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Google Maps Navigation a wakeup call to satnav providers?

By Damian Koh, CNET Asia
Nov 03, 2009

The writing's on the wall: Google is upending the satellite navigation (satnav) industry.

On October 29, 2009, the Mountain View-based search giant released the beta version of its turn-by-turn navigation software for Android 2.0 smartphones. That immediately sent market shares of established GPS device manufacturers into a downward spiral. Clearly, investors knew what the announcement entailed and Google's free offering probably had a few tech companies swearing. After all, who would pay for a dedicated satnav device when he could get a similar service for free on his GPS-enabled smartphone?

But that's not going to happen for everyone in a snap. The beta application now works only on the Android 2.0 operating system and the first device to feature Google Maps Navigation is the Motorola Droid from US-based Verizon. The Motorola Milestone, which is the GSM cousin to the Droid, wouldn't come with Google Maps Navigation. Instead, it'll have the MotoNav app with turn-by-turn directions.

Google also doesn't have a roadmap on when the service will be available in Asia Pacific.

Using the Satellite view on Google Maps for navigation.
(Credit: Google)

A natural evolution

Google Maps for Mobile has been around a long time and mapping service providers have long suspected that Google may be working on a free real-time navigation solution.

A Google spokesperson told CNET Asia via email: "Over the past few years we have brought a rapid stream of features to Google Maps for mobile, such as My Location, Latitude, transit and walking directions, street view, business details and reviews, and layers. Google Maps Navigation (Beta) is a natural evolution of the product, and another great feature that we think our users will find valuable."

The company also tested crowd-sourcing traffic data with My Location in August and the three-wheeled trike was in Singapore recently to collect street views where vehicles cannot access.

Much to the chagrin of these mapping companies, they were right about Google's free turn-by-turn navigation service.

The biggest telltale sign was the end of a licensing agreement in the US between Google and map provider Tele Atlas in early October. However, Tele Atlas said it's still a partner with Google on a global basis until July 2013.

Google Maps Navigation lets users search using plain English or by speaking into the smartphone; provides live traffic updates to avoid congestions; and notifies them of nearby amenities. It'll also have satellite views as well as street view imagery that helps users visualize what's on the ground. A car dock mode activates a feature that makes the handset easy to use at arm's length.

And it's all free. Well, sort of, as you'll still need to buy the smartphone and pay for data charges when the maps are downloaded over the network.

Challenges for handset navigation

According to market research firm iSuppli, 305 million smartphones will be used for turn-by-turn GPS navigation compared with 128 million personal navigation devices (PND) by 2014. The company believes that most smartphones will ship with built-in GPS by 2011 and that any new growth in PND devices is likely to come from Asia Pacific.

Traffic view lets you see what's the traffic condition like ahead.
(Credit: Google)

Providing location services may seem lucrative, but it's not a ride in the park and there are obvious challenges. Garmin knows this and has introduced a new line of GPS-centric nuvifone handsets with a robust navigation system under the Garmin-Asus brand.

Corporate communications senior manager for Garmin, Ted Gartner, told CNET Asia: "Many phones have a non-integrated navigation application, but they're different from the nuvifone in a variety of ways including that they may not have the right GPS antenna for the best accuracy, especially in areas of tall buildings or trees."

Gartner added that nuvifones have onboard maps, so it'll work when out of range of a cellular network. Navigation is something the Linux-based nuvifone G60 did well, but its phone features needed improvements. Likewise, the nuvifone M20, a Windows Mobile 6.1 device, fared admirably with its GPS features, but its small 2.8-inch screen made in-car navigation impractical. Suffice to say, the results weren't terribly impressive.

So far, only two nuvifones have been announced, but Gartner said the company is committed to the series and will work on next-generation devices which will run on Windows Mobile and Android operating systems.

From a macro perspective, Ovum's principal analyst Steven Hartley pointed out that smartphones are typically more expensive and the onboard GPS receivers less powerful than PNDs. He also added that battery drain, availability of a high-speed data network to download maps, and the limited real estate on handsets as issues.

