As smartphones become smarter and able to perform more functions, the need for other devices is continually diminished. No longer do we need to carry both a cell phone and a PDA. Smartphones function as phones, and as calendars. Although the games on cell phones don’t match the graphics and features available on hand held gaming devices, they’re getting better all the time and can still keep you entertained while you’re waiting at the doctor’s office, or riding the commuter train to work. Do you have a GPS navigational device in your car? Do you also have an iPhone? If so, you may not need the separate navigator anymore, either, with AT&T Navigator.
AT&T Navigator, powered by TeleNav, offers turn-by-turn GPS navigation to provide directions to just about anywhere in the United States. It tells you how far away your destination is, which way to turn and when, and lets you know when you’ve arrived at your destination. The application has other features like traffic alerts, 3D maps, local gas prices, and speech recognition. It’s been available on other AT&T handsets for a while, but the application was just made available in the Apple app store on Tuesday. AT&T had to wait for the release of the new iPhone 3.0 operating system, and the subsequent release of the new iPhone 3GS because the new and updated software allows the turn-by-turn directions to function.
The app is free, but before you run off to the app store, be aware that use of AT&T Navigator does come at a price. It’s a subscription service, and if you download and use the app, a monthly fee of $9.99 will be automatically included in your bill. That seems a bit high to me, but even if it seems reasonable to you, I’d recommend waiting a while before signing up.
TomTom, a much better known GPS navigation brand, announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference that it would be releasing its own turn-by-turn navigation app in the near future. Chances are it will be better and less expensive than AT&T’s own app. And now that the updated and new iPhones can run turn-by-turn enabled programs, you can be sure that plenty of other apps will be showing up in the app store in no time. This is definitely a case where wait and see is the way to go.
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