Nokia has launched a new version of Ovi Maps that includes high-end car and pedestrian navigation features such as detailed maps for more than 180 countries, voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation for 74 countries and traffic information for more than ten countries. Both navigation and maps are free of charge and will be installed on any A-GPS smartphone with Symbian S60 sold from March on, updates of maps and additional Ovi Maps services will be carried out automatically over the air. Other smart features include lane guidance and traffic info in over ten countries as well as safety camera and speed warnings. On-foot users will receive guidance that exploits even shortcuts through parks and pedestrian-only spots for over 100 cities worldwide. This is bolstered by over 6,000 3D landmarks in over 200 cities.

Navigating with Ovi Maps in Berlin, Screenshots: Nokia

Currently, the new Ovi Maps is compatible with A-GPS smartphones such as Nokia N97 mini, Nokia E72, Nokia X6, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition or Nokia 6710 Navigator and can be downloaded at www.nokia.com/maps. From March, new Nokia GPS-enabled smartphones will include the new version of Ovi Maps, pre-loaded with local country map data, with high-end walk and drive navigation and access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides at no extra cost. Lonely Planet and Michelin guides have information on more than 1,000 destinations globally.

Another strength of the new Ovi Maps is its efficiency, Nokia claims: Supposedly, navigation over 20 kilometers Ovi Maps is possible with 200 kB data volume transfered – with Google Mapy Navigation it will be 2 MB according to Nokia. And while Google Maps Navigation has to download maps constantly over a GPRS or UMTS connection, the basic functionality of Ovi Maps will work even without an connection to the internet. Since the maps are installed on the mobile phone, navigation services can be used offline and when connected to the internet. This is good for mobile phone users with no or the wrong mobile data plan.

Like Google Maps, Ovi Maps will offer additional location-based information concerning sightseeing, hotels, restaurants and public transportation. Ovi Maps also integrates social networking services such as Share Location via Ovi Maps.

With the new version of Ovi Maps Nokia is hitting at Google with Google Maps Navigation and it is also bad news for TomTom and others. Nokia acquisition Nayteq is responsible for map data and location-based contextual information, Gate5 for putting maps into the mobile. For Nokia, removing the costs associated with navigation for drivers and pedestrians allows to greatly expand its customer base to which it can sell (expensive) smartphones and other services available at the Ovi store. Maps and navigation services that are free of charge can be a strong argument for deciding on a new smartphone manufactured by a certain company. I am curious whether we will see any rise in purchasing prices for Nokia smartphone the upcoming weeks.

Read more about the new Ovi Maps on www.teltarif.de.