One of the most requested features for Google Maps Mobile was to add turn-by-turn navigation. In the past, this wasn't possible because of the licensing fees that had to be paid for each user of the navigation system. Now that Google no longer uses data from TeleAtlas in the US, turn-by-turn navigation can be added for free.

Google's blog announces that Google Maps Navigation will be available in Android 2.0. The first mobile phone that comes with Android 2.0 is Motorola Droid. "This new feature comes with everything you'd expect to find in a GPS navigation system, like 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting. But unlike most navigation systems, Google Maps Navigation was built from the ground up to take advantage of your phone's Internet connection." And unlike other navigation systems, it's free.
For now, Google Maps Navigation is only available for the US, but it will certainly be available in other countries when Google collects enough mapping data.

Billed as the world’s first smartphone with Android 2.0, Motorola Droid arrives on the Verizon network November 6, the carrier officially confirmed today via a press release. The official announcement arrives on the heels of an unprecedented buzz that Verizon’s anti-Apple and anti-AT&T ads and the DroidDoes.com mini-site successfully generated. Verizon Wireless is the nation’s largest wireless carrier.

Verizon said that the Droid is designed to “outperform where other smartphones fall short.” Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices, hailed Droid’s “warp-speed web browsing” and a “mammoth screen.”

Companies that provide navigation solutions aren't afraid that they'll lose their customers. "There's a lot of content included in our applications that gets updated on an ongoing basis--and that costs money. Millions of customers use our service because of its reliability, ease of use and additional features. People are willing to pay a premium to have something work all the time on their phones," said a TeleNav spokesperson.