Google Working on Free [Ad Supported] Turn-by-Turn Navigation App?
Google already provides the free Google Maps service (with Street View, pictured above), but could they be planning to step up to full on turn-by-turn navigation? Forbes thinks so:
Google, which generally gives its software away for free and recoups its investment through advertising, would likely sell ads within the navigation application rather than charge users, experts say. The ads could be particularly valuable because the program would know users' precise locations and destinations, allowing advertisers to pinpoint specific kinds of consumers. Google recently started running sponsored link ads in Apple's ( AAPL - news - people ) iPhone map application, which it helped build.
Forbes cites competitors who think Google will enter the "small but lucrative" space, and it would be a great value-add to Android, extending Google's control over the software to an area some carriers still want all to themselves (with the monthly subscription feeds that go with it).
Before international readers get too excited, however, like Google Voice, it might be US-only, especially at first. That, and other factors have potential competitors already getting their shots in:
"Millions of customers use our service because of its reliability, ease of use and additional features," [Mary Beth Lowell of TeleNav] says. [Steve Andler of Networks in Motion] contends the mobile market is different from the Internet, where "everything's free and always in beta. People are willing to pay a premium to have something work all the time on their phones."
Translation: they won't try to compete with Google on price.
But what about you? Would you let Google monitor your GPS coordinates and activities, and send you targeted ads, in exchange for free navigation?
[via Fierce Mobile Content via Engadget Mobile]
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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Yes... I would. Here's to hoping ATT allows it.
It's what google maps is missing. No need for navigation apps if google nails it right.
Yes, I can hear Tom Tom, CoPilot and Navigator screaming
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Yes I would..!!!!
Now I see why all the other companies hate google and why I love them so
Location based ads combined with your ads chosen from your searches and app purchases...do you actually know how highly effective those could be?
And if it's allowing a free GPS nav (which I had to pay 9.99/mth for when I had AT&T) it would most DEFINITELY not be bad.
The competitors complain things are always in beta. But why is that bad? LOL. Every single Google app I've used have worked very nicely no matter the beta tag or not. know my experience doesn't speak for every user...but I'm satisfied, so I'll look forward to it.
It's claimed to be coming with the Droid on it's release. I can't wait for the Verizon announcement today.
Sounds great --- until it starts planning your routes to have you drive close to google's paid advertisers!
That would be awesome
Yes Rene yes
That would be awesome! Maybe google could come out with a car kit that ppl would actually buy that wouldn't kick your wallets ass!
Well, I can tell you right now that Apple would never allow the native google maps app to be replaced with one that provides turn by turn. After all, they wouldn't even let latitude functionality in the native app. I would say that Googles only shot on the iPhone would to have it be browser based. However, if google only made this for Android phones, they would get a huge competitive advantage.
Oh snap! Engadget is reporting that Android 2.0 includes free turn by turn. The Droid just got a big leg up on the iPhone...
Got to love Google pushing the envelope like this.. sucks I won't see it on my iphone.. but this isn't something that I'd make the change from iphone to droid for.. (but the reasons to switch list is getting longer)
I look forward to it. iDavey and Rebo comments hit the mark
abso-friggin-lutely!
switching from iphone to anything is ridiculous. Nothing else is a mac. That's all that really needs to be said. Anyone who has an iphone is lucky. Anyone who ditches an iphone for anything else is a moron. There simply is nothing like it nor will there ever be. Apart from the phone itself, which is amazing, the compatability with my macs is unbeatable, and that's MAJOR.