Get Google Maps Phone Directions and Locations Without GPS

It’s funny. The same week I buy a GPS-enabled phone, Google releases a beta of Google Maps that can find your location without the use of satellites.





Yes Google Maps for Mobile now has cell tower triangulation built in so your location can be guessed to within a range of around 100 meters or so. If you have not tried Google Maps on your phone, it is well worth a look. Here is what they describe as the key features:

Real-time traffic — See where the congestion is, and estimate delays in over 30 major US metropolitan areas.

Detailed directions — Whether you plan to walk or drive, your route is displayed on the map itself, together with step-by-step directions.

Integrated search results — Local business locations and contact information appear all in one place, integrated on your map.

Easily movable maps — Interactive maps let you zoom in or out, and move in all directions so you can orient yourself visually.

Satellite imagery — Get a bird’s eye view of your desired location. (It’s like you’re there, we swear.)

Now for me this is a great improvement in many ways over Nokias own product that comes free on the n95. There are however a few things you need to be aware of:

  1. It is quite data intensive, unlike Nokias product you can’t pre-load the maps you need to use, which means you will be using up your data tariff pretty quickly
  2. Just like the standard Google Maps/Earth, the data is out of date. Don’t expect it to show you recent road changes. Right now it thinks I am sitting 100 feet up in the air above an empty field.
  3. The directions are only really useful as a passenger or on foot, if you want a voice telling you which direction to take use Nokias subscription or buy TomTom.

That said it is a great addition to be used as complimentary, if only for local amenities searches and the detailed (if dated) satellite imagery. Try it out on your phone now.

Posted on November 29, 2007 by Chris Garrett 
Filed Under Google

Comments

2 Responses to “Get Google Maps Phone Directions and Locations Without GPS”

  1. Jay Garrett on November 29th, 2007 4:10 pm

    I like the fact that the N95 came with GPS and it’s quite a fun/functional add on – if I wanted to use it regularly and have up-to-date info i’d probably go for TomTom SD Card kinda thing even tho Google Street View is coming to London!

  2. Chris Garrett on November 30th, 2007 6:34 pm

    Yeah it is handy for what I use it for. I can’t wait for the day the satellite info is in real time ;)

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