*Updated 6-8-2010*
The App Store is cluttered with iPhone GPS apps, and sorting through them is a daunting task. This guide is designed to cut through the clutter, gather all relevant info in one place, and aid you in making the best choice. We also take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of iPhone GPS vs personal navigation devices, and examine the new elephant in the room, Google Maps Navigation.
Google sent a shockwave through the GPS navigation industry today by introducing a free turn-by-turn GPS navigation app called Google Maps Navigation for their Android 2.0 phones. But the real question is, will we iPhone users be left out? According to Google, we won’t, but it may be a while before we see it on the iPhone. eWeek is reporting that vice president of engineering at Google Vic Gundotra has stated Google is “working to build a version of Google Maps Navigation for the iPhone.”
I’m sure Google isn’t in any hurry to get Google Maps Navigation onto the iPhone, as giving exclusivity to Android will help boost interest in the platform. But Google is likely to bring the app to the iPhone eventually. It’s in their best interest to do so. Google’s strategy behind Android was not to build a mobile phone company, but rather to create a richer Internet experience on mobile phones and thus give more universal access to Google products (and sell more ad space in the process). Ultimately, both the iPhone and Android are going to make up a big part of the future of mobile phones, and Google will want to be on both platforms.
