Study: Smartphones to slay personal navigators

If you need a GPS device to get around, it's becoming more likely you'll get yourself a mobile phone with built-in satellite mapping than buy a standalone personal navigation device.

According to market research firm iSuppli, by 2011, virtually all smartphones will sport built-in GPS functionality, and by 2014 there might be no more market left for PNDs.

The Palm Pre is one smartphone that offers viable GPS navigation solutions.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

While this is a grand statement, it's quite credible. Just a year or two ago, it was hard to find a phone with built-in GPS functionality that actually worked reliably. Now look at my iPhone 3GS. I have all three major GPS applications on it, including TomTom, Navigon, and iGo My Way, and each can turn the phone into a dependable navigator. In addition, I am now testing the fourth one, CoPilot Live from ALK Technologies.

While I may be unusual--mostly because nobody needs more than one GPS app on his or her phone--the truth is that more and more phones offer the same feature and more people are using their phones as their primary GPS navigator while driving.

The Palm Pre, for example, also offers a great GPS navigator provided by TelNav, and my co-worker Joseph Kaminiski sure has made good use of it. Prior to the Pre, Joseph used the Treo 800 for the same purpose.

Nonetheless, for now, the market for PNDs is still going strong. According to iSuppli, PNDs will continue to lead the navigation market in 2009, with some 114 million sets predicted to be in use by the end of the year, compared with 57.8 million navigation-enabled smart phones.

New smartphone models are becoming increasingly suitable for use as navigators due to their larger displays, bigger internal storage, faster processors, and most importantly, the increased number of developers creating apps for them. As a matter of fact, all current navigation solutions on smartphones are applications developed by third parties.

iSuppli predicted that thanks to such factors, the number of people who use the iPhone alone as a navigator will increase from just 2 million in 2009 to 20 million by 2013.

Personally, however, I still believe there will be a market left for personal navigation devices. Though I have been making good use of my phone for getting me places, I still like a standalone GPS device for my car as sometimes while driving, my iPhone needs to be used as what it's designed to be: a phone.

[gggg sssss]

Not if you are paying by the second, plus roaming fee to use them.

[nicmart]

As I note below (or above, or wherever it is), I used to use Verizon's excellent navigation service. It cost a flat $10 a month.

[DrtyDogg]

or on the palm pre it costs $0.

[seamonkey420]

ONLY if you can get offline map/navigation access.

the biggest issue w/phone's w/gps is that most rely on getting maps realtime via cell data. when i'm traveling, i want a gps device that does not need internet to get the maps or where the hell i am. i will be keeping my in-dash honda gps any day over a phone.

[FerrariV12]

Brilliant comment....except you should do some research before making uninformed state
ents. Most iPhone GPS Navigators DO NOT require any kind of a cell signal as the maps are resident on the phone.

[CubusX]

Not if it's on the iPhone and made by TomTom.

Come on I'm not the only one think that.

[tubbycustard]

It worked for Wesley Snipes in To Wong Foo.

[jarturof]

Love Nokia maps... now called Ovi Maps, is free with the phone and I got 6 months of free turn by turn, and has better maps than my previous gps, that old device didn't have POI's in my country and many cities only where shown by name without streets, (thanks to that device I always knew which city I was in the moment, but no which street)

And in case Nokia Maps don't have a POI the integration with Google maps help, since I can switch without closing the app to google maps, search, find, save and go to the app to get turn by turn,

[eastmanweb]

Personal navigators get better battery life. My nuvi gets 5 hrs on a charge. Smart phones aren't even close in that regard.

[tektaktyks]

in a car i dont c how this is an issue

[colddonkey]

Just get a palm pre. I've been able to use the GPS and make phone calls at the same time with my pre. It is very convenient, and works very well...even with bluetooth accessories running music and headset. It's been a great device...and will continue to get better.

[tektaktyks]

wow, it took some geniuses to figure this one out,and how much money was wasted on this study?

[EvanSei]

the market demand for PND's will drop significantly but because not everyone has a smartphone with gps PDN's will be around for a long time.

[nicmart]

I have a Garmin GPS now, and used to used the Verizon Wireless navigation system on my cell phone. The Verzon service was far superior at giving directions and finding the quickest route.

[michael_a_m_davies_dotmac]

"Previously, smartphones were not previously seen as a threat.." I beg to differ: http://blog.endeavourpartners.net/2009/09/01/spotting-a-turn-before-you-crash-and-burn/

[maurycys]

Are the phones with the gps really more reliable than the stand alone units?
I remember my first experience with O2 mini and a Bluetooth gps - every time when i really needed, hanged ;)

[maurycys]

Are the phones with the gps really more reliable than the stand alone units?
I remember my first experience with O2 mini and a Bluetooth gps - every time when i really needed, hanged ;)

[iamac]

Biggest benefit of Smartphone GPS's over PND's is the real-time traffic and incident displays. I haven't followed PND's very closely so maybe they've figured out how to do this through Bluetooth or something by now...

[gtalbott]

"While I may be unusual--mostly because nobody needs more than one GPS app on his or her phone"

I disagree... I need one for driving (TomTom works well), one for hiking where there are no roads, one for jogging/exercise needs to be good at measuring time and distance covered, and finally one for golf (FreeCaddie.com is great and cheap). Must have WAAS support to be accurate enough for golf.

[M_Cohen]

Everyone seems to be forgetting about the automobile industry's role in all of this. While driving might not be the only use for these devices, it is without question, the primary one. As built-in navigation systems become increasingly standard on new vehicles, there will be no need for standalone units or smart phones to provides us with directions.

www.scribd.com/moulicohen

[maurycys]

True, the built-in sat nav becoming a standard mostly in Europe and US. How about the others ;) ?
And until the new cars replace the older ones, will take long time.
And how about taking the GPS with you when you are sightseeing somewhere and walk? Let's not forget the GPS is not only for navigation in cars :)
And .... ;)

[goldbug49]

I shut down my palm pre! If used at all to check email, or one of the very few aps, it needed to be charged way before the end of a single day. I have a used other palms for years, and they all had bags of aps to chose from. All of the others would last more than a day on a charge. Plus when you use the pre's email system, and pull in you online address books, then try and correct them into a usable book in the pre, the pre modifies all your online email address books. You end up having to go to each online act. and repair all you had. Palm should have just improved the old system.

Standalone PNDs are just one of several devices facing such bleak future
http://deviceconvergence.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/casualties-of-the-smartphone-juggernaut/

[JBroadmoore]

I depend on my PND (currently a Tom Tom, but I also like Garmin) in the car now, but do expect mobile phone based navigation systems to dominate in 1-3 years. The screen size in the car is key.

I use AT&T Navigation on my iPhone but haven't found it up-to-par with my Tom Tom yet. The iPhone's ability to just use 1 app at a time is part of the problem, but I expect that to get solved someday soon.