Submitted by Bob Bhatnagar on
The iPhone 3.0 Software Development Kit (SDK) includes new programming interfaces that will make it possible to embed Google Maps directly into applications. iPhone software developers will be able to use Google Maps for creative new purposes, displaying spatial data such as radar and cloud cover or real estate prices over the built-in mapping capabilities of the iPhone OS.
The Maps application itself has not changed as of iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5.
Turn-by-turn directions are another added feature of the iPhone 3.0 firmware. Unfortunately, licensing restrictions prevent developers from using Google Maps along with turn-by-turn directions. Regardless of this limitation, software developers can use their own maps to create new GPS applications for real-time navigation.
It's possible several GPS applications from major companies could hit the AppStore soon. Combined with the ability for built-in subscriptions or pay-as-you-go upgrades there could be several opportunities for GPS software developers to cash in on iPhone users.
Along with the addition of an azimuth sensor, iPhone 3.0 will soon know its position and orientation in space more accurately than you do.