Android users in Singapore are finally getting turn-by-turn driving
guidance from their smartphones today, years after the feature
became available in the United States and several other
countries.
This essentially turns just about any Android phone out in the past
few years into a GPS device that offers voice prompts, for example,
in finding a route between Orchard Road and Beach Road on a
Saturday.
Early this month, Google had reportedly added Singapore to a list of countries
where it offers this navigation feature over its Maps app for
Android phones. The company then seemed to back track on that
temporarily, only to finally go live with the service here
today.
Besides drivers, the service also offers directions to users who
just want to, say, take a walk around town. This means if you are
lost sometimes in town – the city is changing so rapidly – the
voice prompts will assist in getting you where you want to be.
To make sure you get the new Maps feature, simply update the app.
Other than Directions, there will be a Navigation option when
looking up a place on the map.
One misconception about Google Maps is that it always requires a
data connection. You can actually store large parts of a map on
your phone for offline usage. For example, the entire Singapore map
roughly takes about 12MB of space if you choose the “Make Offline”
option from the app’s menu.
