Benchmarking mobile maps

Published by Pino Bonetti on September 20, 2012

When you are passionate about gadgets and technologies, it’s only natural to compare what’s available to find the best fit. This is particularly true nowadays with smartphones. Many manufacturers, including Nokia, have recently introduced their newest mobile devices and the Internet is buzzing with numbers and specifications.

We are very proud of the hardware innovation that powers the Nokia Lumia 920, like PureView, NFC, wireless charging and PureMotion HD+, but we believe that there is even more.

It’s not only about raw numbers; it’s about what you can actually do with your smartphone. For example, it can be something you were unable to do before, like taking photos without flash in low-light conditions. Or it can be a better way to handle everyday life, like driving to work.

Location experiences

For all the needs that begin with a “where” question, we have developed a compelling suite of applications that delivers the best location-based experiences – helping you to discover the world around you and navigate your life. Not only is this possible because the location business is strategic to Nokia, but because these apps are running on the world’s most advanced location platform.

Unlike our competitors, which are financing their location assets  with advertising or licensing mapping content from third parties, we completely own, build and distribute mapping content, platform and apps.

In other words, we truly understand that maps and location-based apps must be accurate, provide the best quality and be accessible basically anywhere. That’s been standard practice at Nokia for the past six years, and we also understand that “pretty” isn’t enough. You expect excellence in your smartphone mapping experience.

Our superior apps are built on the most accurate, automotive-grade Navteq maps, meticulously developed by over 20 years of know-how. We believe that the best user experience comes indeed from precise data, robust processing of core platform functionalities like routing, geocoding and traffic, and by user friendly apps. All this cannot be built overnight.

A mapping experience is a must-have feature for many of us. In fact, a recent survey by IDG found that 77% of respondents are using smartphones for GPS navigation. No wonder that many of our readers are closely following the recent development and changes of mapping apps and the user experience on the newest smartphones.

The benchmark

Let’s take a look at the location experience on some of the newest smartphones:

 “Nokia’s suite of location-aware apps and services on its new Lumia devices put it in a clear lead over its competitors in terms of the depth, breadth and integration of the mapping, navigation and transport experiences it can offer. It also leads in terms of the global coverage it provides,” said Tim Shepherd, senior analyst at Canalys.

I think the most impressive difference, beside the ability to use Nokia location-based apps offline as well as online, is the number of countries where voice guided turn-by-turn navigation is available.

 

The big map is Nokia’s, the bottom left is Google and Apple is on the right.

Comments

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dev-Innocent/100000722192663 Dev Innocent

    Nokia is the best

    • http://www.bloise.co.uk Frankie Bloise

      I love nokia!

  • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

    Your information is incorrect. With Google Maps on Android you can cache as much of the map as you wish you just have to do it square by square.

    • http://www.facebook.com/Bomuld Tommy Lindegaard Nielsen

      wow, that sound really convenient… ;)

      • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

        Convienent, no. But it does mean you don’t need to use more space than you need although in this day and age is storage space actually still a premium :-/

        I do wish they would add the ability to either download the whole country or even just automatically download the data required for your intended journey.

        Last time I tried the navigation on my wife’s Lumia it couldn’t find the postcode but Google maps did.

        • HoSoonFatt

          Try to use latest symbian phone and you will know the true mobile gps navigation meaning.Perfected since nokia n series.Window is still microsft owned so I think nokia can’t do much about it.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            Yes so you said above.

      • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

        Having the option is certainly more convenient than being out and needing navigation then realising you haven’t downloaded the maps.

        • MS 31684

          what are you talking man..having option of offline maps doesnt mean you cant use them online when u have not downloaded them…how old are you?

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            wow what an intelligent post. If you read my posts you would see iI wasn’t aware that Nokia maps could also download on the go.

    • http://www.bloise.co.uk Frankie Bloise

      Lol what a joke… besides you need an internet connection to be able to do turn-by-turn in thos “squares”.

      • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

        Only for the initial route planning and again that can be done at home.

        • hulkkii

          ..but if u need routes to somewhere when u are outside home without data, then what? (those are the moments I have needed navigation the most)

          • justd80010

            It’s nice that Google allows you to do it at all, but let’s be real, how often do you need GPS from home to work. Generally you need GPS when you are in an unfamiliar setting. I was very frustrated when driving thru the mountains on a road trip and couldn’t use GPS because I was in a “dead” area with no connection and ended up going a route that added about 45 miles to my trip.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            As I just said above this is all well and good so long as you have downloaded the maps before you left home.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            And what happens if you are outside somewhere and do have data but haven’t downloaded the maps for your country? The maps for the UK are 192MB if memory serves.

