Ovi Maps Announcement: The Reaction

Today came the big news that Nokia have updated OVI Maps to Version 3.3 and this has added FREE (yes that is right FREE) voice navigation for driving and walking in many countries and on a whole range of existing devices.  This is Nokia’s answer to Google Navigation which although was announced a little while back in the 2.0 software update on the Motorola Droid, Navigation is limited to just the USA at the moment where as OVI Maps is worldwide   The list of enabled devices at this time are:

• Nokia X6
• Nokia N97 mini
• E72
• E55
• E52
• Nokia 6730 classic
• Nokia 6710 Navigator
• Nokia 5800

Other devices are due to be added to the list shortly and if you own a device not on the list keep checking OVI Store and nokia.mobi/maps for updates.

OVI Maps is a product that I personally feel is very good but has had a bit of a bad reputation for having it’s fair share of issues, so much so that even myself and Michael Hell from ‘Thoughts From Hell’ were nervous about using OVI Maps when walking the streets of London recently for the WomWorld Nokia Meetup in the head office.

Although that being said I did decide to trust it and OVI Maps did get us from A to B in quick time, free, and this was all on a Nokia N86 which I had been loaned for the day to take photos on for the tour, this was not a fancy sat nav device that cost me money or needed extra’s, it was built into the phone.

Here are the main 5 selling points of OVI Maps which Nokia have included in the press release

1. No hidden costs
The new version of Ovi Maps comes with all the maps and high-end, car grade navigation features you need for free and is yours to keep for the life of the smartphone. No additional licenses needed for extra countries, regions or services like traffic information or city guides. Data charges from network operators may apply.
2. Best global coverage
You take your mobile with you wherever you go in the world so, as standard, voice guided navigation for both pedestrians and drivers is available for 74 countries in 46 different languages and there are maps for over 180 countries. This gives you the best maps with the largest global coverage for free.
3. No network connection required when navigating
Avoid expensive, battery-draining network connections with Nokia’s unique hybrid technology. Maps can be pre-loaded on to your Nokia smartphone so you can set Ovi Maps to offline mode, saving battery power, and the navigation system will still work. This is particularly useful for those worried about data connection costs when travelling abroad or when you are travelling through areas with little or no network coverage.

4. Unique hybrid technology
Ovi Maps is built on an advanced technology called hybrid vector maps. Vector maps are high quality but less data intensive and allow you to continue to navigate even if you lose your network  connection. This means that maps downloaded or updated across a network connection are about half the size of bulky bitmaps used by other mobile map providers. The hybrid technology ensures that, unlike other providers, any downloaded map data is stored on the device for future use.
5. Voice guidance & traffic information
Turn-by-turn, voice guided navigation comes free for both drivers and pedestrians. For drivers this includes lane assistance, traffic information, safety camera and speed warnings. For pedestrians this includes shortcuts through parks and pedestrian-only zones for over 100 cities around the world as well as 6000 3D landmarks in over 200 cities to help you find exactly where you are.

So what are your thoughts on the new free voice navigation on OVI Maps?,  Will you use it more or does this not really matter to you?.  Please discuss below

Filed Under: News