Google maps for mobile gets GPS
Google Maps' capability for the mobile environment won us over a long time ago. Alas, it was just a matter of time before GPS integration was unveiled in Google Maps for Mobile. That day recently arrived, and Google's mobile maps software will now use the GPS capability of many newer handsets (with GPS carrier support) to pinpoint your location and make directions and navigation just that much nicer. Right now, handset compatibility is a little hit-n-miss (with carriers too), but that is sure to change soon. We do know that AT&T's BlackBerry 8800 works as well as most Helio models. For Sprint, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile handsets, you'll have to keep checking to see when your day in the sun comes. Our conclusion? Free Google Maps with GPS support is, well, very nice.[Via The Boy Genius Report]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
carlo @ May 24th 2007 5:25PM
Should have put GPS in the iPhone... someone hopefully is getting a reprimand for that.
Joe @ May 24th 2007 6:53PM
Google Maps in Helio phones like the Ocean is NOT real time. You constantly have to hit refresh, which is more of a pain than feature. Come on Google get your act together!!
Nadev @ May 24th 2007 11:41PM
Google Maps on the Ocean does update on it's own, about once every minute. I let it run while I drive into work and it updates all the way there. Or coarse that minute seems like forever if you watching it and hitting 0 thinking your refeshing it. Because if you read the screen 0 doesn't refesh it, 0 takes the map to your current location in the world.
person4 @ May 24th 2007 7:29PM
This must be great in areas where constant net access is cost effective.
Chris NY @ May 24th 2007 8:16PM
I have a T-mobile Blackberry 8800 and the GPS w/ Google maps has worked since i got it 10 days ago. It is incredibley accurate, just got accuracy to 1.12 meters!! For that reading it got signal from 9 satellites.
Scott-O-Rama @ May 24th 2007 8:43PM
Unfortunately on the Helio Ocean the font and map size was too small to be usable. Also you had to press "next" for each new direction which was a hassle if you were trying to drive. It doesn't automatically update your location.
Now if you're looking for something slick (and free), try Nokia's Smart2Go. It works on Nokia phones and Windows Mobile although it's still a little buggy on the latter. You can get it here: http://www.smart2go.com/
Ian @ May 24th 2007 8:43PM
I've been using Google Maps with my bluetooth GPS for about a week now, and it works great. Realtime refreshing, and very accurate too. I suspect the iPhone version can support a bluetooth GPS also.
Alex @ Feb 6th 2008 12:40PM
I can't get the map to refresh and I have an HTC 3125 with a bluetooth GPS. Any suggestion?
JCK @ Mar 24th 2008 12:42AM
Does it use any data?
faris @ May 24th 2007 9:50PM
iphone=googlemaps=GPS!
carlo @ May 25th 2007 6:58PM
As great as that sounds, there wasn't any GPS capability listed in the fcc report... but who knows. I'm guessing it's a ploy for Apple to generate more revenue by requiring a GPS attachment.
Fidel Villa @ May 24th 2007 11:33PM
This will kill a few companies - wisepilot, wayfinder, etc.
Scott-O-Rama @ May 24th 2007 11:49PM
Yes, but it doesn't automatically go to the next direction if you're using it for directions.
JotM @ May 25th 2007 5:33AM
Have been using it since february on a HP iPaq hw6910. Works great for a quick lookup of your present location. Still prefer an offline navigation app for navigation though.
T-MobileWeb @ May 25th 2007 10:27AM
Google Maps is at version 1.5.1 for the Blackberry and probably that version number for all other java phones, and about a month ago got GPS (this is old news)
But they also should have noted that on my T-Mobile Dash the Windows Mobile version of Google maps, version 1.0.1 which is, what, a year old, has had GPS Bluetooth capability since it came out.
Let's get real. If your rich and have a very expensive phone and service (blackberry or a helio) you're happy now, but if you're some poor sap paying only $5/month for internet through T-mobile's T-MobileWeb then you've had GPS for a while now.
OLD NEWS!
Clark @ May 25th 2007 3:50PM
Old news with Windows Mobile!!!! It's been working for me for almost a year.
Goresh @ Nov 7th 2007 7:44AM
I have a bluetooth GPS and a number of handsets. Google Maps works fine on all of them but without GPS.
Reading the support forum, a number of people have complained that BT GPS USED to work, but has now stopped. I can see no replies from Google to any of their queries.
Has BT GPS been dropped to be replaced exclusively by inbuilt GPS?
CK @ Nov 19th 2007 9:10PM
lets try it ?