NAVIGON jumps into iPhone turn-by-turn GPS
updated 09:40 am EDT, Tue June 9, 2009
NAVIGON iPhone GPS App
NAVIGON today signaled its intent to compete against TomTom's iPhone app with software of its own. A version of MobileNavigator will use iPhone OS 3.0's support of turn-by-turn GPS to provide the same driving directions as many of its dedicated GPS units, including its Reality View, lane and speed assists, and its notification of road signs. Owners can play music from their device's existing library, plot routes based on contacts' addresses and auto-resume navigation after taking a call.
The mapping firm doesn't say whether it will make an accessory to support MobileNavigator, as TomTom is for its own app, but does say it will have both free and paid versions. The free Lite version doesn't have active navigation and only lets users search the map as well as find points of interest; paying unlocks the full feature set. NAVIGON anticipates its software arriving in the App Store in June but won't reveal the paid version's price until it's available.
I LOVE Competition
06/09, 11:01am reply
Now why can't Apple open the iPhone to T-Mobile US?
AT&T is really starting to bother me. Could not get 3G running correctly, now MMS is delayed and tethering will be costly and limited data. (i know others cost more, but that is not good enough reasoning to still allow high prices!!) I pay one fee for my Comcast, and I have 4 computers feeding off the connection. So why do I pay AT&T twice??
We need another carrier to step in and get AT&T focused again and to drive pricing down.
MiMiC
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2007
Yeah
06/09, 12:15pm reply
except another carrier would probably initially drive the prices up, as Apple would have to then deal with supporting two carriers and would lose whatever concessions drew it to an exclusive carrier in the first place. The iphone is a one product platform. Opening it to more carriers won't create the type of competition you're expecting like the many vendors, many products, many carriers ecosystem that exists for cellphones overall. There is a 99 dollar iPhone now with only one carrier. What more are you expecting?
MhzDoesMatter
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2002