Mobile Maps Comparisons

The mobile map industry is increasing at a phenomenal rate and it is no surprise to see consumers confused over which product they should decide to use. There are a whole host of free pieces of software that will satisfy the majority of consumers, while there are also premium applications that will be suitable for a select few. All of the different developers have installed a variety of different features into their application and for that reason it can be difficult to conduct a comparison of mobile maps.

Mobile Maps Comparison: Google Maps

The first product to be analysed will be Google Maps. This is seen as the market leader, with Google retailing their product to the majority of mobile platforms and also making it free to download. The software benefits from the following feature set:

The inclusion of voice commands so users can utilise the software as a satellite navigation alternative.
The ability to search for different directions depending on the method of transport.
Users can view the maps in 3D mode.
Google have allowed users to search for reviews on businesses before plotting a route.

Mobile Maps Comparison: Bing

Bing is seen as one of Google’s biggest competitors in the search engine industry although it appears as though Bing have relaxed their development in the mobile map field. Their service is integrated with their general search application, meaning that in theory the company do not produce a standalone mobile map application. However, users still benefit from a range of features, such as the following:

Users can ask for real time traffic information to delivered to their handset.
Just like Google Maps, Bing provides users with a feature to search for reviews of businesses.
Bing gives users the option to receive directions via audio means.

What’s more, Bing also supports the same amount of devices as Google Maps.

Mobile Maps Comparison: NaviComputer

NaviComputer is a small player in the mobile maps industry, with their service being targeted at those individuals who spend a lot of time participating in outdoor events. Their service is limited in the way of compatibility, with users of Windows Mobile being the only people who have access to it. Those individuals will be able to benefit from the following:

NaviComputer supplies its users with detailed outdoor information such as speed, distance walked and elevation.
Users can view maps even when they are offline.

Mobile Maps Comparison Summary

The above comparison has analysed three completely different products. While both Google Maps and Bing support the same types of handsets, it would be fair to say that Google Maps possesses the more impressive feature set with users even being able to benefit from several satellite navigation functions. However, with Bing simply including their map service as an add-on for their mobile search, it should be no surprise to see their feature list as being slightly smaller. The NaviComputer product highlighted how some mobile map applications can be developed for specific uses. While this product does not boast the same feature set as the other two, it will be much more suitable for those individuals who spend a lot of time in the outdoors.