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I dunno... does the Google app cache the whole route and a reasonable surrounding distance and then rely on the GPS for the navigation?

Unless it does, there's still an enormous scope for the in-car navigation market as driving is one of the scenarios in which you are likely to lose your mobile signal or see it weakened enough to hurt a fully online navigation application.

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According to CNET they do cache it: "They cache the route selection after you input a destination, so it's stored locally and you won't lose the directions if you lose the connection. If you want to deviate from the route without a connection, you're sort of screwed, but that's not any different from other cell phone navigation apps, as opposed to portable GPS devices with more storage."

From here: http://news.cnet.com/8618-30684_3-10384544.html?communityId=...

"as opposed to portable GPS devices with more storage."

The droid is rumored to come with a 16gb SD card, which can be replaced with a 32GB card. Pretty sure thats as much, if not more than any standalone GPS device.

@jkincaid

That's cool then.

I hope they're caching enough around a route to get you to a petrol station ;) That's generally why I divert and leave the motorways.

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