Nokia Maps 2.0 beta ends, now downloadable via PCs
The beta period for Nokia's navigation software has ended, and now the company's answer to Google Maps is available to the public.
Nokia Maps 2.0 beta saw over 400,000 downloads, and the company is expected to ship 35 million GPS-enabled handsets this year. With the sales of PNDs dramatically dropping off, analysts are expecting cellular handset navigation systems to dominate the market in the next two years.
The software utilizes the only two providers of comprehensive European and North American navigable map data, Navteq and Tele Atlas. Previously, Nokia had tried to complete a buyout of Navteq, but faced repeated adversity from the European Commission due to what it perceived as the potential unfair market advantage it would give the handset maker. Today, the acquisition remains "under investigation" for approval.
However, the EC recently approved the buyout of Tele Atlas by popular European GPS company Tom Tom, indirectly addressing the real threat Nokia poses to the GPS handset market.
Nokia Maps 2.0 features Driving, Walking, and Discovery modes with multiple navigation views and satellite imagery similar to Google maps. Pedestrian mode features public transit information in 17 major cities with iconified route designations, and multi-sensor compass positioning (for devices like the Nokia 6210 Navigator, which has a built-in compass.)
The software is compatible with Symbian devices running S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 (N81 8GB, N82, N95, N95 8GB, E90.) Phones equipped with a GPS receiver enjoy the full navigation and location-aware features, and those not thusly equipped use Assisted GPS (AGPS) over the data network. So the maps themselves should work fine on a non-GPS equipped device.
Enhanced versions of the software include Driving and Walking navigation, Traffic information and local guides are available for monthly fees ranging from €3.99-€129.99.
To install the software on a compatible phone, users must first download the application to their PC, and then install it on the handset through Nokia's PC Suite.
Nokia is competing against Google Maps on its own S60 3rd Edition devices. Google has just released its navigation software which can also be set in GPS or AGPS modes, can be directly downloaded to the phone, and is free of charge.
Google's application is also compatible with iPhone, Java, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile devices.