By Neil Hughes

Published: 08:15 PM EST

Google on Wednesday revealed a free online navigation service that will be a part of its forthcoming Android 2.0 mobile operating system. It could also come to the iPhone, the company said, if given the green light by Apple.

A beta of Google Maps Navigation will arrive next week when the Motorola Droid smartphone debuts on Verizon's network. The service will be added to all other Android devices, as well, when they are formally updated to version 2.0.

Google said it would also like to support the iPhone with Maps Navigation.

"Apple is a close partner," a Google spokesperson told AppleInsider Wednesday. "Millions of users experience Google Maps on the iPhone. We will continue to work with Apple to bring innovation, including Latitude and Navigation, to users but you'll have to speak to Apple about availability."

In July, Google released a Web-based version of its Latitude service rather than a native application. Apple allegedly did not allow it to be released as a native application for download on the App Store to avoid confusion with the native, Google-created Maps application.

The biggest iPhone-related dispute between Google and Apple came when the Google Voice application was not accepted into the App Store, prompting an investigation from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Google has claimed that its app was formally rejected, while Apple insists it is still pondering the software.

As Google has continued to encroach on Apple's core businesses, CEO Eric Schmidt was forced to resign from the Apple Board of Directors. Another common link between the two companies' boards, Arthur Levinson, also resigned from Google. Both came in the wake of an investigation from the Federal Trade Commission over anticompetitive concerns.

Despite the appearance of growing tension between the two technology giants, Schmidt recently insisted there is no bad blood between his company and Apple. "We love the iPhone," he said.