Google on the way to Waze deal

Google looks set to beat Apple and Facebook in securing the acquisition of navigation start-up company Waze.

A free social GPS application featuring turn-by-turn navigation, latest reports suggest the search giant will buy the Israeli company for US$1.3bn.

Expecting an announcement as early as today, it appears Google has fended off a late bid from Facebook for the company, which currently has around 50 million users.

It is believed the tech companies are fighting over Waze's data, such as traffic, accidents, hazards and other road data - which could be seen as a hammer blow to Apple.

The Cupertino firm relied upon Waze during its ill-fated Maps launch last year, meaning a Google acquisition could remove a crucial source of data for Apple.

Winning the Best Overall Mobile App award at the 2013 Mobile World Congress, Waze was founded in 2008 and is available for download and use anywhere in the world - working on Android, iOS and Windows Mobile devices.

Both Google and Waze have declined to comment on the rumours, but an announcement is expected within a matter of days.