Google Maps with voice directions app for Android 2.0 launched
Google Maps for mobile phones has acquired turn-by-turn voice directions, thanks to the new application being launched for Android platform today.
Google said in its official blog that Google Maps for Mobile with Voice Directions will be coming to Motorola Droid, the first smartphone with Android 2.0 operating system. Buyers of Motorola Droid, a much-anticipated smartphone from Motorola, will be able to download and install Google Maps for Mobile with Voice directions from Google’s website.
As of now, only Android 2.0 phones will get the new edition of Google Maps, but we feel it will be only a matter of time before versions for other operating systems are also rolled out.
Demo video of Google Maps App with voice directions for Android 2.0
What does the new launch mean? Google launched Google Maps about four years back, and later, made it available for mobile phones also. This meant that any smartphone user with GPS could use Google Maps to navigate to any point of interest with Google Maps, without paying a paisa. Well, actually, though the Google service is free, since you download map data from Google servers, and the download costs you data transfer charges.
Google Maps with voice navigation takes the battle straight to GPS device and map makers like TomTom , Garmin and Navteq.
Till now, everyone who wanted to do voice-assisted GPS driving needed to pay up for the service. Google, with the free map service, has undercut all of them with live map data. No wonder shares of Garmin sank after news of the Google Maps with voice navigation.
Google said that besides voice directions and turn by turn navigation, one can also search by voice. This means you press down a button, speak “Chandni Chowk, Delhi” into the phone, and Google Maps will show you – and speak to you – how to reach there. Google Maps for mobile with voice navigation promises to be a boon to those who frequently navigate unfamiliar roads, and don’t want to spare the several thousands that map makers demand.
How feasible is Google Maps for mobile with Voice Navigation in India? In our country, there are still large swathes of land without a cellular footprint, and if you are the type that constantly drives out of town to virgin beaches and mighty hills, this may be a problem. Again, since India doesn’t have 3G networks still – apart from BSNL in non-metros – data transfers are going to be slow, and Google Maps may not be able to tell you in time that there’s a turn coming up, and you should stick to the left lane. However, once 3G is in, and once cellular operators expand coverage, this wont’ be a problem for anyone with a smartphone with a GPS chip.
How does conventional Google Maps for mobile phones compare with regular GPS devices? In Google Maps, you search for locations and routes, Google finds them for you, and you follow the map to reach your destination. Google takes map data from its servers and displays it on your GPS mobile phone’s screen, which means that you should have an active internet connection on your mobile phone, preferably 3G. Since data is transferred during the process, you will be paying your mobile phone operator for the transfer. The advantage of Google Maps is that since map data remains in the Google server, any changes/updates in the map are immediately available to you – live – and you don’t need to download and install any updates. However, usage of Google Maps requires that you are always in a cellular network. If you stray out of cellular civilisation, Google Maps wont be able to help you. Also, since data has to be transferred from the Google servers, it is not as fast as GPS devices which get the map data from a card within the device. Until now, Google Maps did not have voice directions and turn-by-turn instructions, which means you have to stop your car and take your eyes off the road to check the map and see the way forward.
In contrast, dedicated car GPS systems behave in a different way. They have always had voice directions and turn-by-turn directions, which means the driver doesn’t have to take his eyes off the road to navigate to a location he has fixed. Since the map data is accessed from a memory card within the device itself, map access is fast, you don’t need to pay for internet data download, and you don’t need to be within cellular civilization to find your way around. However, car map data always comes at a price, and need to be updated once in a while.