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Nokia has announced that walk and drive navigation is now free on its smartphones as part of a new version of Ovi Maps.
Nokia says that walk and drive navigation will now be free on its range of smartphones as part of its new version of Ovi Maps.
The new version of Ovi Maps will include all car and pedestrian navigation features such as turn-by-turn voice guidance for 74 countries in 46 languages, traffic information for more than 10 countries, as well as detailed maps for more than 180 countries.
The new version of Ovi Maps comes with all the maps and high-end car grade navigation features consumers need. And it’s theirs 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.
Consumers can avoid battery-draining network connections with Nokia’s hybrid technology. Maps can be pre-loaded on to their Nokia smartphone so they can set Ovi Maps to offline mode, saving battery power, while their navigation system still works. This is useful for those worried about data connection costs when travelling overseas or through areas with limited network coverage.
Ovi Maps is built on an advanced technology called hybrid vector maps. Vector maps are high quality but less data intensive allowing users to continue to navigate even if they lose their 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.
Turn-by-turn, voice guided navigation comes free for both drivers and pedestrians. For drivers this includes lane assistance, traffic information, safety cameras and speed warnings. For pedestrians, this includes shortcuts through parks and pedestrian-only zones for more than 100 cities around the world, as well as 6,000 3D landmarks in more than 200 cities to help people find exactly where they are.
Ovi Maps is immediately available for download on 10 Nokia handsets, including the Nokia N97 mini, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia E72, with more Nokia smartphones expected to be added in coming weeks.
