AT&T Navigator for the iPhone
The AT&T Navigator application is free to download, but to use it you need to pay a monthly subscription of $9.99 directly to AT&T in your monthly billing. This is a double rule break. Firstly Apple states that all applications that require subscriptions or in-app purchases must be chargeable in the first place. Secondly AT&T are openly billing their clients outside the App Store (and assumable not passing Apple any commissions).
Now the question here is are Apple setting a president and does this mean that any developer can use the same principle to provide a subscription service? Or is it that the wireless carrier waves a big stick and demands one-off policy changes. Knowing Apple I would not think it is the latter, but I also doubt it is the former so what is really going on here?
Getting back to the AT&T Navigator it is compatible with iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS running OS3.0. Navigator is powered by Telenav and features voice guidance, 3D map, automatic re-routing and real time traffic updates as well as gas price search.
Even more interesting is the two competing navigation models that are coming to market: Onboard and Offboard. Onboard solutions are currently being charged at a high purchase price, but you have lifetime access with no additional charge, whilst offboard seem to be based on monthly subscriptions.
Onboard navigation is where the maps, and all the processing is carried out on the device whereas offboard navigation is processed on a server and downloaded to the device. Onboard navigation has the advantage of not requiring a wireless connection with everything contained in the iPhone. Offboard navigation has the advantage of the latest maps and route data, but you do need to have a wireless data connection for it to work.
