Is Google Maps Navigation getting offline mode this summer?

Google Maps has offered free navigation for quite a while, but in order for it to work you have to pull data from the Internet. Google made the first step earlier by allowing caching so you can look at your route before going and relying on the cached maps for navigation, but any change to that initial route would mean that you have to pull additional data from the web.

That's why going fully offline is of paramount importance and the final border for Google to truly compete with standalone solutions like TomTom and Garmin. Coming straight from the rumor mill, the news is far from official, but Dutch website All About Phones claims that the update is coming this summer.

Currently, the only company to offer free offline navigation on its phones is Nokia with Ovi Maps on Symbian, but the adoption of Windows Phone over at Espoo will translate into Microsoft's platform getting that service as well. There's still no word on pricing, but judging from the current price of $0 for using Maps, we could hope Google keeps navigation free. How much do you rely on your phone for navigation? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.

source: All About Phones via Engadget