To start navigating with Google Maps, simply download the new 4.2 version of the app from the Android Market.  For turn–by-turn navigation directions, press menu > directions > and type in your destination.  Once you hit the “Go” button you’ll be presented a list of directions, select “Navigate” and you should be all set to go.  Keep in mind, the new feature is only available for phone running Android 1.6 or higher.  Google will most likely be rolling out support for new countries over the next few months.

British Android users awoke this morning to find a slightly belated Easter egg from Google lying in their Google Maps. If you have Android 1.6 or 2.1 coupled with Google Maps 4.1.0 or 4.1.1 you should now be able to get your free turn-by-turn navigation on.

Everyone in the aforementioned section of the Venn diagram gets the turn-by-turn navigation with voice directions, but it would appear that only the Nexus One owners get the added bonus of being able to use speech recognition in Maps to say “navigate to” and the like.

So if you already have Maps installed you should just be able to pop it open and start zigging and zagging to the soothing tones of your Android navigator, if not get thee to the Market or hit the QR code above.

Unfortunately due to the ash cloud none of the Android and Me staff were able to fly over there and verify the functioning of the update in Britain so sound off in comments if you notice anything wonky going on or if you just want to give a little hip hurray for free navigation that’s cool too.

Note: To make this easy I have listed the apps below in order from my highest recommendation to lowest recommendation.

Google Maps Navigation

Google Maps with navigation is available for Android 1.6 and higher. This suite has proven itself and is currently the most popular GPS app for Android 1.6 users and above. It includes many features that no other GPS apps are able to provide, such as Street View and Satellite views. Another nice feature is that it integrated with Google Buzz, which allows you to view “Buzzes” right on the map, at the location they were posted. Google Maps also features reviews on many of the points of interest.

Pros:

• Most Points of Interest
• Live Traffic
• Offers a street view of your destination
• Satellite views
• Maps are very detailed and up to date
• Free

Cons:

• Maps are not stored on the device so if you lose cell phone reception and leave the route it caches, things can go very wrong.
• The text to speech engine can be hard to understand at times
• No way to display your current speed
• Can only navigate you to one place at a time, you cannot do multi-destination routing

CoPilot

If you do a lot of traveling and often travel off your planned routes CoPilot is for you. CoPilot’s software works on maps that are downloaded to the SD card on the phone. The larger storage of a SD card allows you to fit the maps for all of North America on the phone. CoPilot also has a nice interface that is easy to use while driving. If you are used to a conventional GPS system like a Garmin, CoPilot is the closest you will come in terms on interface. I also prefer the voice alerts much better on CoPilot than on Google Maps. Copilot does everything you need in a GPS app, even thought it may not include some of the fancier features like Street View.

Pros:

• Maps stored on SD card
• Live features such as weather, traffic and fuel prices
• Most driver rriendly UI
• Supports multi-destination routing

Cons:

• Price, the app costs $29.99 USD but is only a one time fee
• Requires an SD card with at least 2GB of free space

Waze

The best way to describe Waze is GPS mixed with Google Buzz and Twitter. People who use Waze are called “Wazers”. Every Wazer is shown on the app, so when you are driving you can see other people using the app near you. Wazers can post anything from speed traps to car crashes on the map (you can even include pictures). You also have the ability to message other people on the map inside the app. In areas with many Wazers the maps works great and sometimes even has more up to date traffic then Google Maps. The Waze app also turns driving into a game by letting you drive over virtual objects which give you points. There is even a leader board for this point system. Currently I wouldn’t trust the app to navigate me to places of importance, but it makes driving much more fun. I believe that in a few years time this app will be very popular and become more accurate as more people begin to use it.

Pros:

• A very social GPS app that can integrate into Twitter
• The ability to see other people around you using the app
• Report traffic and even take pictures of the incident and post it to the Waze Map
• Driving becomes a game, which makes trips fun
• Free

Cons:

• GPS maps are not very accurate in places with few or no Wazers
• Does not always take you on the best route
• UI needs improvement
• Occasionally crashes or lags
• Waze doesn’t allow routes longer than 200 miles

Wisepilot

WisePilot is another GPS app for Android. Honestly I feel this app doesn’t set itself apart from any of the other GPS apps enough to justify a $69.95 per year price tag. Yes, it does get you to point to point. It does have points of interest and voice alerts, but so do the free apps along with CoPilot. The one thing that it does do, is it lets you manage all your routes online. This can be a very nice feature if you are planning a trip. You can map out an entire trip from start to finish, including places to eat and the gas stations you will have to stop at, all on their website.

