iPhone

Poll: Do you want turn-by-turn GPS on the iPhone 3G?

By Ben Wilson on 21 August 2008

Do you want turn-by-turn sat nav on the iPhone 3G?

Vote View Votes

Does the non-availability of turn-by-turn satellite navigation on the iPhone have to do with a clause in the development kit forbidding applications "designed or marketed for real time route guidance"?

According to an MSNBC report, we'll be waiting a long time until the iPhone 3G's GPS feature lives up to its full potential. Three of the biggest GPS companies say they're interested in working with Apple, and one has even run their application on the device, but TomTom, Garmin, and Magellan won't reveal any firm plans.

"We have made our navigation system run on the iPhone; it looks good and works very well," said Dutch-based company TomTom, in a statement to MSNBC. "We will have to look more closely to Apple's strategy before we can say more about what kind of opportunities this will bring us."

We reported previously that Apple may developing their own solution, and recent beta releases of the iPhone OS 2.1 contained references for enhanced GPS support needed for these apps. Apple's Greg Joswiak was quoted as describing the situation with navigational apps as "complicated".


What TomTom on the iPhone might look like

If TomTom already has its application up and running to its satisfaction on an iPhone, why don't we see it for sale in the App Store? Unfortunately, no one is answering that question right now.

So do you want GPS on your iPhone 3G? Whether it's yay, nay or meh, answer our poll on the right. Also, feel free to post your conspiracy theories on why Apple doesn't want to us to enjoy turn-by-turn GPS on the iPhone 3G on our forum thread.

Topics: apple, iphone, gps, turn-by-turn, navigation, tomtom, cache, cms, lib, home

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Comments (11)

  • OLGER commented on 23/02/2009 17:47 Report abuse

    I bought my iphone (second generation ) after watching video demos online even the one from apple.....tought it was the one after using pdas for a while but after a week of using it.......I'm sending back this unit for a simple reason NO NAVIGATION ! the maps? how many people do you see in the streets holding or cheking their iphones for directions?.............and how many people do you see in their cars using NAVIGATION?

  • georgiaboy commented on 27/11/2008 03:16 Report abuse

    I travel a lot and don't want an extra GPS System. I would like to have my GPS on my phone. I would like to buy the iphone, but i need to know when the turn by turn is going to be ready.

  • dmchello commented on 07/11/2008 12:08 Report abuse

    hell yar it should

  • quick T commented on 08/09/2008 02:17 Report abuse

    Apple is supposed to be something useful and cool. But lately apple has become frustrating and STUPID, just like WINDOWS~

  • teki commented on 02/09/2008 14:01 Report abuse

    Would be nice, but big no for TomTom (it has a terrible map for Melbourne). > If TomTom already has its application up and running to its satisfaction on an > iPhone, why don't we see it for sale in the App Store? I did not see any application which was able to stay active while the iPhone accepted a call. Navigation is useless without that.

  • max commented on 28/08/2008 19:40 Report abuse

    I swapped from a Blackberry to iPhone. I travel a lot and GPS is an essential tool for me. Google maps is appalling, no use at all in a car. I feel let down by Apple on this - it's appalling.

  • scottie commented on 22/08/2008 18:15 Report abuse

    I think Apple wants to make money on this, therefore not allowing the big nav companies on their iPhone. I guess they are working on their own nav solution as turn by turn nav can be a big money machine.

  • fuzz commented on 22/08/2008 02:04 Report abuse

    Just because most developers walking up to the iPhone agree to the terms that say no real time turn by turn nav is allowed, doesn't mean that Apple can't or don't have special agreements with the big GPS companies to allow them to do it.

  • Early Grayce commented on 21/08/2008 19:13 Report abuse

    Normal Apple closed house policy on software.

  • BigVince commented on 21/08/2008 16:42 Report abuse

    I was happy to replace my old iPaq with the iPhone. However, I need to keep the iPaq around since my $300 TomTom is running on it. Now if find out that TomTom has an iPhone version running, but is not allowed to have it's users use it... I hope it's only a matter of time instead of a political-strategic issue.

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