Smartphones using Google's Android operating system are getting a software update that will turn them into fully functioning GPS devices intended to rival traditional in-car global positioning systems.
The upgrade to the Android operating system, which will affect phones running version 1.6 or later, will outfit devices with several new features, including turn-by-turn navigation and Google Street View capability.
The turn-by-turn feature will work like a regular in-car GPS: the user inputs a destination and the device provides directions to that destination.
Android smartphones have an advantage over stand-alone GPS devices, Google said, because they have a constant internet connection, so their maps and directions are always up-to-date. Regular GPS devices need to be connected to a computer periodically to refresh such information.
Google's system also uses the company's search database, so a destination doesn't have to be entered in the form of an address. The user can instead put in the name of a business or landmark.
As with the Google Maps feature on Apple's iPhone, users can also opt to display real-time traffic information as an overlay on their route.