One of the areas where GPS handsets still fare poorer than PNDs is accuracy. In CNET Asia experience, phones have a higher tendency to drop signals, which have resulted in the device trying to recalculate our location and route. PNDs, on the other hand, rarely have such encounters. That's not surprising if you take into consideration the size of a basic PND and what's packed inside compared with a smaller smartphone which also has to squeeze in several other wireless radios within the limited space.

And that's something which the Google Maps Navigation service will face as well even though the "free" carrot will be hard to beat.

GPS handsets vs. PNDs

For the short term at least, Hartley believes that Google's free navigation service won't affect PND makers and mapping solutions providers such as Garmin, Tele Atlas (a wholly owned subsidiary of TomTom) and Navteq (a wholly owned subsidiary of Nokia). He cited the cheaper price of a basic PND compared with a smartphone as reason.

But what happens down the road is anyone's guess.

"If it [Google Maps Navigation] is as successful as it threatens to be, then satnav vendors need to ensure that their optimized devices continue to deliver a better user experience than the free alternative," Hartley told CNET Asia.

Already, some vendors are planning ahead by coming up with their own mobile applications. One example is TomTom which launched an app for the iPhone 3G and 3GS recently. The company also aims to introduce a car kit for the iPhone which will enhance the GPS performance of the handset.

Meanwhile, Tele Atlas and Navteq said they are focusing on high-quality maps and better navigation experiences.

Tele Atlas is adding community-based input and real-time data for better and more dynamic map experiences, while Navteq is providing 3D views of its maps to aid driving as well as pedestrian routes for foot navigation.

What happens next?

Not much really, for those outside of the US.

Right now, Google Maps Navigation works only on the Verizon Droid that runs Android 2.0. When asked if the service would work on older Android devices that get upgraded to 2.0, Google simply replied: "We'll be making Navigation available to more Android-powered devices soon."

That obviously doesn't tell us much, but what probably will prompt a quick surge in the uptake is enabling the service to work on iPhones. To that, Google said it will continue to work with Apple, which the company claims is a close partner, to introduce Latitude and Navigation. However, it kept mum on availability.

Obviously, Google is not the first to offer real-time navigation combined with Internet services. The question is whether the overall user experience will be as good? Established companies such as Garmin and TomTom have already proved that they excel in satnav and mobile phones with built-in GPS still have to play catch-up.

So who wins? The users, telcos and phone-makers, naturally. As Hartley puts it, Google Maps Navigation is another example of an app that encourages consumers to upgrade their handsets and use data on-the-go. That's good news all round, but more efficient networks will need to be in place.


Tags: Garmin Nuvifone, Garmin Ltd., Smart Phone, Tele Atlas, handset

 

 

    Talkback
ferdiei says...
this proves that the groundbraking move by Garmin partnering with Asus to produce hybrid PND+cellphone into M60/G60 would make those types of devices "cool" in the near future, as opposed on this pending move by Google to maximize the use of GPS in smartphones (beneficial for consumers!), but will depend on how companies will produce similar device/s like those of Garmin-Asus melding strong satnav & smartphone functionalities into one.

Nov 03, 2009 21:11
 
 
wilswong says...
All hinges on one thing: Data downloading.

I loathe it because:
a) It causes more money to be spent for no reason whatsoever. For SGD250 and above, I can get a PND without the need to download anything.
b) Network reach is ok in Singapore. I just hope you don't get lost in Malaysia. GPS is good for navigating places where civilisation is few and far between and cars do travel to these places.

Generally I don't think in terms of performance and screen size such phones will win PND but so long the maps is inside the phone and not downloaded via the 3G network and incur costs in such economic climate, I am all for it.

Nov 10, 2009 10:27
 
 
swissmike says...
yea, the APP may be free, but you're still paying for the DATA.
And again, many thanks to the US Air Force for keeping the birds flying, the signals free, and SA turned off....

Nov 10, 2009 17:40
 
 
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