Introducing Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0

Search engine company Google has had a rather busy day today, with the release of a new Android SDK with support for Android 2.0 (Eclair) and with the launch of the first mobile phone that runs under the new OS version, Motorola Droid, available come November 6 on Verizon, yet it seems that it still has some other cards up its sleeve. One of them is the Google Maps Navigation (Beta) for Android 2.0, which has just been announced to become available.

The new Google Maps Navigation (Beta) for Android 2.0 is a logical step in the development of Google Maps for mobile and is said to come around with the full set of features one would expect to find in a GPS navigation system, including 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting. The main difference between this solution and other navigation systems is that it has been designed so as to benefit the most from the Internet connection Android 2.0 mobile phones feature.

Due to Internet connectivity, Google Maps Navigation can offer a set of features that include: up-to-date map and business data, the possibility to make searches in plain English or to search by voice, live traffic views, search along route capabilities, satellite view, and Street View. Google Maps Navigation is set to become available initially in the United States in a beta form, and the first handset to include it is the new Motorola Droid, Google announced.

Those of you who would like to learn a few more details on the new Google Maps Navigation should take a look at the video below, where a real-life example is demonstrated so as to show how things work. The features the new solution comes around with seem very appealing, especially since Google Maps Navigation is free (though the Internet connectivity will certainly cost a few cents), and might convince a lot of Google Maps fans to adopt Android just to see how it presents itself.