          • KrisW1001

            @Carbonzie – Of course the Nokia Maps app works online as well as offline. If you do not have preloaded maps on your phone, then the maps you need will be downloaded on the fly. However, only the map data for the current area will be downloaded, not the entire country (that would be stupid, and Nokia Maps is anything but stupid). Plus, these downloads are cached, so will remain available next time too.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            Must have changed then because when I went to use it on my wife’s Lumia it told me I had to download the maps first.

          • KrisW1001

            I don’t know the current Lumia version, but the current Symbian version, and upcoming WP version are both online and offline. Downloading the maps is hardly a chore – connect to your home Wifi, do the download once for your home country, and forget about it forevermore until you’re going on holiday, then just grab the maps for there before you go. This isn’t exactly hard to do, and it saves a fortune in time and money when you travel abroad.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            As has been said you can cache map areas with Google maps which was the only point I was trying to make here before being jumped on by all the fanboys. It’s not as easy as just selecting a country but it’s still better than having to use data.

          • MS 31684

            fuck the hell up man…who are you..what are you…why u arguing on nonsense point of urs..ill request all of you to stop replying this nonsense crazy guy…

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            and you asked how old I am?

            Old adage, if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all.

        • B_Sack

          Sorry but Google Maps offline mode is drastically inferior to Nokia’s offering.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            Not really. Apples offering is drastically inferior Google’s is just awkward.

          • http://twitter.com/counterblow the person

            that would mean inferior since not awkward is better than awkward.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            Windows mobile only comes with a qwerty keyboard and no T9. Does that mean it is inferior since some people prefer a T9 keyboard?

          • http://twitter.com/counterblow the person

            i don’t know, I don’t use Windows Mobile anymore, I use Windows Phone.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            WOW they changed the name. How dare I accidentally call it by its previous name.

          • http://twitter.com/counterblow the person

            if you want a proper answer you should refer to the proper product.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            Actually Windows Mobile did come with a T9 keyboard it’s Windows Phone that doesn’t :)

            Guess that makes Windows Phone inferior to Windows Mobile. Go figure.

          • http://twitter.com/counterblow the person

            yes because T9 is “Text for 9 keys” predictive algorithm. I’m pretty sure anyone but a neanderthal would agree a full keyboard is superior to a 9 key keypad. Plus WP8 has predictive text AND a full qwerty keyboard, so your snark falls weak.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            Then I suggest you do a search for T9 on Windows Phone and see just how many people have actually requested this because they find the qwerty keyboard on something like the Lumia 800 to small to us easily.

          • http://twitter.com/counterblow the person

            that would require Windows Phone to support a 9key chassis design which is not in the cards. My querty works just fine on a manly sized screen.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            Funny because Android and Windows Mobile both manage to have a T9 touch keyboard by just displaying one on the screen. Funny what modern technology can do isn’t it.

          • http://twitter.com/counterblow the person

            you are confusing two different technologies…T9 and predictive text. T9 is designed for keypads. predicitive text, of which T9 happens to have a competing algorithm on qwerty, is available in WP8, so stop your trolling before I report you.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            Report me then. Might want to take a look at your own behaviour first though.

            T-9 is predictive text but based upon the 9 keys found on old phones so how is it a different technology to predictive text on Qwerty? Some people prefer to use T-9 as they find it easier to use.

            Oh and I actually use a Samsung Galaxy S3 with a 4.8″ screen. That ‘manly’ enough?

          • http://twitter.com/counterblow the person

            oh, SGIII user, that explains everything.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            Really because last I checked Google Maps worked the same on every Android phone. If you bothered to read my initial post you will see I was just correcting a misconception the author of this article had. At no point did I say one manufacturer was better than another nor did I make any comment about Nokia being as I actually like Nokia phones.What I have seen since is a bunch of fanboys jumping on my post because they couldn’t be bothered to read it properly and for some god forsaken reason took it as a slight on their beloved Nokia.

            And yes you can judge a person by the phone they are currently using because every S3 user is the same. Bet you believe in Astrology as well.

          • MS 31684

            @twitter-88083926:disqus who is this sick guy carbonize..looks like his body is full of carbon..no oxygen mean dead braincells..:P

          • MS 31684

            not having offline maps is inferior to me..Apple is no where in competition…

        • Stylinred

          sounds like it would be easier to just buy a local map than to use google maps abroad…

    • Guest

      Try to use latest symbian phone and you will know the true mobile gps navigation meaning.Perfected since nokia n series.Window is still microsft owned so I think nokia can’t do much about it.

      • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

        Would lastest mean last since they have stopped producing Symbian phones?

        As to Windows it comes with Bing maps and navigation but it has no turn by turn voice guidance.

        I do like How just because I corrected a single fact in the story I suddenly get attacked by all the Nokia Fanboys. Not a go at you but the others that have replied.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @carbonize:disqus you have created a quite heated discussion here!
      For completeness, please allow me to explain.
      I don’t think the information is incorrect. It’s fair to say that Google offering is “not really” offline, because it has limitations. UX wise, if you are really into downloading a country map square by square. Feature wise, because the route calculation and search can only happen online. There are some offline elements, but it’s not complete. Everything is explained in the footnotes.
      And Nokia Drive can be also used online, of course. The message you get while using it the first time is that we suggest you to download maps. There is a specific “not now” option, since day 1.

      • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

        Thank you for the intelligent and thought out reply Pino. Guess I missed the not now option when using Nokia maps on my wife’s Lumia.
        I do think saying you can only download the map for one city is slightly misleading though as the chosen area can be quite large and the story could be read as you can only store the map for one city.

        Never noticed when using it but does Nokia maps have lane guidance?

        • C38S

          I get lane guidance on Symbian.

        • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

          Hi @carbonize:disqus I can take your feedback on board. With “only one city” I was trying to quantify in practical term the 80MB limit. I have seen an official demo with maps caching in London and I took it as inspiration.

          On the other topic, we do not support lane guidance on Nokia Drive for Nokia Lumia yet. But as @C38S:disqus mentioned, this was a feature on Symbian. It basically means that we will eventually port it over to the new OS.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk/ Carbonize

            @haikus:disqus There is one issue I have found with Nokia Drive that I forgot about until I tried it again the other day and that is the postcode look up here in the UK. On the couple of occasions I have tried to use a postcode for my destination it has failed to find the address.

            Sorry for the delayed reply but I felt you were a person who could pass this on to the right people.

          • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

            HI @carbonize:disqus I have informed the Nokia Drive team about this issue, they will look into it. Thanks for your feedback.

    • C38S

      But what good is it if you can’t start navigating etc while offline? It just saves a bit of data usage locally but doesn’t help you travel. Or help you in places with poor coverage.

  • vikrom

    Missing from the list is number of languages supported in the voice guided navigation

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @vikrom:disqus in our infographic we listed the most popular features. But to satisfy your curiosity, we support over 50 languages and 70 voices.

      • bpk5426

        Do you Have the list for supported languages I would love to have a look

        • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

          Hi @bpk5426:disqus we currently don’t have a list available online. If you have one of our smartphones, you can have a look in the Nokia Drive settings. I can do it for you if you tell me which languages you are looking for.

  • http://twitter.com/Hdrules Hdrules

    Nokia Maps is the best!

  • http://twitter.com/bronzekid91 Maxi J. ✨

    There really isn’t any doubt. Nokia’s Mapping solutions with Naviteq are a BEAST when compared to other ones.

    • JLishere

      Best navigation and maps. Still wish it had a Street View equivalent though. I find it extremely useful when looking up an unfamiliar location.

  • http://www.facebook.com/donna.reillymoss Donna Lisa Reilly Moss

    cant wait for this phone to come out

  • http://blog.segfault.co.in Rahul

    I was travelling through Rome and Capri last week. I had no internet connection and no roaming. I downloaded the maps for Italy before leaving home and I was able to use them without any problem whilst in Italy. GPS worked flawlessly and Nokia Maps ensured that I managed to squeeze in all the important destinations in the city.

    Friends using iPhones and Android felt thoroughly useless with their phones.

    • cooldoods

      So your Android-toting friends neglected to download the map for offline access. If you had forgotten to do so as well, you’d be as helpless as everyone else.

      • C38S

        No search available even if they did. Notice he said he managed to visit all the important destinations? And what about navigation. When I go on holidays I hit up the sight seeing categories in Nokia Maps when offline and use that to visit cool places around me.

        • cooldoods

          Yes, offline navigation and search isn’t available yet on Google Maps. POIs like hotels, bus stops, train stations, etc are indicated on the offline maps though. I daresay the Google Maps app will catch up to Nokia Maps very soon.

          • C38S

            That would be nice, but I’m not sure that Googles mapping model will suit full offline use. It’s designed to be online from the ground up. I’m inclined to think that google will always have reduced offline functionality.

