no word.

If Apple doesn't cooperate with Google and release Google Maps Navigation, you can bet that millions of iPhone users like myself will be angry at AT&T and Apple for shoving again a free and excellent service for the profits of AT&T and the GPS apps in App Store. They will face the heat, trust me.

And this time, the FCC might become involved with a full blown investigation, after the infamous Google Voice app reject by Apple. (Oops, did I say reject? I meant "under consideration," as AT&T would like us all to believe).

LAST.

I get a kick out of the "people will pay for quality" line. Have they seen the video? The quality will be best when you have a data connection and use this.

It also takes google's "report a problem" feature one step further and allows you to directly and immediately fix any problems with the prominent edit button on the map.

Google Navigation would be a nice feature to have but I wouldn't use it as my primary GPS program. Game changer? Not quite.

I will certainly not give up my gps that has maps on-device. Some day I might want to go to the US again. Remember all the poor folks who missed the chance to get a 6GB data plan.

Its the grass is greener on the other side syndrome that far too many people have.. you'll never be able to explain it to everyone.. everything is better until you have it. Its the way of our world. I'm just thanful that I have great coverage where I live, and don't have to worry like some.

Its better the the $600 they would be losing when people decide to upgrade to a droid, instead of the 2010 iphone.. I'm willing to bet apple knows it has to make this work.. ohh, and LAST?

Wankers are first! Is that really the only thing they can type?

For me, google maps is enough. I can't justify paying $70-100 for a GPS app, would love it if I were offered a free option (even if I never used it).

Everyone else who does travel internationally will be in for a rude awakening once they see two weeks worth of international roaming charges on their cell phone bill. And no, the "map caching" prior to leaving doesn't count since it's not just about getting there but also about getting around there.

"B*tch I got this!"

The big dog in nav space is Garmin. They have the best routing, and the best maps of all those guys.

Google has always uses Tele Atlas (Nokia) and Navteq (Tom Tom) maps as well as a few others. Now if you look at Google maps (computer or iPhone) in most places (virtually ALL of North America) those copyrights are gone and Google is the only copyright shown for maps. (Images still carry other copyrights).

So while we all thought Google was fighting email, book scanning, voice problems they were actually busy mapping the world way better than any of those companies. And it will only improve over time.

Google stole a march on everybody by pooling imagery and just enough data points from public and purchased sources to do computerized mapping.

The results are awesomely accurate. Roads (in the far north especially) that were horribly inaccurate just a couple months ago are now perfectly aligned with the images. (Oddly, addresses are consistently off by a little bit in most places. Perhaps intentionally so.)

Now Google owns this space, and Apple has to play ball, and you can BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR that the price for getting turn by turn navigation into the iPhone will be Google Voice on the iPhone as well.

Too little too late is Apple's purchase of that mapping company no one has ever heard of. A panic move on their part.

And Garmin is coming out with a phone. Why? so they can have a 3G receiver on board for map updates, search, etc. Also a desperate move.

If the program can't find your desired location or you have to go online to find the address, write it down and then search by City/address as you have to do in Navigon, it doesn't matter how cool the rest of the navigation works. I have had a number of experiences with Navigon where it took me 5 - 10 minutes to get a location set to navigate. I have had a few times where after I put the address in the search, Navigon still couldn't find it.

If Navigon and it's competitors can't get Search to be easy, Google will wipe them out, no matter how cool their 'other' features are. They may get wiped out no matter what they do.

how about building latitude into the navigation app too.

if you don't think that's a bombshell announcement, tell that to the shareholders of Tom tom, navigon, etc. All those companies had very significant losses today. Which means it was both an unexpected announcement (otherwise it would have already been taken into account with the stock price) and that it was important (otherwise it wouldn't have has such a drastic impact on the price). The definition of a bombshell is that it's unexpected and important.

This is nothing to pitch a tent over.

I agree. I used to have the AT&T Navigator when I was with them. I worked for a utility meter reading company back then...I BARELY used the turn by turn when finding where I needed to go. Besides that...Google Maps sufficed.

I know when I upgrade to the Droid (or whatever 2.0 device will be out by Feb) I'll be satisfied with the gMaps Navigation.

The nav companies are putting on a brave face but for 90% of the public, the Google app will be GOOD ENOUGH, and that's all you need. Hell, if I'm relatively familiar with an area and I need to get to an address I don't already know, I'll use the Google app on the iPhone even if it's not turn by turn. I only pull out the GPS when I really don't know where someplace is.

The Google Nav app will store the route, so as long as you don't deviate too far from the guidance, you'll be fine without signal. And don't you think that Google will be smart enough to figure out where the cell towers are and modify the downloads accordingly? Maybe not with this version, but a future version? I'd lay odds that they will.

Those nav companies are dead. They just haven't fallen over yet.

I think google will take awhile before they make the iPhone version. And, who knows if Apple will even allow it in it's full featured form. I like my 3gs, but Android is making it hard to stay with it. Can't wait for the Android HD2.

....I can picture it now....A bunch of ____s trying to be the last to post...It would probably go on for years....

What would YOU pick.