Google Maps Navigation comes to Android 1.6

HTC Hero, Droid Eris, Samsung Moment and Behold all miss out

Google Maps Navigation comes to Android 1.6. Phones, Mobile phone apps, Android, Google, Google Maps Navigation, GPS, Samsung, HTC, T-Mobile mytouch 3G, T-Mobile G1 with Google mobile phone, Car And GPS, Sony Ericsson, Motorola 0

23 November 2009 20:58 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Google has announced that all handsets running Android 1.6 will now be able to get Google Maps Navigation for free.

The news, which was announced on Monday, opens up the free GPS software beyond the Android 2.0 operating system and currently the only handset available, the Droid by Motorola.

The new release, which aims to take on services from TomTom, Garmin and Navigon will, as long as you have a data connection, let you route your way around the US using the same Google Maps functionality, however, with a more traditional style GPS experience.

The release also includes the new Layers feature, which lets you overlay geographical information on the map. View My Maps, transit lines, Wikipedia articles about places, and more says Google.

If you have a phone running Android 1.6, you can download an updated version of Google Maps from Android Market to use Navigation today.

Android 1.6 phones in the US currently include the T-Mobile mytouch 3G, the G1 and the HTC Tattoo, as well as the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. However handsets like the HTC Hero, Droid Eris, Samsung Moment and the Samsung Behold II all run Android 1.5 so won't be getting the new feature.

Google Maps Navigation is in beta and is currently available in the United States.

Some features of Android 2.0 are not available on Android 1.6, for example, the ability to use the "navigate to" voice command as shown in our demo video.

 

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Comments

  • Obviously that's the day time view, does it change at night? Posted by iPhone User, Lincs
  • Those nice people at xda-developers have managed to crack open maps version 3.2.0 (the version on the Market is 3.2.1) and enable the navigation feature outside of the US without requiring a rooted phone.

    http://www.gadgetvenue.com/google-maps-navigation-works-usa-11233152/

    The original download site has reached its limit so you'll have to go trawling to find the APK file.     Posted by GK, UK
  • Iphone user. Yes they went round and re-photographed the whole globe at night so it can switch between day and night. Duh!! Posted by johnp, uk

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