// Home / News

Google brings free turn-by-turn satnav to UK

By Barry Collins

Posted on 21 Apr 2010 at 11:47

Google has brought its free turn-by-turn software to the UK.

The update to Google Maps is being made available today as a free download for any smartphone running Android 1.6 or above. Google confirmed at a London press conference that it plans to bring the free satnav to other smartphone platforms, potentially including the iPhone, although it wouldn't confirm when.

Unlike rivals such as TomTom or CoPilot's smartphone software, Google's satnav software doesn't store maps on the device but downloads them on-demand from the cloud. That means users will need to have an active data connection when planning routes.

Feature

The 36 best Android apps

"Google Maps pre-caches the entire route," said Mobile Maps product manager, Steve Lee. "It needs a data connection when you ask for navigation. But while driving to your destination, if you intermittently lose the connection, it will still carry on. As long as you stay on the route."

The service has been localised for the UK: distances are stated in miles instead of kilometers, and the audio instructions are delivered in an English accent.

The Google satnav also benefits from voice recognition, with the software able to understand plain English commands such as "drive to 12 London Road" or "find nearest Starbucks". Lee demonstrated advanced voice recognition commands such as "navigate to museum with Rosetta Stone", which brought up a listing for the British Museum in the search results.

The satnav is available in several different views, including maps, satellite and Google Street View photography. Users can opt to see a Street View photo of the next junction, and a Street View image automatically appears when you near your destination so drivers can see exactly what their location looks like.

Google offers live traffic data, although the software isn't yet capable of dynamically diverting drivers around traffic jams - a staple feature of dedicated satnav devices. However, Google's software will automatically plot alternative routes on request, which estimates traffic-adjusted journey times.

Dedicated car docks will be available for handsets such as the Google Nexus One and HTC Desire.

Squashing the competition?

The launch of Google's satnav will doubtless be a blow to commercial providers such as TomTom and Garmin. However, Google claims the satnav makers had become complacent.

"Google prides itself on innovating in markets that have been stagnant for a while," said Hugo Barra, director of mobile products at Google. "I think navigation is a good example. We think there will be a lot more [innovation] happening as a result [of Google's launch]. It will be good for users."

Google said it will also bring the free satnav to rival smartphone platforms. "We're absolutely evaluating other platforms," said Lee. "Maps for Mobile has the most breadth [of any Google service]. It runs on Symbian, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Android. For navigation, it requires a lot more [hardware] capability.

We use OpenGL for some of the graphics. We started off with Android, because it has those capabilities, but we absolutely want to bring it to other platforms."

Subscribe to PC Pro magazine. We'll give you 3 issues for £1 plus a free gift - click here

From around the web

User comments

What's interesting is that Google uses TeleAtlas as its mapping provider (here in the UK at least). And TeleAtlas is owned by..... TomTom!

I wonder whether Google will end up losing its map contract? Let's hope so, because then they'd be forced to move to the far superior Navteq maps!

By PaulOckenden on 21 Apr 2010

One of the reasons I've stuck with Nokia (Symbian) devices so long is that the sat nav has so often been a life saver. Since Ovi maps with voice direction and 'safety camera' warnings went free a year or so ago I couldn't see me changing any time soon.

Now I'm pretty convinced I'll be looking at the HTC Desire.

By rozman on 21 Apr 2010

I'm happy with CO-Pilot on my iPhone

£27 and no reliance on patchy 3G coverage...

By cheysuli on 21 Apr 2010

Oh, great. So what if a dead sheep's blocking a road in a middle of nowhere without a signal? Or you need to change your route once you're already abroad but you're not that keen on paying roaming charges on data?

By Josefov on 21 Apr 2010

Nothing stopping you...

...from running Co-Pilot on Android (or WinMo) if you don't want to roam or rely on wonky 3G connections and £27 isn't much - for those less concerned about that, this is free, so why are you complaining?

By nichomach0 on 21 Apr 2010

Call me stupid...

...and I know you will... but how do you actually get access to this new feature. I've got Google Maps on my Android phone already - what steps do I take to get this new feature. Actually, should really post this in a forum, yes? yeah.. thought so.

By CraigieDD on 21 Apr 2010

@cCraigieDD

There's an update in the Android Market. Once installed, open Maps, Menu > Directions, put in the locations and click Go. The Navigate option is under the Show the map option.

By rowanparker_uk on 21 Apr 2010

Damn T-Mobile...

They still have my Hero (G2) on 1.5. come on this is rediculous it should be on 2.1 :(

By Bluespider on 22 Apr 2010

@Josefov... How DID we ever manage without GPS? Oh yes, it was called a map...

By survivalskills on 22 Apr 2010

Totally pointless

With Fuel aproaching £1.20-£1.30 a Litre I can't see a point for Sat Nav.We soon won't be able to afford to run cars to use the system anyway.

By Jaberwocky on 22 Apr 2010

Animal Magic

@Josefov:
what if a dead sheep's blocking a road?

a. A sheep is normally only about a metre long. Drive round it.

b. It only weighs about 70Kg so if all else fails, drag it.

A fallen tree I can live with, but not a sheep as a roadblock.

By Gindylow on 22 Apr 2010

Still only in beta

...and it shows. I gave it a route to work to try out and some interesting issues which are I suppose typical sat-nav, such as sending me down Sutton High Street (which is pedestrianised). The Street view routes are interesting, they seem to be working on the basis that you drive on the right but still go left around a roundabout. As for the two people walking on the pavement who I'm meant to drive over... sorry in advance, Google made me do it!

By CoxJul69 on 22 Apr 2010

@rowanparker_uk

Cheers man.

Thanks for that. And you didn't even call me stupid. How courteous. These comments have become a little "Flame-y" of late.

By CraigieDD on 22 Apr 2010

Ye olde mappes

Love the free nav but the maps are at least a couple of years out of date. The ability to use incomplete address info or just a business name to find your destination is brilliant though. This will definitely force satnav manufacturers to up their game or lower their prices. For once a free offer that is both free and useful, well done Google.

By roadshowuk on 22 Apr 2010

I still use pay as you go on a Nokia 631(they made em to last in those days), but prospect of free sat nav is tempting. Could anyone tell me what the cost maintaining an active data connection would be on payasugo?

By ianross6 on 22 Apr 2010

OS map data has escaped!

On the other hand, for the UK, OS StreetView map base is now effectively free for any use including commercial use. It was done for 1:10000 (i.e. > 6" to mile) printed mapping and includes every street name. The post code database to go with it is also free. So I don't think we should be paying TomTom's inflated prices for long!

By Henry_3_Dogg on 22 Apr 2010

TomTom will be worried but are still way ahead...

Used TomTom IQ Routes on a dedicated device to drive from Cambridge to Paris and back Tuesday/Wednesday, and Google satnav on the HTC desire for a shorter Cambridge - Stansted trip yesterday.

Google's satnav is really impressive and it's free, but:

- too often if tells you to exit roundabouts by street name instead of exit number.

- more generally, it makes way too much use of pedantically reciting street names, even applying them to main roads. Who calls the B1383 south of Stump Cross "Newmarket Road" anymore? No one I know.. Why can't it just say "turn right?"

- data roaming charges would have killed me in France.

- no traffic avoidance,and if there was a way to take a route other than the one Google suggested, I couldn't find it. It did eventually adjust when I took my preferred route anyway.

- on the cool but pointless front, popping up a street view photo when I got home, so that I saw my own (old) car in front of my door, gave me a weird moment!

By Cantabrian on 23 Apr 2010