Turn-by-Turn Navigation Coming to the iPhone

The long overdue announcement to support turn-by-turn navigation instructions came in the form of the preview of the new iPhone OS 3.0 software which will be available as a free update on all iPhones some time this summer. iPhone OS 3.0 now unlocks core location APIs for third party developers. However, while the Map Kit framework makes it possible for developers to embed native Google Mobile Maps services in their software, due to licensing issues turn-by-turn navigation developers will need to use their traditional map sources.

 

Navigation-enabled iPhones will provide additional competition to an already struggling PND market. At the same time it will offer a new market to navigation software vendors such as Telenav, Garmin, and TomTom which already have developed iPhone-compatible navigation software but up to now were not allowed to sell it. iPhone OS 3.0 will also support subscription-based software products allowing off-board navigation vendors to charge recurring fees through the iTunes App Store, their preferred business model.

 

Together with some other new features this shows Apple is gradually opening up more iPhone capabilities in a trend towards more openness. This is needed with iPhone sales recently dropping and some fierce competition to be expected from Android phones and Symbian’s touch screen platform. At the same time a new iPhone is rumored, which would offer Apple even more momentum to stave off increasing competition.