iSuppli predicts smartphone GPS to become more popular than standalone GPS devices by 2013

When I first started working at TeleNav over three years ago, many (if not most) people had no idea that you could get GPS navigation on a cell phone. This is not a formal stat – just anecdotal evidence based on my conversations with family and friends. They knew about GPS on cell phones but thought of it more as something the government uses to track people or things (gotta love Hollywood…) rather than something that would be useful in every day life.

But now, within a very short timeframe, the difference in awareness is undeniable. With smartphones becoming more prevalent and most phones now coming with GPS mapping or navigation capabilities built in, it may be harder to find someone who isn’t aware of GPS navigation on their phone.

In fact, according to iSuppli, by 2011, nearly 100% of phones will have integrated GPS functionality. In addition, the firm predicts that by 2013, the number of smartphones with GPS turn-by-turn navigation will surpass the number of standalone GPS devices in use.

“The days of supremacy for the personal navigation device (PND) in the global navigation market are coming to an end, ” according to iSuppli.

Maybe it was the word “supremacy” that did it but this report has resulted in a slew of interesting headlines:

Slay … crush … kill – an interesting choice of words and perhaps a good example of how competitive this industry is. As they say though, competition breeds growth and innovation and I’m looking forward to 2013 to find out if iSuppi’s prediction comes true.