Comments on: TiPb Answers: Why is There No Turn-by-Turn Navigation on the iPhone?

By: Tomtom

Tomtom — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:03:09 +0000

With google maps you still have to click next on the maps to jump to another page which is not good while driving, turn by turn is welcomed by me…

By: Robbie

Robbie — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:43:39 +0000

I will love turn by turn when it arrives, but I do not need it. What I do need is the ability to keep my present location in the middle of the screen as I move along the designated route in Google map.

Having to reach up and move the screen is not only distracting, but sometimes will reset the app if done as a tap rather than a sweep.

It is such a small change but why has it not been done?

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:31:40 +0000

I don't fully get it. I have a crappy LG phone from Verizon and I use VZNav constantly for turn-by-turn directions. Seriously I use it all the time (I'm bad with directions)... What's that considered? A-GPS Or something? I know I pay $10 bucks a month for it, but it's more than worth it to me. I like to know that wherever I travel I will have that little thing in my pocket.

So how is it that the iphone doesn't have something like that? Didn't I read something about telenav creating an app for it? Isn't telenav the same kind of thing as vznav?

Honestly the fact that there is no turn-by-turn options on the iphone is preventing me from buying it. At least the blackberry storm has vznav on it.

By: Haxoff

Haxoff — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:44:04 +0000

I suspect that apple might team up with wayfinder.com to put it on iPhone v.3 , They already released powersearch for the iPhone and it seems like a popular app.

By: bob jones

bob jones — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 04:43:50 +0000

@ rpv.. I’m loving my Garmin Mobile XT on my symbian based Nokia N95 with the latest maps and all

By: Paul Kerton

Paul Kerton — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:03:26 +0000

As someone who has a Garmin GPS at the moment, and only ever take with me when I know I'm going somewhere I've never been before, an iPhone app would be most welcome for TBT directions. I could just leave the phone connected to my in car charger, and have a bluetooth ear piece in my ear, telling me the directions as I needed them.

It needs to happen to make the iPhone 3G the only device I carry in my pocket. I'll gladly pay a subscription, like I did with my N95, in order to use it. They could make it monthly, yearly, or a life time subscription to access turn by turn voice directions. Hell, they could make it daily for 20 cents / 30 pence for 24 hours access and I'd do that as and when I needed them.

By: Gordon

Gordon — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:15:22 +0000

If they give you turn by turn now, what will they have to release with the iphone v3? It’s marketing pure and simple. Delay the roll out of features to keep up interest.

By: Randall

Randall — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:19:58 +0000

This seems like a nobrainer for someone like Garmin or TomTom to develop. I don’t know about the general public, but I’ld easily pay $50-$100 for an app to do Turn-by-Turn directions

By: Tunnelrunner

Tunnelrunner — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:53:20 +0000

I kind of echo Steffen's post. If it's a hardware/software issue an limitation, then fine, I get it. (although isn't the iPhone supposed to be the most powerful phone to date? Far less advanced phones already have TBT GPS)

But if it's a licensing/red tape issue, then that's another story. I'm just an average consumer, and I DON'T TO HEAR THE EXCUSES, APPLE. The average iPhone user doesn't care and doesn't want to hear about red-tape and SDK licensing issues. It's not our problem. More and more, Apple is starting to sound like the company that rationalizes short-comings. Make it happen, Apple.

I don't care what it takes but Apple better find a way to get TBT GPS and copy/paste on this phone or someone else will.

By: rpv

rpv — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:21:45 +0000

@Steffen Breitbach

I agree with most of your points, but recently TomTom hasn't been doing much in Mobile world, i.e. Symbian has not been updated for long time, they don't even support inbuilt GPS on Nokia devices.

By: Steffen Breitbach

Steffen Breitbach — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:43:22 +0000

Licensing conflicts? Well, yeah, Apple doesn't own the data provided by Google. Who said that an Application made by Apple would have to use Google's data?

SDK agreements? Well, that is no point at all because Apple made the agreement and they can change it any time. Beside that: the agreement applies to 3rd party developers only, not Apple.

A company like TomTom would be afraid of less hardwae units sold? Sorry, but that's complete bulls*. TomTom, like many other, already sells their navigation software to be used on cell phones. It runs on Windows and Symbian based handsets. So, why shouldn't they sell it on the iPhone as well?

Well, I don't have any better idea myself at this time why there might be no Turn-by-turn on the iPhone, but I still think that it will come soon, maybe this year...

By: frog

frog — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:11:13 +0000

I don’t think the iPhone getting TomTom would hurt standalone GPS units much at all. Indeed TomTom, and others, love things that help with the uptake of GPS. It seems to me, the software/maps are where the big money is for these companies anyways

By: dloveprod

dloveprod — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 01:43:16 +0000

I don’t know why but I have turn by turn from onstar on my new Malibu so hopefully they will work it out in the next year, apple sucks, I hate having them decide what I can and cannot have on my phone, I hope they get investigated by the government for running a monopoly, why can’t we use opera instead of safari if we chose to

By: ric

ric — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 22:41:59 +0000

well, tomtom have had a version running on palm, symbian and windows mobile for years. doesn’t seem to have hurt sales of their PNDs.

By: logicbox

logicbox — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:09:51 +0000

perhaps because licensing the maps for a dedicated A-GPS app is too costly? (why exactly does tbt gps need to be a function of the maps app?) and perhaps because tbt gps would see the iPhone’s battery flat within a half hour

By: mr. Hi-Definition

mr. Hi-Definition — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:44:11 +0000

I believe it all comes down to the manufacturers being scared of the iPhone platform. Very simple… And to be frank, I don’t blame them. Be scared cause if any company gives the iPhone turn by turn with voice support, it’s a wrap for dedicated GPS apps.