By [UPDATE: It’s Official – see press release below]
Verizon’s Turn-By-Turn Driving software for its phones – VZ Navigator – has some tough competition. Several years ago, it seemed like Garmin ran the GPS show. And with the announcement of Google Navigate on Android Phones, which is a FREE service, why would anyone pay for VZ Navigator? I’m sure Verizon could list a billion reasons, but let us share one rather interesting reason with you that is hot off the presses: VZ Navigator VX.
Their “Virtual City Driving” actually looks really cool:
Same goes for their freeway views:
And of COURSE they are demoing the new app on a precious Droid Incredible.
Personally, I’m content with my free Google Navigation and I’ve really grown to like it. As long as I get from point A to point B efficiently, I don’t REALLY care if I’m doing it seeing 2D maps or 3D cartoons. I must admit those freeway signs and other features are tempting in terms of convenience factor, but I won’t likely stray from Google Maps. Plus the crazy kids at Google are always have cool stuff in the works and I’m sure their drafting up Google Nav improvements as we speak (or I type, and you read).
So Verizon Android owners… will you VX it?
[polldaddy poll=4460352]
Full Press release:
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Jan. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon Wireless today announced VZ Navigator VX – the latest version of the company’s award-winning navigation service – is now available on select DROID™ smartphones, including DROID X by Motorola, DROID Incredible by HTC and the Samsung Fascinate™. Powered by TeleCommunication Systems, VZ Navigator VX is unlike any other navigation service offered today, providing customers with 3D navigation views using enhanced 3D city models and true-to-life images of highway and exit signs.
An evolution of ordinary direction services, the 3D capabilities of VZ Navigator VX are available in six cities at launch, including: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Mo., New York, and Washington D.C., with more cities being added in 2011. The 3D city and road views add dimension to the turn-by-turn directions VZ Navigator VX offers. Other enhancements in the newest version include “real” signs and road views, satellite maps and day/night modes among other features.
“Verizon Wireless continues to add more to VZ Navigator, and VZ Navigator VX now gives our customers some of the most advanced mapping and navigation services available today,” said Kristi Crum, director, Consumer Solutions for Verizon Wireless. “Whether they are in a familiar place and need to get around more efficiently or exploring new territory in a car or on foot, customers can turn to VZ Navigator to get them where they want to go.”
VZ Navigator VX builds on existing location-based technology, including an easy-to-use interface, improved functionality for finding points of interest, the ability to run multiple VZ Navigator functions simultaneously within a navigation session and integration with Facebook®.
Customers can download VZ Navigator VX from the Android Market™. It is available for $9.99 a month for unlimited access, $4.99 for a weekly usage or $2.99 for a one-day/24-hour use. VZ Navigator VX is available initially on DROID X by Motorola, the Samsung Fascinate and the DROID Incredible by HTC with additional devices rolling out in 2011. Unlike traditional navigation devices that require annual upgrades to remain accurate, the monthly charge includes continuous updates to maps and points of interest. Download charges vary and airtime or megabyte charges may apply when browsing, downloading and using certain applications.
TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) (Nasdaq: TSYS), is a leader in location-based technology whose mobile services empower consumers to make quick, smart decisions when they’re on the go. For more information about TCS products and services, visit www.telecomsys.com.
[Thanks CharlieT]
Google Navigation is FREE, so no.
I totally agree; For a free product, Google Maps is excellent and likely to improve anyway. $10 a month(if it were available here) isn’t worth it to me.
By the way, on the second-to-last line of the article, it should read ‘and I’m sure they’re drafting up’, not ‘and I’m sure their drafting up’
Virtual City Driving? I liked it better the first time I saw it YEARS ago when it was called Navigon. It’s $63 in the app market so compared to VZNavigator, it should pay for itself in half a year, assuming Google Nav doesn’t do EVERYTHING you could possibly want including streetview and aerial pics.
I’ll stick with GoogleNav myself. Btw, that’s not a Droid Incredible pictured, but a Droid X. My Incredible looks nothing like that.
The only reason I’d need another navigation system on my phone is one with maps stored on the phone for when data reception is poor, which is why I have Co-Pilot Live. One time fee (I think I paid five bucks) and nothing after that. The features on VZ are cute, but what do they really do to make navigating any more effective? If being told when to turn isn’t enough…
I agree with the rest…no. Bloatware.
…and I am sorry, that video is total BS. Overlays, fake graphics. The 2 times they MAY have shown the actual navigation the graphics are choppy and horrible. What a total piece of crap and misdirection. SAD
That’s not an Incredible, that’s a droid X….
