Android 1.6 phones get Google Maps Navigation

Google Maps Navigation for Android 1.6 phones has been launched. Google Maps Navigation, which was launched last month, is currently available only for Android 2.0 (Android Eclair). And the only phone running Android 2.0 is Motorola Droid.

The extension of Google Maps Navigation to the previous version, Android 1.6 means millions of Android 1.6 phones across the world can now use Google Maps Navigation with voice guidance and turn-by-turn commands.

The launch of Google Maps Navigation for Android 1.6 has sparked a clamor for similar apps for the iPhone, the BlackBerry and Windows Mobile. Given Google’s drive for innovation, it may not be long before there will be a Google Maps Navigation for Windows Mobile, Google Maps Navigation for BlackBerry and a Google Maps Navigation app for the iPhone. Many Android 1.6 users from Europe and Asia feel that they have been left behind, since the app is available only in the US now.

Google Maps Navigation phones

You can use Google Maps Navigation with voice directions on the following phones running Android.
1. Sony Ericsson XPeria X10: launch in early 2010. Android 1.6 GSM phone. 4-inch touchscreen.
2. Dell Streak: Likely next year. Android 2.0 GSM phone. 5-inch touch screen
3. Acer Liquid A1: Android 1.6 GSM phone. 3.5 inch touchscreen
4. Samsung Moment: Android 1.6 CDMA-EVDO phone. 3.2 inch touchscreen.
5. Motorola Droid / Motorola Milestone: Android 2.0 3G CDMA phone. 3.7 inch touchscreen.
6. Samsung Galaxy Spica: Android 1.6 GSM phone. 3.2 inch touch screen

Google Maps Navigation can now be installed on any smartphone running Android 1.6. While Google Maps for Mobile can help you find location, points of interest and draw routes from Point A to Point B, Google Maps Navigation goes a step further and helps you with voice directions and turn-by-turn directions. In Android 2.0, you can navigate by speaking “navigate to” on the phone, while this feature is absent in Android 1.6. Google on its official blog called the Google Maps Navigation for Android a Thanksgiving gift.

However, for now, Google Maps Navigation for mobile phones running Android 1.6 will be available only in the United States. Other countries will have to wait.

To navigate with Google Maps Navigation for mobile, you should have a smartphone with touchscreen. The phone should have a reasonably fast data plan (GPRS/CDMA). Android 1.6 or above should be loaded on the phone. Since Google Maps data is accessed from Google servers, the speed and quality of map display depends on the quality of the data connection. A 3G connection is suggested if you intend to navigate with Google Maps Navigation. Read 3G phones in India

Map data is not archived on the smartphone, which leads to a small delay when the data is transferred from the internet to your mobile phone. This raises the question: What happens if I am driving and my car is out of cellular network coverage? Well, if you have set your start point and end point before starting on car navigation with Google Maps Navigation, you don’t have much to worry even if you’re out of cellular civilization. Google Maps Navigation caches the data for the route ahead, so that the data for that specific route is backed up in phone memory. Since GPS satellite signal is independent of mobile tower signal, GPS can locate your position on the (cached) map and the voice will guide you along. However, remember that you won’t be able to take alternate routes or stray far from the original route, since map data for other locations may not be archived.

Wherever cellular network (preferably 3G) and GPS signal are available, Google Maps Navigation for Android 1.6 should work fine. Navigation works with automatic rerouting and voice guidance. In Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0, you can speak to the phone for directions, without having to reach out and type. Commands to enter destination, fresh map, business, traffic data etc and select street views can be accessed with Google Maps Navigation for Android.

Google said on it official blog that the latest Google Maps Navigation version has a new Layers feature, which lets you overlay geographical information on the map. With this app, you can view My Maps, transit lines, Wikipedia articles about places, and more.

Google Maps Navigation also has a feature where you can designate a location as “HOME”. Wherever you are, press the Home button and Google Maps Navigation will help you navigate to that spot.

Currently, GPS manufacturers like TomTom and Garmin sell integrated products, bundling the GPS device and map data. They also charge a subscription fee for the service. Even after the advent of Google Maps for Mobile, which helped you find location and routes, their dominance of the GPS market was not threatened. However, Google stepped into their territory with the launch of Google Maps Navigation last month, which offered voice directions and turn-by-turn commands. Stocks of Garmin and TomTom crashed on news of the launch of Google Maps Navigation with voice commands.

Car GPS – Google Maps Navigation comparison

There are two schools of thought on which are better: Google Maps Navigation or conventional car GPS & maps. There are many advantages and disadvantages for both. (1) Google Maps Navigation software is free, while for Garmin/TomTom etc, you have to pay the initial charges and subsequent fees. (2) If you use Google Maps Navigation, you have to pay for wireless data download, since map data is taken from the Google servers. For a regular GPS, data is accessed from a memory card or a hard disk on the device itself, so no data charges apply. (3) Map data access is faster in a regular Garmin or TomTom, since it is taken from the device memory, while it is slower with Google Maps Navigation since the data is downloaded from the internet. If you have a 3G or Wife connection, map data access will be faster on your Google Maps Navigation, but this will still be not as fast as that of a conventional car GPS system. (4) Regular GPS devices and maps are available across the world, while Google Maps navigation is now limited to the US. (5) Map data on a car GPS has to be updated at regular intervals, since maps keep changing as cities, towns and highways expand. However, there is no need for updates on Google Maps Navigation, since the update happens only on the server, and you are always served with the freshest map data.

Initial reaction to Google Maps Navigation for Android 1.6 has been exuberant, with several early experimenters satisfied with the service. However, some users complained that they could not access the Google Maps Navigation service, which returned an error message: “Package file not was signed correctly”.