Get Groupon Now! deals with Nokia Maps

Published by Pino Bonetti on August 1, 2012

If you were thinking that after a new beta of Nokia Pulse, a new version of Nokia Transport and an update to Nokia Drive, that the summer of updates to location-based apps for Nokia Lumia was over, think again.

Today we’re releasing a new update to Nokia Maps, with Groupon Now! deals and the highly requested journey planner.

Discover more and save more with daily Groupon Now! deals

Download Nokia Maps nowNokia Maps QR code

  1. Press the Search button on your Nokia Lumia and then tap Vision
  2. Scan the barcode
  3. Tap on the link when it appears on the screen
  4. Install the application from the Windows Phone Marketplace

Nokia Maps’ mission has always been to make you feel like a local anywhere, every day. True to this motto, and after working for the past few months with Groupon, Nokia Maps  now shows offers you can enjoy here and now.

Groupon Now! on Nokia Maps is a great way to get nearby deals on demand that you can buy and use the same day. You can buy them and use them right away for instant gratification. We think that this is a perfect way to try new places or find great offers around you, in your home city or when traveling.

Finding, buying and redeeming Groupon Now! deals is easy. When looking for something on Nokia Maps, you will be shown relevant deals among the usual search results clearly marked with the green G of Groupon. All deals on Nokia Maps come with an exhaustive description and when you have selected one, you will be redirected to the Groupon mobile site.

Because Groupon Now! deals are geographically limited, this feature is currently available only in the US.

Travel smarter with advance route planning

The ability to easily create a route between any two points has been one of your most requested features since we introduced Nokia Maps for Nokia Lumia. With this new version, you can plan your trips in advance, directly on your smartphone.

After you have set the starting point and destination, you can select your favourite way to connect the dots: on foot, by car or by public transportation (where available). The best thing is that you can also share it with friends.

Nokia Maps runs on the Nokia Lumia 610, Nokia Lumia 710, Nokia Lumia 800 and the Nokia Lumia 900. The Windows Phone Marketplace will notify you of the available update or download it today, for free, from the Nokia Collection on your phone.

Important notice: there might be a publishing delay (1-2 days) on Windows Phone Marketplace in your country or region. The new version of Nokia Maps is labelled as 2.5.0.0, so check for that version when you launch Windows Phone Marketplace. If you see 2.1.0.0, then it’s the old version of Nokia Maps. Just wait a bit until the Windows Phone Marketplace page updates. Thanks for your patience.

Comments

  • http://twitter.com/dalydose Jeff Daly

    Woo Hoo…AT&T’s incompetence isn’t preventing this update! ;)

    This is a great update to Maps, but I still wonder why Drive and Transit and Maps aren’t all rolled into one.  Maps TRIES to be like Drive Light and Transit Light, but it’s not the same.  The transit directions in Maps don’t even give times, so the real world usefulness is rather low. Maybe Maps should just direct to Drive for directions and Transit for public transportation routing.

    Also, I **LOVE** the integration with Groupon Now!  Brilliant.  Now, I just gotta find some.  Are they limited to a certain map view?

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @twitter-12834332:disqus, haven’t I told you already why Maps, Drive and Transport are separate apps? The short answer is that we think in use cases instead of features. But of course they have to be linked more to each other. I will soon blog about it ;-)
      I’m glad you love the Groupon integration!

      • http://twitter.com/bluechrism Chris Martin

        While this bis true (as seen on N9 and symbian separating to a maps suite from one app) is this also partly because in WIndows Phone 7 apps can’t share info – i.e Maps and Drive can’t both access the same offline maps?

        I’ve tweeted a few concerns about maps + drive today, so i’ll leave them out of here and make the rest of this positive. Groupon integration shounds like a nice benefit and suffice to say Looking forward to getting these maps on my Lumia and seeing what the location team comes up with in future. Engadget just gave a huge endorsement to maps and drive today too, this would make them even happier.

      • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

        I would like to have Nokia Drive navigation work in Nokia Maps. The fact that it’s two different types of navigation make things extremely frustrating. If it was up to me I’d just have Nokia Maps (with Nokia Drive navigation) and Nokia Transit. No need for more than 2 maps apps. Not to mention the Maps app is just sitting there too. I know the difference between all of these (i’m a tech geek), but not the everyday Lumia user. My wife gets frustrated when she sees four different maps applications on her Lumia 800.

        • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

          Hi @MikeMacias:disqus, I have hinted something on Twitter too, but of course it’s difficult in 140 characters ;-)
          We don’t follow the monolithic app approach anymore. We want to address daily user needs. For example, if you want to drive home, you should be able to do it with a tap on the start screen. You shouldn’t open an app to search for your home address, perhaps among favorites, then select how to get there, then start navigation. Too many steps.
          But you are right, Nokia Maps and all the other apps should talk to each other more and this is coming in future versions.

          • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

            I’m more talking about the actual turn-by-turn directions. The way they were in both apps is completely different. Obviously the Nokia Drive method is the best. 

        • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

          Hi @MikeMacias:disqus, I have hinted something on Twitter too, but of course it’s difficult in 140 characters ;-)
          We don’t follow the monolithic app approach anymore. We want to address daily user needs. For example, if you want to drive home, you should be able to do it with a tap on the start screen. You shouldn’t open an app to search for your home address, perhaps among favorites, then select how to get there, then start navigation. Too many steps.
          But you are right, Nokia Maps and all the other apps should talk to each other more and this is coming in future versions.

