Originally released in October 2009, Google Maps Navigation gave US Android 2.0 users turn-by-turn navigation via Google Maps. As of June 2010, this new application now allows Canada and most of Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal and The Netherlands) the following:
- Search in plain English: Type in the business name without knowledge of the exact address.
- Search by Voice: Speak your destination instead of typing.
- Traffic View: A green, yellow or red indicator lets you know the traffic ahead.
- Search Along Route: Search for any kind of business along your route.
- Street View: Visualize turns with Street View imagery.
- Satellite View: View your route on 3D satellite views with Google's aerial imagery.
- Car dock mode: Use your device at arm's length with car dock mode.
Can you believe that all these features provided by Google Maps Navigation are free? This has made Google a competitor amongst Garmin and TomTom, two of the world's top GPS companies that only offer paid GPS navigation. Furthermore, Google Search by voice is now available for Spanish, German, French and Italian speakers. Google Maps Navigation continues to be free for Android phone owners.
Google Maps Navigation in Action
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