Google Maps Navigation for UK launches
This morning those of you who were as lost as I was- will have noticed something very cool. Google have finally activated Google Maps Navigation (beta*!) for Android UK users. I have checked it out and it is working great on the Motorola Milestone and HTC Desire.
As of now the Google maps navigation page still lists it as being USA only-hopefully this is not a glitch and Google will keep the service active for the UK.
Its great to see this in the UK Android users finally will have a feature far superior to the Ovi Maps Navigation by Nokia and will have a clear advantage over those Iphone Users.
For those who don’t know about Google Maps Navigation-
Here are the features that mean that set it apart from other navigation apps on any platform
- Search in plain EnglishNo need to know the address. You can type a business name or even a kind of a business, just like you would on Google.Watch video
Search by voiceSpeak your destination instead of typing (English only): “Navigate to the de Young Museum in San Francisco”.Watch video
Traffic viewAn indicator glows green, yellow, or red based on the current traffic along your route. Touch it to see traffic ahead of you.Watch video
Search along routeSearch for any kind of business along your route, or turn on popular layers such as gas stations, restaurants, or parking.Watch video
Satellite viewView your route overlaid on 3D satellite views with Google’s high-resolution aerial imagery.Watch video
Street ViewVisualize turns with Street View imagery. Navigation automatically switches to Street View as you approach your destination.Watch video
Car dock modeCar dock mode makes it easy to use your device at arm’s length (Android 2.0 devices or higher).Watch video
Google Maps Navigation for mobile features.
Try it out and let me know if its working for your handset
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[...] Google Maps Navigation- check out our showcase post on it here [...]
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[...] close it when the profile is changed. Examples of this are : automatically run the Google Maps Navigation in car mode or run the clock mode when its docked to my charger at [...]
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How do we get it?
So does it work if you loose your data connection? Something that can happen very frequently in the UK! Thats Ovi Maps big differential it can cache maps and work fine offline like a Tomtom device.
Is working on the G1 very well!!
I went to the site & it tells you to search for Google Maps in the Android Market. I already have the Google Maps app on my phone (G2 Touch), but it doesn’t have any navigation feature on it, just driving directions. There was no other Google Maps app in the Market, just CoPilot & other paid sat nav software.
Have they removed it from the UK market since your article?
They haven’t removed it however its not (yet) compatible with your version of the software. G2 Touch at the moment is still running 1.5 however in the next few days you should see an update to 2.1 which will let you install the update as well as adding a boat load of features. Check out my post http://androidbloke.co.uk/2010/02/11/android-2-0-hits-more-handsets-in-march/
to find out what features you get
Cool, thanks for that! Didn’t realise my phone was so far behind
( Hope the much lauded 2.2 update won’t be as far behind as the 2.1 one seems to be 
/