@Rob, that is certainly NOT a droid incredible ;) that would be the droid X by moto
Correction: Those are two different phones in the demo, the Droid Incredible, and the Droid X
yaawwwnnn….. VZ NAV? no thx, google nav plz. bing? BLARGH google por favor.
@Covert, that might be a Droid X but its using the HTC Sense status bar, Verizon’s photoshop guys suck, first the mishaps with the iphone graphics on the Droid X, then they had the Droid Incredible UI swapped for the Blur UI and now they put Sense on the Droid X?
hmm, i wonder if they were just trying to make the UI look better, *burn!* Seems Verizon might not care for the blur look then if they tried to pretty it up with the Sense Statusbar instead of the ugly blur one.
Wow, Verizon’s at it again with the bad Photoshop. The writer’s correct, they are demoing it on an Incredible, they just have it projected onto an X. After the iOS Droid X and the Continuum with one screen and no soft buttons, I can no longer be surprised by Verizon’s Photoshop people.
$10/mo vs free.. hmm I think I have a good idea how this will turn out.
Honestly most of the time I don’t even care for what is on the screen I just want clear voice instructions given at the correct times so I don’t even have to look.
3D just adds clutter for those times when you DO have to look.
Well since verizon won’t reduce their data plan compare to AT&T reduced data plan it should cost free. Or just get it free from the market by rooting the phone.
Who are you and what have you done with rob? That is not a Droid inc, LOL
Lol @ incredible comments. At the point I went to check what phone was being used it WAS the dinc. I did screenies after. Made myself look stupid but watch the vid – the dinc is in there!
Too much time and addresses already invested in Google maps. Fancy graphics aren’t worth $10/month to me.
Even if it were just a 1 time fee rather than 10$ a month I bet a lot of people would consider it a lot more. But google is free, they’ve been doing it for a long time, and who wants to support the bloatware that slows down our phones, clutters our memories, and drastically slows our updates. xD
crazy to me that people pay a monthly fee for VZ navigator. I love google nav, but i wish it showed the speed limit and offline mode to be more like my standalone gps, then it would be absolutely perfect.
The better question is “Does VZ Navigator work on different phones in different countries”.
Answer: NO
I don’t think most of us would use navigation enough to justify 10 a month!
If this was a one time payment of $10 maybe but 10 bucks a month. Hell no
Google already has the structure in place for street view navigation and could completely one up this offerring if people really want real-view navigation. It would be neat to show off, but when navigating through an unfamiliar maze of freeway interchanges I want to see a simplistic at-a-glance view of the road ahead.
Doesn’t this cost money to use? If so… it would have to be VASTLY superior to Google’s answer for it to be real competition.
That isn’t an Incredible or a DX. It’s some bizarre hybrid with the front half of a DX and the rear of an Inc. Wtf Verizon…
I love google nav but they need to start tweaking the simple things. Sat view, awesome, street view, awesome, ease of use is all there. Things that are over-looked like, current speed and current speed limit, time to get there (rather than xx min remaining) and miles to destination.
These are all just tweaks to the UI and display so I know they will add them eventually. Just doesn’t make that much sense why they haven’t yet
Would never pay for this over Gmaps…its ludacris to think anyone would…..and at 1:37 the last “saved” location…lmao someone at verizon must love sexy cakes!!!
Greedy Verizon just looking to rip off customer’s money like usual…..
Google nav is free and will only get better. FU Verizon, FU.
I have a feeling that this is really meant for Verizon iPhone users since they can’t use Google Navigation and Verizon wants to make some money off that.
@jdog25 I agree with you 100% there. Besides that, it still doesn’t look as good as GNAV to me and accuracy remains to be seen.
Free or Not, I’d choose Google Navigation over this.
I am with sean. I would rather pay for google navigation if I was going to have to pay…….oh I just gave them an idea…
Meh, I prefer to look at the road and listen to my GPS while I’m driving thank you very much.
I couldn’t care less how fancy the screen display is. Not like your staring at it. You should be watching where your going………….
All the fancy “new” stuff is just one more reason to be staring at your phone while you’re driving. City View? Interesting feature, but entirely pointless. Street signs? Even dumber. Only useful thing is the traffic avoidance, if that’s actually what it is and not just traffic speeds like GMaps. Not worth $9.99 a month though.
Nav apps should be clean, uncluttered, and easy to use. Adding more visual “features” destroys this concept. One more FAIL for VZW.