          • http://twitter.com/ahmedmahadik Ahmedkhan Mahadik

            Google just wants to sell our info to companies…so u need to be online…so that they can spam u with local business advertisements…

          • JLishere

            Sure.

          • http://twitter.com/namd88 Nam Dang

            From what basis can you claim that “it’s designed to be online from the ground up”? Having a product online doesn’t make a product unable to work offline. I don’t see any limitations, except Google Maps have to serve a larger number of users. So they may want to find a way to smoothly roll out such functionality

          • Federico

            because google maps are based on tiles while nokia are based on vectors which take a fraction of the storage space.
            The problem is that nokia maps have stayed pretty much the same since launch while other companies are investing and slowly but constantly catching up.
            How long will it take for nokia to blow this competitive advantage?

            Now apple has vector maps too and while the current release is rubbish you can bet they will invest a gazillion money to make it better and maybe the next iphone will have offline maps too.

          • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

            Hi @mrlovat:disqus please allow me to remind you of the central part of this post. “The location business is strategic to Nokia. Unlike our competitors, which are financing their location assets with advertising or licensing mapping content from third parties, we completely own, build and distribute mapping content, platform and apps.”

          • Stoli89

            But caching is still limited to one city at a time. Being able to travel to foreign countries with the maps preloaded and ready to go is a huge plus for me. Being able to navigate or search offline is important where I live (CH) because I manually set my operator to avoid foreign roaming charges (France is literally the other side of the lake), and find myself in foreign network coverage quite often around the Geneva area. You DO NOT want to get caught data roaming in a foreign network. Once is enough to understand how costly the experience.

          • http://blog.segfault.co.in Rahul

            Ha, same here (a fellow CH resident).

          • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=555326291 Dominik Loeffler

            It is almost 2 years ago that Google updated its mapping infrastructure & Android client to use vector graphics. Google Maps had been using image tiles before that, which is inefficient and completely unusable for offline navigation. So far, Google hasn’t taken as much advantage of it as they could, though – you can’t start navigation in offline mode, and you can’t download maps on a country or state basis. I think once Lumia sales take off (which I hope they will), Google will be forced to step up their game. All the necessary ingredients are already ready for them.

    • Billy

      I am totally going to buy a Nokia Phone now. I mean, those offline maps man. I will probably get to use it 3+ times this decade when I visit Rome and Africa. Damn, 10/10

      • http://blog.segfault.co.in Rahul

        Only 3 trips in 10 years, I feel sorry for you.

        • COALLOL

          Three planned trips, smugleaf. I have exactly 0 planned trips at the moment, so feel sorrier for me.

          Jesus.

      • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

        Hi @disqus_m7axrHYh2S:disqus I understand your sarcasm, but offline maps are not only going to save you roaming costs. It also means that you can rely on your smartphones also in areas with less or no coverage. And you can use your mapping app without waiting the maps to load, even when zooming in/out. The everyday location experience is so much better!

    • Tuomo

      Nokia Maps in HK is a joke. The English version uses Mandarin phoneticization.
      So for example if you want to search Hong Kong station you can’t find it because in the map it is Xiang Gang Zhan.
      Now this would be ok if the problem was relatively new. However you can find discussion about this dated back in 2008. How freaking long will it take to fix it???

      • Madan Mohan

        Every country have their own liberty to name their cities, streets and monuments. Any manufacturer needs to respect this sentiment else they will be out of biz in that geography. The world is no longer in f##k#g British rule. Please wake up to the reality.

        • Tuomo Mäenpää

          First of all I am not a brit nor do I care who rules the world so let’s keep the conversation civilized, shall we?

          I hope you checked that Mandarin street names are not official in HK. The two official languages here are Cantonese and English.

          So if Nokia was actually using the official names, like you say they should, the names would be as according to the Cantonese pronunciation.

          For example the Hong Kong station is the actual name of the station. There is no point writing it as Xiang Gang Zhan.

          Mandarin speakers are likely to use the map in Chinese anyway so they can read the characters. But for those that can’t, the map should show the official names for streets and stations. Peace out!

          • Zyo

            Pretty sure official language in any part of China (Yes that includes HK) is Mandarin.

            And if you care to do some research
            After the handover, the government of Hong Kong adopted the “biliterate and trilingual” (兩文三語) policy. Under this policy, Chinese and English must both be acknowledged as official languages, with Cantonese being acknowledged as the de facto official spoken variety of Chinese in Hong Kong, while also accepting the use of Mandarin.[2]

          • Kevin Fung

            No,Zyo. Hong Kong official languages are English (1st) and Cantonese (2nd). Mandarin is understood but NOT for street naming.