      • Tom

         ”The short answer is that we think in use cases instead of features.”

        You really think? Sorry.
        Why I can’t navigate using Drive, to hotel or mall, which I find before in Maps?
        Why if Drive show me “GPS is turn off” I can’t touch it, and turn GPS on? Why I must go to settings?
        Why, why, why…..

        • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

          Hi @XP17:disqus,
          I have given more details here http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/08/01/get-groupon-now-deals-with-nokia-maps/#comment-607264544
          It’s not perfect now, because you can’t for instance launch Nokia Drive from Nokia Maps, you’re right, but that’s the direction we are moving towards.
          In less than 9 months we have released 3 updates to Nokia Maps, 3 to Nokia Drive and 3 to Nokia Transport: that’s a huge commitment we are showing to our location-based apps.

  • http://twitter.com/BJWall Blair Wall

    This US only stuff is starting to get old.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      It’s not “US only”, it’s “US is the first country to get this feature”. Now, look also at the coverage of “Groupon Now! deals”: even if we would extend this integration to other countries, you wouldn’t see any content.

      • http://twitter.com/BJWall Blair Wall

        Groupon Now is in Canada.

        • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

          But only in Toronto, right? I know it sucks to wait, but we also want to test first how Nokia Maps users are reacting to this integration.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_H7XZGHA4CN5PQYAMAHRAH7WZWM Don Farmer

    I see Engadget showing Nokia Drive “the love” today with best in class.  Nice upgrade to Maps, love the cross merchandising  (two of my favorite words) and the pink nail polish for the pink Lumia 900, great job Nokia!!

  • http://twitter.com/bluechrism Chris Martin

    Nice route planning improvements. However (sorry to be a moaner, i have to say it)…
    1: Closed roads shouldn’t be red the same as ones with congested traffic – it’s misleading.
    2: If you have traffic info, please use it to show the time to the destination – there is no way the 13 mile drive home i have takes 23 mins when the highway is red and orange pretty much the whole way.

  • Tom

    Sorry Nokia, I don’t want Groupon. I want integration with Nokia Drive. Multipoint route planning, I want my old favourites from Symbian in Drive, I want avoiding toll roads… etc.
    Don’t make useless things.
    I see gas station ikon on map, and I want touch it and navigate there. Its really SIMPLY. It could take you 5 minutes.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi  @XP17:disqus, as in my answer to your other comment http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/08/01/get-groupon-now-deals-with-nokia-maps/#comment-607265395 we are updating our location-based apps regularly, this is the main message here. If a feature is still not in today, it will be in with the next update.

      • Tom

         OK, I know, new platform… etc.
        But is really frustrating, when you still need use you old symbian phone with OVI maps during vacation journey, because you new Lumia Drive app is still in beta.

  • 12qw

    Whats this?? My symbian phone is much better than this, groupon for????? Come on NOKIAAAA marketing team is ……

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @12qw:disqus, what does the marketing team have to do here? We have been developing navigation on Symbian for more than 6 years, while less than one year for Windows Phone. Nevertheless we have been updating all our location-based apps with a very high pace.

    • pdexter

      No sorry, your Symbian phone is horrible to use.

      • Tom

         Maps are much better in Symbian.

  • http://callmelocalhost.com Jarno

    Nice feature. When can we expect this for the Nokia N9 and the Symbian Belle phones?

  • Altawood

    I was looking forward to buying a Nokia phone this fall but
    this Groupon integration is a deal breaker for me.  I really find it hard to believe you are
    letting companies put up advertising just because they happen to be located
    within the map I’m looking at.  Let me
    opt out or I’ll buy someone else’s phone.
     

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Let me be straightforward with you, @Altawood:disqus: this is not spam because Nokia Maps is not pushing Groupon content to you. What we do with this integration is highlighting the results of your search that contain deals.

      • Altawood

         

        I don’t want Groupon deals or any other location based
        advertising in my search results so I recommend you include a simple toggle to
        turn location based ads on and off.

        • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

          Hi @Altawood:disqus, of course if you don’t like the Nokia Maps experience you can always use another mapping application on your (future?) Nokia Lumia.
          However, I think there is still a small misunderstanding here on how this Groupon integration actually works.
          Let me give you an example (the same you see in the screenshots above).

          You open Nokia Maps to look for “sandwich”, you get some results that match your search. All these places have a description: phone number, address, web address, perhaps some reviews from Lonely Planet, Michelin and other content providers. The existence of a Groupon Now! deal (e.g. “today all the sandwiches are 50% off”) is part of the description of a place that would have been anyway among your search results.

          You can choose to buy the deal, to ignore it, to go somewhere else. But the search results are the same with or without Groupon deals.

      • Altawood

         

        If I haven’t searched for
        Groupon deals and you’re putting Groupon deals on my screen anyway then it is spam.

  • Bruce Baumhardt

    Great opportunity.  I would welcome a review by someone who has successfully utilized from discovery to transaction.  I have latest app on 800 and not experiencing success in Minneapolis.  Any ideas?

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @google-7a023984c9b65e82428d718df11612bb:disqus, I’m not in the US either but perhaps I can help you anyway. Where is the experience broken for you?