Using the GPS isn’t as simple either; you can track your current location or use it in directions, but if you’re tracking your location you can’t then load a map for anywhere else without turning the GPS tracking off; in Live Search you can explore other locations and then jump back quickly. Don’t accidentally hit 0 in a list of results - it turns on the GPS. Another irritant; you have to click OK every time you start Google Maps. It’s one more click between you and what you’re looking for and if you’re searching on your phone you’re probably in a hurry.

Google Maps is available at www.google.com/gmm for Windows Mobile, Palm OS and BlackBerry (you get directed to the right version automatically) but the interfaces and features are slightly different; you can’t look up contacts on the Blackberry. Some versions of the app offer common searches (gasoline, pizza, flowers, airport, cafe, movies, hotel); others let you save a location as a favourite. The Java versions tend to be slower and you get similar download and rendering speeds from Google Maps on a 3G connection as you do from Live Search on GPRS.