inbabble.com

Mass-market GPS navigation is undoubtedly one of the most useful applications to have emerged from the mobile communications era. Despite all the benefits however, there are still a couple of barriers to take-up of mobile phone-based solutions - quality and cost. Nokia is focusing on the former by announcing the inclusion of Assisted GPS (A-GPS) functionality on all future GPS-enabled Nokia handsets, with the aim of speeding up the time to first fix (TTFF) of the application. Meanwhile, a group of companies let by LocatioNet Systems Ltd have launched a new version of amAze, an ad-funded GPS service, with the added advantage of compatibility with a wide range of handsets from multiple manufacturers. Both of these solutions are being marketed as free - but what exactly does that mean in practice?

Nokia’s A-GPS will ship on all future GPS-enabled devices, starting with the Nokia 6110, but existing N95 users can also download a software upgrade to access the new service. According to sources, A-GPS reduces the time it takes for a GPS-enabled mobile device to find its location by only having to use 2 satellites, instead of the 4 required by a standard GPS application. This improves the speed and quality of service for customers using Nokia Maps.

The amAze service on the other hand offers a standard GPS-based turn-by-turn voice navigation solution. But it also adds a range of additional functionality including satellite images, navigation to an address, fastest route calculation, navigation to businesses listed in yellow pages, and graphics-based weather forecasts that are plotted on its maps.

These are both attractive offerings, offering real value to end-users. But it is important to note that the definition of free extends only as far as the presence of the application once it has been downloaded. Usage is subject to data charges according to whichever data package users subscribe to. This cost can be offset to some extent against potential savings from an additional feature of the service that allows users to select icon-based directions rather than map-based ones. This reduces the volume of data being transferred by around 95% for the average journey. Nevertheless, users need to be aware that as far as both these services are concerned, free is a relative term.

Hamish M.