Pros:

• Manage trips and favorites on their site via MYWISEPILOT

Cons:

• Pricey, The app costs $69.95 per year
• UI not as polished as I would like
• Doesn’t set itself above any other GPS apps

Telenav

Telenav was the first big thing for GPS apps on Android. Many G1 users began to use this app before Google Maps integrated navigation. Telenav gives you access to over 10 million points of interest, gas prices, traffic and much more. Although it was once the most popular GPS app, it has now fallen to the bottom of the list. Due to its high price tag and lack to support all devices, Telenav has earned itself my least favorable GPS app of the group.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Audible directions that make sense

Cons:

• No support for more recent devices
• Most expensive app at $69.99 per year

Conclusion

Out of all the GPS apps I reviewed, I am still partial to Google Maps Navigation. For me this app does exactly what I need it to. It functions as my yellow pages and also gives me reviews on places I might go. I don’t travel much out of town, but if I did I could see how paying for CoPilot would benefit me and I would recommend this option to anyone who needs the maps to be stored locally. CoPilot also has several features Google Maps does not offer such as fuel prices and multi-destination routing.

Gallery

New Labs features of Google Maps 3.3.0 include:

• Scale bar: Shows a scale bar on the map with distances in metric and imperial units.
• Terrain layer: Adds the terrain layer to the layers menu. The terrain layer lets you view physical features, such as mountains and vegetation, with elevation shading.
• Popular categories: Shows a browsable list of category searches when you use the search menu item. The hard search button still gives direct access to the normal search screen.
• Layer button: Adds an on-screen button for easy access to layers.
• Compass arrow: Uses the digital compass to indicate the direction you’re facing while stationary.

The Labs features can be accessed by pressing Menu > More > Labs.

Google has also added the ability to report a problem with the map or a business listing and see businesses at an address or near a point on the map.

Note: The latest Google Maps is only available for devices with Android 1.6 and above. Keep contacting your carrier and requesting they update the software on your phone.

[via Google Lat Long Blog]

Depending on which phone you have, you might not be able to access this exciting new application. Many carriers still have phones with Android 1.5. We are working on a big report concerning first generation phones and when they might receive Android 2.0, but I am still waiting to hear back from certain carriers.

Android 1.6 currently supports voice recognition, but it appears Google has remove the “navigate to” voice commands. I’m not sure why this feature was excluded unless it was part of some exclusive deal Google made with Verizon.

The follow devices are still stuck on the outdated Android 1.5 and will be unable to use Google Maps navigation:

• Archos MIDs
• Sprint HTC Hero
• Sprint Samsung Moment
• T-Mobile Motorola Cliq
• T-Mobile Samsung Behold II
• Verizon HTC Droid Eris

From the Official Google Mobile blog:

If you have a phone running Android 1.6, you can download an updated version of Google Maps from Android Market to use Navigation today. Google Maps Navigation is in beta and is currently available in the United States. Some features of Android 2.0 are not available on Android 1.6, for example, the ability to use the “navigate to” voice command as shown in our demo video. However, you can still create a shortcut that will allow you to launch Navigation and start getting directions to a specific place from your current location with just a single touch from your home screen. For example, you can create a “Home” shortcut to quickly navigate home, no matter where you are. Just use the “Add” menu item from the home screen, then choose “Shortcuts”, then “Directions.”

[Thank you Kote for the tip]

If you were thinking about buying a shiny new GPS unit for Christmas, save your money and get the service for free on your phone.

Highlights of the service include:

• Search in plain English (watch video). No need to know the address. You can type a business name or even a kind of a business, just like you would on Google.
• Search by voice (watch video). Speak your destination instead of typing (English only): “Navigate to the de Young Museum in San Francisco”.
• Traffic view (watch video). An on-screen indicator glows green, yellow, or red based on the current traffic conditions along your route. A single touch toggles a traffic view which shows the traffic ahead of you.
• Search along route (watch video). Search for any kind of business along your route, or turn on popular layers such as gas stations, restaurants, or parking.
• Satellite view (watch video). View your route overlaid on 3D satellite views with Google’s high-resolution aerial imagery.
• Street View (watch video). Visualize turns overlaid on Google’s Street View imagery. Navigation automatically switches to Street View as you approach your destination.
• Car dock mode (watch video). For certain devices, placing your phone in a car dock activates a special mode that makes it easy to use your device at arm’s length.

I really hope G1 owners get Android 2.0 now.