Cricket adds premium turn-by-turn Navigator service

Leap Wireless' prepaid Cricket Communications subsidiary announced the launch of Cricket Navigator, a premium turn-by-turn navigation solution powered by TeleCommunication Systems, the firm behind Verizon Wireless' VZ Navigator service. According to Cricket, the voice-enabled Cricket Navigator effort expands beyond driving directions to incorporate preloaded hyper-local search tools, traffic alerts and re-routing suggestions, local entertainment highlights (complete with movie showtimes and reviews as well as a bar and restaurant locator) and a gas station finder that organizes results according to location and price at the pump.

Cricket Navigator will be offered in conjunction with Cricket's new nationwide $50 and $60 rate plans, and also available as a bolt-on to its new nationwide $30 and $40 plans. The service--available for download from Cricket's Games and Apps catalog--will initially launch on the Samsung MyShot II, and is expected to be available across the majority of Cricket devices by the end of summer 2010.

Cricket Navigator arrives at a juncture where analysts and pundits are questioning the continued viability of premium turn-by-turn services given the increasing prominence of free navigation services. In January, handset maker Nokia announced a new version of Ovi Maps including free walk and drive navigation tools, following on the heels of the free Google Maps Navigation service, launched in late 2009.

For more on Cricket Navigator:
- read this release

Related articles:
Nokia launches free Ovi Maps navigation servic
Google's free navigation app could drive out premium services
Cricket teams with LiveWire for Mobile Music