Google Says It Plans to Bring Its Free Navigation App to the iPhone [u]

Google confirmed at a London press conference that it plans to bring its free turn-by-turn navigation app to other smartphone platforms, including the iPhone, according to a MacUser report.

The company wouldn't say when it expected the application to be available for the iPhone.

Google Maps Navigation requires an active data connection when planning routes, though not while traveling.


"Google Maps pre-caches the entire route," said Mobile Maps product manager, Steve Lee. "It needs a data connection when you ask for navigation. But while driving to your destination, if you intermittently lose the connection, it will still carry on. As long as you stay on the route."

You can take a look at the Android app in action by watching the video below.

Update: PCWorld contacted Google receiving this response. "We did not say we would bring it to iPhone, we said to date we've had it on Android and that in the future it may come to other platforms but did not confirm this will be coming to iPhone at all," the spokesperson said.