Google Maps has introduced live traffic updates and voice navigation in India.
There were rumours on Tuesday that voice navigation would come ‘any time’ after a Google video explaining voice navigation went live. Though the video was pulled out later, the buzz about voice navigation continued.
At present, it looks like the traffic information is available for Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune.
The live traffic updates are available both in the desktop version and Google Maps in Android and iOS. The voice navigation is available in Android.
Free service
The voice navigation -- which is free -- is likely to affect companies like MapyMyIndia, Navigon and Sygic that sell voice navigation devices and apps.
In the desktop version, the default screen shows live traffic. If you prefer traffic on a particular date and time, it can be changed from the option provided on the bottom left of the map screen.
What has surprised many is the quiet manner in which the eagerly expected feature was rolled out.
There was no announcement. It was the discovery of the video in Youtube that set the tongues rolling, and the features went live late on Tuesday night.
But on Wednesday, Google’s India blog had a post about the updates.
It said: “We’re excited today to announce that both of these features are now available for Google Maps users in India — one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing markets for online map services worldwide. Google Maps Navigation (Beta) is free and accessible to any smartphone user running Android 2.2 or later, and live traffic information is visible on both the mobile and desktop versions of Google Maps.”
It said the live navigation offers directions in Indian accent. “Your phone will announce upcoming directions to you as you move along your route — and it will even use a friendly and familiar Indian accent if you’ve selected the Indian English locale on in your phone settings,” it said.
Live traffic guide
Along with Transit, which provides comprehensive public transport data, Google Maps has taken a step further in offering a complete live transport guide.
It is not known when Google will roll out live traffic updates for rest of the country.
Nokia too offers free voice navigation through Nokia Maps.