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Competitors react to announcement of Apple nav app in iOS 6
I wasn't sure if any competitors to Apple in the nav space were going to react to Apple offering free turn-by-turn directions in iOS 6, but I did get some interesting comments from the folks at Garmin/Navigon. Johan-Till Broer at Garmin International shared this statement from Garmin today: "We've been competing successfully with free navigation on Android phones, and through third party apps also on the iPhone, for a couple of years now, and it has been widely anticipated that Apple would introduce a new maps app with navigation functionalities. It is, however, too early to provide a qualified evaluation of this new iOS feature. Garmin has over 20 years of experience in navigation technology and our navigation products offer a wide range of unique features that provide drivers highly accurate and reliable road guidance." "We think that there is a market for smartphone navigation apps, PND's (personal navigation devices) and in-dash navigation systems as each of these solutions has their own advantages and use case limitations and ultimately it's up to the consumer to decide what they prefer. We will take a look at Apple's new app and will continue to innovate in the navigation app, PND and auto OEM space to offer our customers a premium navigation experience that goes beyond the capabilities available from free smartphone services." Fair enough. Competing with free is quite a challenge, but I hope Apple's announcement will force competitors to attain new heights in features and new lows in pricing. All consumers will benefit from that.
Switched On: A road trip with Siri
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. When considering the great technology advances of the past few decades, GPS tends to get short shrift compared to such culture-rocking innovations as the internet and cellular networks. But it is a marvel nonetheless. Just a few generations ago, the idea of hopping in a car with no clue how to get to a particular destination was foolishness (or at least fodder for gender-stereotyping comedians). Today, with an inexpensive device or smartphone software, we can do so with near certainty of finding our way. Developers of navigation apps and hardware must place great care in creating an experience that doesn't unnecessarily distract the driver. For example, quite a few involve "lane assist" features that starkly indicate the options when coming to a fork in the road so that the driver avoids having to stare at the screen too long to figure out the right path. In addition, spoken instructions have long been a defining commodity. While Telenav, for example, offers a free version of its navigation app, it doesn't include such audio. And Nokia recently followed suit with its distribution strategy around Nokia Drive, leaving the version with spoken turn-by-turn directions exclusive to its Windows Phones.
