One of the superior apps on the Android phone has long been Google Maps, with its turn-by-turn and voice-guided navigation missing from the iPhone version. So on the surface, MapQuest has a difficult sell to Android users with the launch of its free app today.
The MapQuest app also offers the turn-by-turn capabilities and takes advantage of Android's speech capabilities to offer a voice guide as well. The benefits of MapQuest over Google Maps comes from the former's use of OpenStreetMap (OSM), making the mapping app usable outside the U.S. and adding to it some user-submitted data.
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Millions of MapQuest fans frequently use our mobile website from their Android? devices. To these millions, we're thrilled to present our free Android? app with turn-by-turn, voice-guided navigation, as well as OpenStreetMap (OSM) capabilities. Download it here.
The Android app is similar to MapQuest's iPhone offering and includes the following features: voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation, voice search, a map toolbar, walking and driving directions, and live traffic flow information (updated every 5 minutes).
It's the OpenStreetMap component that makes MapQuest (and not just this Android app) an interesting alternative Google's efforts to map the world. OpenStreetMap offers what MapQuest describes as "a collaborative, 'by the people, for the people' mapping movement. It's basically a living map that is improved every day by people just like you." This allows users to correct and add information on the map, giving in many instances better local details, including information about local businesses.
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