It looks like our European friends will get first crack at an advanced turn-by-turn navigation app for the iPhone/iPod touch. MobileNavigator Europe [App Store] requires the 3.0 software, and looks to be fully featured:

• 2D and 3D map displays
• Can be used in portrait and landscape format
• Branded UI features such as Reality View Pro, Lane Assistant Pro & "real signpost display"
• Speed Assistant with adjustable audio-visual warning
• Direct access and navigation to contacts saved in the iPhone's address book
• The latest NAVTEQ maps, 2M+ European POIs (points of interest)
  
• Navigation is automatically resumed after an incoming phone call
• Quick access to user-defined POIs in the area and along the route
• Take Me Home function with a single click

This software is the first of several apps coming for the iPhone. The TomTom app that will work in the U.S. has been demoed and coming soon. Garmin, one of the premier GPS manufacturers is going the other way, and will release their own phone with navigation built in, but the project has been troubled and much delayed. Telenav has pre-announced its iPhone offering and suggested that customers keep an eye on the company's Twitter feed.

The Navigon app is US $94.99 (!) this month only, then the price goes up (!!!). The Navigon website doesn't yet show a list of the supported countries, but it's displayed in iTunes and is quite extensive (Albania to Vatican City with Estonia, Macedonia, San Marino & Slovenia + more in between). The app supports ten different languages and will automatically switch based on the selected language for the iPhone itself. The download weighs in at 1.65 GB.

This quick release of high quality navigation software should set mouths watering for a release over here, but I'm a bit troubled by the pricing, as you can buy a pretty fully featured low-end navigator for only a few more dollars.

Update: Our readers have also mentioned Gokivo, with a continuing US$9.95 a month subscription, and Sygic, which provides turn by turn navigation in Austrailia and New Zealand.

Thanks to Gaspare for the original tip and our alert readers for more suggestions!

Wired has published the results of the iPhone reception survey they were running, and clearly Antarctica needs way more coverage. But they also pulled a lot of useful data out of places where people actually live, and it probably doesn't surprise you.

3G performance is slow almost all over, especially in cities where the 3G service is getting overloaded. If you want to have fast speeds, hang out in Germany and the Netherlands -- those folks had the fastest speeds (and it's no coincidence that the 3G network there has three extra development years on its American counterpart). The worst reception is apparently in Australia, as Optus and Virgin users had their iPhones chugging along at just 759 Kbps.

What can we draw from this? Just like those Swedish scientists told us, it's the service, not the phone. But you know what Mark Twain said about statistics, so just in case you want to draw your own conclusions, Wired has kindly made a Google Spreadsheet of all the data available to anyone who wants it. Anyone want to try putting together that heatmap?

As Erica previewed earlier, the expected cash register reconciliation between the iTunes UK store and the other European stores is officially in the works, press release below. Interesting to note that Apple is throwing down the gauntlet with the labels on UK vs. Eurozone wholesale music pricing, so that we might see some subtractions from the UK store if the labels don't jump in line.

LONDON-January 9, 2008-Apple® today announced that within six months it will lower the prices it charges for music on its UK iTunes® Store to match the already standardised pricing on iTunes across Europe in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain. Apple currently must pay some record labels more to distribute their music in the UK than it pays them to distribute the same music elsewhere in Europe. Apple will reconsider its continuing relationship in the UK with any record label that does not lower its wholesale prices in the UK to the pan-European level within six months.

"This is an important step towards a pan-European marketplace for music," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We hope every major record label will take a pan-European view of pricing."

Full release here.

I know our friends in Europe have been anxiously been awaiting news on when the iPhone (did you know Apple made a cellular phone? It is true!) will arrive on their shores. The Financial Times is reporting that Apple has reached a deal with three different providers:

• T-Mobile of Germany
• O2 in the UK
  
• Orange of France

Interestingly, FT reports that Apple is getting 10% of the fee associated with calling and text features for every iPhone sold through these providers which is the first deal of its kind in Europe. Makes one wonder what kind of deal Apple has with AT&T here in the States.

