Map Quest Mobile Map

Map Quest is regarded as one of the most established companies in the online map market. The company have been in operation for over forty years and while they were the most recognised service for much of this time, they are starting to slowly fall back following the emergence of several high profile competitors. Even though they are owned by AOL, it would be fair to say that Map Quest are no longer the market leader they once were although they are still seen as one of the most well known map providers on the internet.

In terms of the mobile map market, Map Quest currently have a range of options that will suit a variety of different mobile platforms. However, again it has to be said that they are not seen as one of the market leaders with many users overlooking the company in favour of newer software such as Google Maps.

Map Quest Mobile Map Platforms

Map Quest may slowly be falling behind many of their competitors, but they at least benefit from supporting a range of different platforms in their mobile application. At the moment, the following mobile platforms are supported by the Map Quest system:

iPhone
Blackberry
Android
Mobile Web (the majority of mobile phones which allow users to browse the internet)

Map Quest Mobile Map Features

Strangely, Map Quest have developed each piece of software slightly differently. This means that iPhone users may utilise a different feature set than those who are accessing the application on a Blackberry. It’s clear that Map Quest have invested most of their time into developing the iPhone and Android applications, with this software benefiting from the following:

Just like satellite navigation, the application provides step-by-step voice instructions on how to reach a destination.
A speech to text function, allowing users to use the device hands free which will work ideally in a car.
A local search facility, giving the users the opportunity to locate local businesses and plot routes from their current location.

In contrast, the Blackberry application is more like a detailed version of the Map Quest website. It does not benefit from the satellite navigation-like features that the other applications utilise, but it at least provides users with directions, traffic information and a local search facility. This is very similar to the service that the rest of mobile web users will be able to use, with this service again simply being a customized mobile version of the Map Quest website.

Map Quest Mobile Map Summary

In conclusion, it appears as though Map Quest are slowly falling behind in the market. While they were once market leaders, the emergence of some big brands has meant that they have now slipped back. Unfortunately, this also means that the Map Quest mobile map range is not as advanced as other pieces of software and really it is no surprise to see that their application is regarded as relatively unknown.