Dell Desktop Deals
-
CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 7 reviews
- See all user reviews
Product summary
The good: Google Maps for Mobile brings helpful step-by-step driving directions and traffic info to your cell phone or smart phone. The app also provides satellite imagery, integrated search results, and a useful click-to-dial feature.
The bad: Google Maps for Mobile doesn't support all cell phones, and traffic information is limited to select cities and major highways. Its support is also somewhat lacking.
The bottom line: Despite some limitations, Google Maps for Mobile is a simple and handy app that brings interactive maps, driving directions, and traffic info to your mobile device.
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 07/27/2006
Google Maps for Mobile can be downloaded to most Java-enabled cell phones, but there's a catch and it's a major one. It works only with mobiles offered by Cingular and Sprint and color BlackBerry devices; if you're a T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless (or BREW-enabled handsets), or Nextel customer, too bad--no Google Maps for you. And Palm Treo owners? Sorry, you're out of luck, too. The encouraging news is that Google says it's working to make the service available to more handsets, so don't give up hope. You can check for your phone's compatibility here. Also, while Google Maps for Mobile is free to download, be aware that you'll need a data plan from your service provider for the airtime used to retrieve maps, traffic information, and so forth. You can purchase plans wherein you pay by the kilobyte, but we recommend you get an unlimited data plan as the charges can add up fast.
For our tests, we downloaded the app to the RIM BlackBerry 8700c by visiting www.google.com/gmm on the mobile's Web browser, and setup was fast and painless. We entered our location, and Google Maps returned with a rendering of the area. It's important to note that Google Maps is not based on GPS technology. You can zoom in and out as well as pan around the map using the phone's keypad. For the most part, the redraw rate was acceptable in our tests, although there were occasions where it took several minutes for the maps to reload. You can also bring up a satellite view, which is always cool.
Driving directions are offered step by step, and you're presented with the total distance and estimated travel time. However, viewing these instructions on a tiny cell phone screen while driving probably isn't the safest, so if you have a passenger in the car, it'd be best to pass the handset to him or her. Also, we found that we didn't always agree with the directions given by Google Maps. There were times where we knew there was a more direct route to our destination, but, hey, if you don't know where you're going, Google Maps for Mobile can definitely be a lifesaver. You can search for local businesses by entering specific names or generic terms, such as Chinese restaurant, and Google Maps will pinpoint locations with those lovely balloons. Even better, you get the phone numbers of the establishments so that you can dial directly from your mobile; perfect if you want to make an impromptu dinner reservation. We tried out several terms, such as ice cream, Italian restaurant, and gym, and found the results to be current and accurate. We also like that Google Maps saves recently entered addresses and searches; alternatively, you can set frequently visited locations as part of your Favorites list.
Continue reading- See more CNET content tagged:
- Google Maps,
- Google Inc.,
- handset,
- map,
- RIM BlackBerry
User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 7 reviews
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 3 of 7 user reviewsSee all 7 user reviews
-
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
- See all 7 user reviews Write review
