Google GPS app for Android 2.0 released

Over the pass several months, GPS applications from TomTom and Navigon which turn the iPhone into a personal navigation device have been all the rage.

After today Android users will no longer have to look on in envy because Google today announced Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0 which transforms an Android powered phone into a personal navigation device.

Google says the new Android application comes with everything you’d expect to find in a GPS navigation system, like 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting and best of all the price is free.

Navigon and TomTom apps typicall sell on the iPhone sell for $80 or more.

The following is a list of features according to Google.

• Search in plain English – 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 – Speak your destination instead of typing (English only): “Navigate to the de Young Museum in San Francisco”.
• Traffic view – 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 – Search for any kind of business along your route, or turn on popular layers such as gas stations, restaurants, or parking.
• Satellite view – View your route overlaid on 3D satellite views with Google’s high-resolution aerial imagery.
• Street View – Visualize turns overlaid on Google’s Street View imagery. Navigation automatically switches to Street View as you approach your destination.
• Car dock mode – 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.

Youtube Video from Google