Yandex.Navigator for tablets and smartphones

Yandex has launched a free mobile application - Yandeks.Navigator - for tablets and smartphones running on Android-based platforms and iOS. Due to the novelty, any lucky owner of a smartphone or an iPhone can turn into a complete GPS-navigator.

A new service makes it possible to plot the route, taking into account traffic jams, and calculate travel time. It has a voice guidance function as well. Today an internet-navigator covers over 500 cities in Russia and Ukraine, with some of the city being displayed in three-dimensional format.

Experts say that the application for the development of which was spent 10 years could undermine the market of navigators. As soon as the application appeared on the Internet, it almost broke all records for download. Three weeks after the service was launched, about one million users have set up this aservice. For comparison, we note that in 2011 Russia sold 1.5 million navigators. Back in 2011 Google tried to launch a similar navigator service, but now it only works in beta version and covers only 100 cities of Russia and the maps aren’t updated so quickly.

The so-called “standard de facto” has established in the navigation, that is, a navigator, or a specialized service are to provide a user with several options, such as determining the speed of movement, choice of several possible routes, map outlines of buildings we pass, auto-switching day-night, memorizing routes, etc. The developers made sure that the new service from Yandex perfectly fit into these standards.

Among the advantages of Yandex.Navigator we can single out its graphics that is made very conveniently. If necessary the application automatically switches from a three-dimensional mode to a two-dimensional. If desired, the user can manually change the mode back. The service provides two possible routes with travel time. As in every good navigator, Yandex.Navigator shows on-screen information such as distance to the object, speed and estimated time of arrival.

The service displays the built-in screen light of Yandex.Jams The idea is good, but for Moscow citizens very often it appears to be useless in connection with a huge amount of traffic congestion during rush hours. Users will appreciate the fact that Yandex experts always keep track of traffic on the roads and make relevant adjustments in a timely manner.

Thus, Yandex introduced a third (after Google and Nokia) free navigation application. But as you know, Nokia issues maps to be used in their own devices. It is possible that the cost of navigation is included in the price of these devices.

It is said that at a press conference a Yandex representative has promised that in future it will be possible to cache maps assuming that Yandex. Maps today allow you to cache the maps, but not in navigation mode.