Mobile Maps

There was always going to be an age when the majority of the general public ditched the atlas and through technology, it appears as though that time has arrived. The emergence of online maps several years ago came as something as a revolution, with people being able to easily plot their route prior to making a journey. From then on came the satellite navigation devices, which changed the lives of many once again. However, mobile maps look set to take the general market another step further, with users having access to directions, business information, satellite navigation functions and much more on their mobile handset.

What Mobile Maps Can Do

By the time this article is complete the feature set for mobile maps has probably changed again; such is the ridiculous rate of technology in this market. However, for now, many mobile maps are capable of the following:

Directions between addresses can be plotted, with the vast majority of mobile maps being able to detect a user’s current position.
Certain mobile map applications provide users with voice commands, lane guidance and traffic updates so they can use the software just like a standard satellite navigation product.
Several of the large developers such as Bing and Google give their users a yellow pages feature, which allows them to research businesses before plotting their route.
Many of the newer applications allow social network integration, with users being able to tell the world exactly where they are.

The Mobile Map Market

In news that will not surprise too many people, Google happen to dominate the mobile map industry. With their application Google Maps, the search engine giant has manufactured a piece of software that is seen on the vast majority of mobile handsets. Their market domination is mainly down to the Android and iPhone systems though, with both platforms providing users with a pre-installed version of Google Maps upon purchase.

There are of course many other applications available to users, with many being free to download. Examples include Bing Maps, NaviComputer and AmAze. On the flip side, there is also a premium sector in this market with Sygic and Garmin being two of the main players in this respect. In this small sub-market, users can pay anywhere between £10 and £80 depending on the software and the number of maps they require to download.

Mobile Maps Summary

While the advancements of the mobile map industry will delight the majority of mobile phone users, it is sure to frustrate satellite navigation manufacturers. Many mobile maps have got to the stage where they contain exactly the same features as a regular sat nav, thus making the latter completely redundant. With many mobile maps being free to download, it means that the satellite navigation industry really has to consider new concepts if they are going to survive in future years. There is no doubt that some users will always prefer standalone hardware, but for others the cost benefits of a simple application will prove too much and they will eventually ditch the standard sat nav.