I love when rumors come true! We told you that Google was rumored to be working on a full fledged GPS navigation app to rival TeleNav. Turns out they just announced it. It is called Google Navigator and will be available for Android only at first. You can read all the official goodness at this link or more about the product at this link.
All I can say is that this looks awesome and I cannot wait until Google graces the BlackBerry with this app. I tried once driving while using Google Maps and it was a disaster. Google Navigator has everything including 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting. The only downside is that it does not cache map data on your SD card. I think the only way TeleNav, TomTom, and Garmin are going to compete with this is if they start letting you preload maps on your BlackBerry.
You really have to see it to believe it after the jump:
Amir Saad Not Registered
Posted: October 29, 2009 at 2:46 AM EST
Good God, can that be true?
Any BlackBerry love…
Robert Not Registered
Posted: October 29, 2009 at 4:06 AM EST
Wow. Just as amAzeGPS becomes a paid-for app. Bet that throws the amAze business model out the window…
– Robert.
DavidB ( View Profile) Guru - Posts: 1751
Posted: October 29, 2009 at 7:36 AM EST from my BlackBerry 9530
IF Google Maps Navigation comes to BlackBerry (and there is yet to be any indication any platform other than Android 2.0 will be getting it), it will be a total game changer for all Nav apps on BlackBerry. how can Amaze or NAV4all or LifeInPocket or whoever compete with the power of Google?
This kind of thing is making Android more and more compelling every day. I’m actually trying to talk my wife into esiting for a Droid next week rather get a Storm2 today!
From my BlackBerry Storm…
Ronen Halevy ( View Profile) Senior admin - Posts: 5298
Posted: October 29, 2009 at 8:04 AM EST
Gizmodo posted this:
What’s getting it: It’s Android OS 2.0 only for now. And will be available when devices like that ship. (Google demo’d the app to us on a Droid, FWIW.) 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.
http://gizmodo.com/5391408/google-maps-navigation-a-free-ass+kicking-turn+by+turn-mobile-app
DavidB Not Registered
Posted: October 29, 2009 at 8:26 AM EST from my BlackBerry 9630
Yeah, saw that. But I don’t read any hint in that or elsewhere though that we’ll ever see it on BB. Coming to iPhone would mean a custom app in Safari, since gmaps can’t yet be an app via iTunes yet, right? If there was a decent webkit browser native to bb we’d have more chance at it sooner but BB being so hard to develop for I suspect we will be last of the top devices to get GMapsNav. Boo……
From my BlackBerry Tour…
Nikolaus Walch ( View Profile) Enthusiast - Posts: 601
Posted: October 29, 2009 at 10:55 AM EST
Google has in the past shown so much love for BlackBerry, I’d be really really sad/annoyed/angry if this was not released for OS 5.x BlackBerrys soon. This would not be enough for me to switch to an Android phone. On that note, I think we need a strategic alliance between RIM and Google. I’d love to see Android run on RIM’s BlackBerrys, the way people can install WinMo on Palm devices.
Jason Sands Not Registered
Posted: October 29, 2009 at 7:53 PM EST
Download onto a SD card??? With street view and satellite imagery, that would be what, 7 TERABYTES?