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Google today launched Google Maps Navigation, a Web-based GPS with a number of bells and whistles, as I noted on eWEEK here earlier.
The GPS is a feature on Google Maps for Android 2.0 smartphones, the first of which won’t see the light of day until Nov. 6 when Verizon Wireless launches the first Droid.
Following is the video demo and some pics of the Google Maps Navigation system, which Google also explains here in a blog post.
A Google Search for “burgers” displays results along your driving route and you can just tap a result for more details.
See the traffic patterns ahead, with red, green, yellow indicators:
Street View paired with Google Maps Navigation:
It will be interesting to see how well users will receive this application, which seems to follow the GPS-Google Maps combo used on the iPhone 3GS. AT&T also sells the Nuvifone from Garmin.
Search Engine Land’s Greg Sterling calls it disruptive to GPS providers, though it’s clearly too early to tell what impact this GPS will have.
Yes, it’s free, and yes it’s from Google, but carriers still have to market the heck out of the phones (Verizon is doing a fantastic job with the Droid ad so far) and pray people buy them. On the smartphone rivalry side of the ball, Apple has quite a comfortable lead in the market.
I will update this post with a more complete slideshow of Google Maps Navigation pics later this afternoon.
Update: And here are all of the pics.