Nokia loyalists need not worry about getting misled or lost, if they forget a route. Nokia has declared their schemes to enable the walk and drive navigation app available for no charge on its smartphones as part of their new version of Ovi Maps.
Nokia’s mapping and navigation software is specifically designed to cater to mobile users and functions on an exclusive hybrid technology. The new version of Ovi Maps can encompass all vital cars and pedestrian navigation attributes like turn-by-turn voice direction for around 74 countries in 46 languages. Moreover, traffic details for more than 10 countries, in addition to thorough maps for over 180 countries are provided.
Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Nokia, commented, “We want to make using your mobile for navigation as familiar as using it to send a text or take a picture. We believe that making the best maps with voice guided navigation available for free will be the catalyst to do this. Why have multiple devices that work in only one country or region? Put it all together, make it free, make it global and you have something that is truly useful and can help you get round almost any city in the world whether you’re on foot or driving.”
D Shivakumar, Managing Director, Nokia India, mentioned, “This is a strategic move that will be the game-changer for the industry. We believe that offering the world’s best maps with full navigation features and premium content at no extra cost will be the catalyst that drives mass market and penetration of mobile maps in India.”
Nokia gains by eradicating the expenses linked to steering for drivers and pedestrians as it lets the company to swiftly set off a huge user base to which it can provide novel location attributes, content and services. The company may develop the volume of this installed user base to around 50 million by facilitating smartphone owners with attuned devices. These mobile devices will be made compatible shortly to kick off free drive and walk navigation via an easy download of the new Ovi Maps.
Anssi Vanjoki quoted, “This is a game changing move. By leveraging our Navteq acquisition, and our context sensitive service offering, we can now put a complete navigation system in the palm of your hand, wherever in the world you are, whenever you need it – and at no extra cost. By adding cameras at no extra cost to our phones we quickly became the biggest camera manufacturer in the world. The aim of the new Ovi Maps is to enable us to do the same for navigation.”
There are some striking features that get Nokia Ovi Maps to stand apart from the crowd. The new version of Ovi Maps is available with all the maps and high-end, car grade navigation attributes, one requires. Extra licenses for further countries, areas or services such as traffic details or city guides are not required. The network operators may charge on the data. Users can evade costly, battery-draining network connections by using Nokia’s exceptional hybrid technology. Battery power can be saved by pre-loading the maps on the Nokia smartphone. One can then set Ovi Maps to offline form and even then the app will run. This can be predominantly helpful for those apprehensive about data connection expenses when traveling abroad or wandering in regions with minimum or no network coverage.
Ovi Maps is crafted on a superior technology known as hybrid vector maps. Vector maps are premium but less data intensive. It enables users to find the way even if one loses the network connection. This denotes that maps downloaded or updated across a network connection are actually about half the size of huge bitmaps utilized by other mobile map providers. The hybrid technology appears to guarantee that, unlike other providers, any downloaded map data is hoarded on the device for upcoming use.
Ovi Maps is right away accessible for download for 10 Nokia mobile phones, counting the well-known Nokia N97 mini, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia E72. In the coming weeks, more Nokia smartphones will be attuned with the Ovi Maps. Users can download the new Ovi maps from Nokia.com/maps for no charge.