Google!
The newer phones have a GPS and an A-GPS in them and then the cell company wants to charge me $10 month extra to use PLUS you need a data plan to access the maps. What a total waste of money.
For less than $100 I can get a handle held GPS device that always works (even when not in cell tower coverage - the TIME that I need a map!)
Nokia has done the right thing and I just can not wait for the other cell makers and cell providers follow suit.
Does Vodafone know something we don't know? Like Google Maps navigation coming soon to Android worldwide and not just in USA?
iPhone?
Sorry, what part of this was "unfortunate" again? Are we supposed to feel bad that costs come down (to nothing in this case) because of market competition?
That's what's supposed to happen...
@Nogami
Google is offering a free service in the US. Companies offering GPS software elsewhere are going out of business. What's so fortunate about it?
This is not market competition. This is somebody spraying napalm all around so as to have a clear field in case they figure out what they want to build some day in the future.
I wonder why we dont hear more about Telenav's situation in regards to this.