Nokia refreshes Maps application
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Sep 13th 2007 9:28PM
posted Sep 13th 2007 9:28PM
Following its February launch alongside the original N95, Nokia has now rolled out the "next phase" of its Maps navigation software as a free download available immediately. The new version seems to center around customer-requested improvements, including a new data counter, revamped user interface, improved search capabilities, and client software capable of transferring maps ten times as quickly as the original. Nokia is also taking the remainder of 2007 to update its coverage, eventually offering over 150 countries' worth of maps with 50 of them enabled for navigation. The service isn't free, but the download'll buy ya a three-day trial -- so if you've got a device on the compatibility list, check it out.Read - Press release
Read - Nokia Maps
Aren't you guys a bit behind time??? This was released at least two weeks ago. For those that want to install the application, it installs nicely on the phone and updates phone's ROM memory (meaning once you install it it upgrades the phone's firmware; meaning it does not get installed like a regular symbian program) but there's no need to worry - it's a nice update.
Maciek
www.symbiosis60.com
Maciek,
Nokia's press release announcing the update is dated the 11th, two days ago. Sorry if it was released before that -- we weren't aware!
Chris
Apology accepted (while I put a foot in my mouth).... I guess it was the "quiet" kind of roll out where only symbian/nokia aficionados really paid attention to it and Nokia did not officially published it. Either way the update is very nice and the satellite lock time is even better (really only about 30 seconds with A-GPS).
Maciek
www.symbiosis60.com
Yeah, I've been using it for about 2 weeks now. It is rare that Nokia releases something before the PR. Speaking of which, where the hell is that US 3G N95?
Is this the new 'crippled' version of the software? i.e. with the 'tracking' feature removed (which provided the ability to track your movement on the map against a set route - without having to pay $ for any extra service). Newer releases removed this to allow only the 'navigation' feature to be used, which requires payment.
If so, I'll stick with the original release.
yeah, its the "crippled" version.
I still like it better than the old version. Its easier to search for things nearby.
I use Route 66 for Navigation. I wish TomTom could support the internal GPS. I'd rather use that.
The tracking feature has never been removed.
It was just moved from the right soft key to the "0" key. The "0" key used to be the 2D/3D switch, but that is now only in the menus.
Nokia, why didn’t you make an n93 version? The n93i version doesn’t work on n93s. I bought the n93 and the Nokia Maps software – 3 years licence for 50 € - at smart2go a few months ago. It worked then, and the old version still works! But the upgrade at nokia.com doesn’t work. Is it because you want to get rid of early adopters – the people who promote your products in blogs and on the street? And what about A2DP? Again, only for n93i – in a firmware upograde a few weeks ago, while n93 firmware wasn’t updated. Why, Nokia? You have a golden opportunity to answer right here! :-)
Yeah I saw when it was released a week or two ago, but it still isn't supported on my N75; good thing Google Maps is. And where's that US 3G E90? Still being designed somewhere by the Keebler Elves??
Jody, sorry but you obviously don't even know what tracking is.
After setting up a route with a 'from' and 'to' location, the options previously existed "Start Navigation" or "Start Tracking" - tracking is no longer! This enabled similar functionality to the voice navigation, without the fee (a 'snail trail' of your set route was visible against the gps of your current position).
This was a great feature that shouldn't have been removed, and was really handy if you didn't want voice turn by turn navigation.
I can't stand this new release without tracking. Does anyone know how to revert to the older version?
Wait.... I paid Nokia $800 for a phone and they're yanking features out of it? My N95 is my first Nokia phone, but it's beginning to leave a bad taste in my mouth. First they had pretty poor Mac support... I had to go out and buy a $450 PC laptop just to run firmware updates. Then it turns out that Carbide.c++ doesn't support Windows Vista on the new laptop nearly a year after Microsoft released it?? It looks like Apple is going to deliver a functional SDK for the iPhone before Nokia can get their act together with Carbide.c++ 1.3.
And now this?! Cripple the #1 selling point of their top of the line phone for a few measly bucks? And to do it mid flight like that, where it worked fine before, but now you have to pay?? I'm sorry, but I'll buy an iPhone 2.0 before I "upgrade" this thing again or buy another Nokia. This is the last straw for me. I was thinking Apple really blew it when they didn't release an SDK right out of the gate. Now I see that the rest of the industry is *so* incompetent, Apple will beat their a$$es even if Apple continues screwing up as badly as they have previously. Apple will stomp Nokia with one arm tied behind their back if Nokia remains this incompetent.