any info on a real gps app for the G3?

[maddogmaulucci]

The one big disappointment with my 3g is Google maps gps. I knew it would not be as good as a nuvi or tomtom, but not even turn by turn voice alerts (that is just dangerous when driving having to look at the screen so close). Is there any word on a 3rd party app that will incorporate a real gps program, I would pay good money to not have to carry around a second unit in my car.

[dmiZe]

Supposedly a company called TeleNav is making a GPS app with turn-by-turn directions, not sure when that's coming out though.

[deftdrummer1]

per apples app store limitations, "no company shall make turn by turn navigation software".

[cycler15]

per apples app store limitations, "no company shall make turn by turn navigation software".

I wonder why that is. What's the big concern on Apples part?

[maddogmaulucci]

per apples app store limitations, "no company shall make turn by turn navigation software".

Where does it say that? and why would they do that if they did? with all the other phones now coming out with turn by turn, including the garmins own nuvi phone. that would be just a stupid mistake. If I knew that I would have really given second thoughts when buying this.

[1ghziMac]

Didn't really buy the phone for turn by turn directions. The GPS it has is good for me. With the new phone running a full type GPS would drain the battery in 1 hour.

[maddogmaulucci]

Didn't really buy the phone for turn by turn directions. The GPS it has is good for me. With the new phone running a full type GPS would drain the battery in 1 hour.

Yes it would drain the battery but like most handheld GPS's when they are in use (in a car) they are plugged in and charging at the same time. I didn't buy the phone just for GPS but it is a feature that is being implemented on most new phones, and it just seems like apple went into it half heartedly. Even though it was one of the main features that they were promoting. But what good is a GPS when you are driving if you have to stair at it all the time?

[dmiZe]

http://gizmodo.com/5024018/telenav-confirms-iphone-in+car-navigation-app

Who knows how or when its going to be released though

[bobbit]

I didn't buy the phone just for GPS but it is a feature that is being implemented on most new phones, and it just seems like apple went into it half heartedly. Even though it was one of the main features that they were promoting. But what good is a GPS when you are driving if you have to stair at it all the time?

The first iPhone was based around EDGE... I don't see how that's not being half-hearted. The second-gen iPhone is one of the few 3g phones on the market without video calling/dual cameras.

Apple is in this for business. If they released a phone with everything, they'd have nothing to upgrade it to. They have some of the most brilliant marketing minds in the game and they make a lot of money by it.

[dbdynsty25]

I have a feeling they didn't want other apps being made because they will release their own so they can charge whateve they want.

[bobbit]

Very likely.

[1ghziMac]

Yes it would drain the battery but like most handheld GPS's when they are in use (in a car) they are plugged in and charging at the same time. I didn't buy the phone just for GPS but it is a feature that is being implemented on most new phones, and it just seems like apple went into it half heartedly. Even though it was one of the main features that they were promoting. But what good is a GPS when you are driving if you have to stair at it all the time?
Touche...It will get me to a main highway I guess but I would not use it to find a spot in Manhattan.

[wallisj]

TomTom have also said they have an iPhone ready app on the way ...

[maddogmaulucci]

http://gizmodo.com/5024018/telenav-confirms-iphone-in+car-navigation-app
Who knows how or when its going to be released though





TomTom have also said they have an iPhone ready app on the way ...


Thanks Guys for that info, I am happy to see some progress on this!

[jhollington]

The SDK doesn't say that a company cannot make a turn-by-turn app. What it does say is that applications cannot be "designed or marketed for real-time route guidance." The same paragraph says you also cannot design an application for "automatic or autonomous control of vehicles, aircraft, or other mechanical devices" so it smells largely like more of a legal disclaimer than anything else -- Apple's doesn't want to get sued because somebody used their iPhone to drive their car into a lake.

However, the key wording here is "designed or marketed for" -- a phrasing that implies that as long as an app is not designed with this as its primary purpose it would probably pass muster. The folks at TomTom have commented already that they don't see anything here that would preclude them from proceeding with a GPS app that does provide navigation.

The other possibility is that Apple will work out separate agreements with specific iPhone App companies to pass on any potential liability to the third-party developer. In this manner they can effectively ensure that only "quality" GPS route-guidance apps are created for the iPhone and thereby reduce the risk of problems. I for one would certainly be concerned about "Joe's House of iPhone Apps" throwing together some cheesy little route guidance app that didn't work properly.

Lastly it's also worth noting that this is almost word-for-word from the Google Maps API terms, which may have therefore required Apple to put this in place as a function of Google Maps being the "base" mapping system on the iPhone. This would also seem to imply that Apple's not exactly working to cook up their own app -- at least not one that is based on Google Maps.

[kyussmondo]

I can see it happening. I really think Apple needs to partner with TomTom or someone that knows what they are doing, unless Apple can reinvent GPS. It is possible. They partnered with Google on Maps and YouTube and Yahoo on push email.

The one problem I see at the moment is Google Maps are not stored on the phone so you need a signal to have the map. I tried driving along with it and in a non 3G area it really struggles to keep up with the speed of the car. A map needs to be stored on the phones memory. Google Maps is also not the greatest of maps for turn by turn at the moment, it is still a desktop map client.

If someone like TomTom released an app then I would be happy to pay the price for it, hopefully they will provide free map updates and chuck in stuff like POI and speed camera alerts. At the moment I have to borrow my parents sat nav, it would be really cool if I could use my iPhone instead.