An official announcement is expected to come from Apple and these carriers in August.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Last week, Apple announced that Europe would see the iPhone in Q4 2007. Today, Gregory Ng of iPhone Matters writes that there is mounting evidence for a 3G European version of the iPhone. Pointing to an iPhone FAQ post, he suggests that a non-3G release would hinder the international success of the iPhone; 3G is far more widespread in Europe than here. Ng believes that we may see two versions of the iPhone debut in Europe: both a GSM/EDGE version and a 3G version.

So what do you European TUAW readers think? Could a 2.5G iPhone succeed? Does the iPhone need to be 3G?

It looks like it could be for real this time. Macworld UK is reporting today that iTunes films for Europe will in fact happen before the year's end. In an interview with the French publication Les Echos, Apple's vice president for Europe, Pascal Cagni, confirmed his company's plans.

He also said that Europe can expect to see the iPhone in the fourth quarter, and that Paris, France will eventually get an Apple Store (no timeline was discussed).

We know you've heard this type of thing before, Europe, but this time it sounds legitimate. Hurrah!

The day has finally arrived! Italy's first Apple Store opened in Rome this weekend. It's quite a big deal, as this is the first store on mainland Europe, and a number of people are traveling great distances just to check it out. The folks at ifoAppleStore made a special trip, as did WeLove Apple. Finally, reader nevrozel sent us these first interior shots.

So, has anyone else made the trip to Roma? Let us know!

While Steve was quick to announce Cingular (or is it AT&T now? Who knows...) as the American carrier for the forthcoming iPhone, they're yet to line up a carrier in Europe. Market Watch is reporting today that Apple is actively courting providers, and may select Vodafone as their sole European iPhone carrier by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Google is supposedly considering Telefonica SA to carry a rumored "GPhone" in Europe.

[Via My iPhone]

We have previously told you about some of Apple's difficulties in certain European countries regarding putatively anti-competitive actions in tying together the iPod and iTunes. Now Macworld UK is reporting that the EU doesn't see any reason to pursue prosecution against Apple's use of DRM.

Although Norway, one of the most staunchly anti-iTunes countries, is not formally part of the EU, as IGM notes, it is part of EEA and thus would presumably be bound by any Europe-wide legal judgment. This suggests that Apple would have legal recourse against Norway, France, Germany, etc. if national regulators attempted to shut down iTunes.

[Via IGM]

MacWorld UK reports that Apple will launch its European TV and Movie iTunes store this spring. Luxenbourg's Economy Minister, Jeannot Krecke, claims that Apple will set up its service in Luxembourg to capitalize on the country's low (15%) VAT--although if Apple were hunting for a tax haven, wouldn't you think they'd look at the Channel Islands first? Anyway, rumors of European iTunes video content have surfaced regularly over the last few months, so this report just adds more buzz to the fire.

If, in the Venn diagram of life, you are a person who enjoys traveling and watching PBS Rick Steves is a name that will be familiar to you. Rick is a well known author and host of various travel specials and guides. Unbeknownst to me he is also podcasting like mad. Not only has he released some of his recent "European Christmas," which originally aired on PBS, as a seven part video podcast (free at that), he has also made available a few walking tours of Paris. He covers the Louvre, the Orsay Museum, Versailles, and a historic Paris Walk.

You've learned the language, now learn about the history and culture with the help of Rick.

The above image says it all really. People purchasing Macs in the U.K. and, I assume, Europe are stuck with a vague 3-7 day shipping method while Americans get the option of a superior free 5 day service or the option of 2-3 day shipping for $18 extra. Why?

Here's a neat little tidbit for you iPod users out there who may be travelling to Europe in the near future. On mycitymate.com you can download a guide for select destinations including Berlin, London, Rome, and more.

I downloaded and copied the Berlin guide (free with registration) to my iPod nano. The guide is well formatted and each subsection is organized by neighborhood or category. They're not exhaustive guides, but for a free (with registration) collection, the mycitymate guides are a great find. I especially liked the handy "Nearest Metro/Tube" note at the bottom of each entry. Snazzy!

[via iLounge]