            Tuomo is correct… that Nokia (Here) Map is unless right now in Hong Kong. I know because I live here. Right now. And trust me… you CANNOT get around places with Nokia Maps.

            I.E, the proper subway station for “Central Hong Kong” is “Cenral MTR”… but Nokia Maps has it in Mandarin “Zhong Huan Zhan”… Which does NOT appears on any local street nor indication services… I mean… “Zhong Huan Zhan” does NOT exist except on Nokia Map… so please fix it…

            This is NOT a political issue but a rather Geographical one. So please Zyo and Madan, do your study and traveling first before speaking (or writing or whatever you do).

            As I really want to see the Lumia and Nokia functionality grow and expand here in Asia (at least in Hong Kong) like including bus routes and street view like in Google Maps and proper naming convention… Until it does that.. I am sticking with my Andriod.

          • http://www.facebook.com/chanfungming Fungming Tet

            I’m living and grow in HongKong, most of the people here is not well in the mandarin pinyin. And I can’t find the actual name of the place. As I’m using English version.

            It make me having a bad user experience. I also use the google map on iPod rather than nokia map.

    • Ding

      I also did this last year with my Nokia E71 in New Zealand, really cool! I am looking forward to getting a Lumia 920!

  • B.Srikanth

    Nokia maps is just great, life saver!

  • http://twitter.com/mistergqsmooth mrgqsmooth

    I owned nokia x6- possibly one of the worst phones in history… I promised never to buy nokia again… And since then have loved every android phone I own. Nokia deserve to be where they are at the moment and I hope people are not deceived by them again

    • http://twitter.com/counterblow the person

      you are talking about an X6…..this is like comparing a Dacia to a Ferrari.

    • pdexter

      Honestly X6? What does that have to do with Nokia today in anyway?
      And don’t get me wrong. I was using iPhone and Galaxy S (for 2 months before i returned the phone) back then because Nokia was just simply making bad devices.

      These days when they finally have their hw know how on proper OS i’m loving my Lumia 800 and certainly going to buy Lumia 920 later this year.

    • Stylinred

      the X6 was a lovely low-end phone from a few years ago; but really incomparable to anything they’ve released since (different operating systems)

    • http://twitter.com/Flip1199 Derek jones

      An X6? how many years ago was that? That was around the time of the 5800 and N97. I owned all of those by the way. I’ve had n85, n73me, 5800, n97, x6, n8, n9, 808 and guess what? They’ve all had mapping services which were better than the competition. I’m from USA and recently went to mexico with my 808. Downloaded the mexico map prior to leaving and i was set. I have the maps for California, Nevada, and mexico available whenever i want. No need to worry about an internet connection. I’ve used google navigation, IOS6 navigation and I keep coming back to nokia.

      • MS 31684

        i miss my N73..bought it twice after first got lost..Nokia is a brand of trust and solid phones at reasonable price..

    • MS 31684

      you are biggest loser if you cant buy proper phone for urself..stop crying here..by the way nokia has many products and better product than X6..and today we r discussin on Lumia and windows phones and not symbian..they didnt deserve this for providing reliable phones since early days..you cant count no. of people who have used there phones..they are down today but not out..android is junk and apple is arrogant..both will die

  • http://twitter.com/gadgetkevin Kevin

    Google has the best and most accurate POI’s in the US, Nokia has better POI’s in europe. I do like Nokia’s true offline turn by turn though..

    • Stoli89

      Yes, I think Google’s solution is tailored for the USA, especially with unlimited data plans. However, if you fall outside of coverage it still gets tricky. This is why Nokia Maps is fool proof…you can search and nav offline.

  • disqus_bn2dEkq1sJ

    nokia sucks

    • MS 31684

      you suck..

  • disqus_bn2dEkq1sJ

    Rahul i have android and it’s the best os. if you want a true gps program you have igo, sygic, navigon, etc. this is not a strong point for nokia. nokia+microsoft=junk

    • http://blog.segfault.co.in Rahul

      To each his own. I can use every other OS out there apart from Android. I have used it for an extended period of time (6 months) and I hate it with a passion.

  • Stylinred

    Is that an old coverage map?? because Nokia Maps covers Albania, Belarus, Bosnia, Croatia, Honduras, Moldova (they’re available to download onto my 808…) the coverage map above shows them as blank

    I wish I could more easily travel within Japan though… come on Nokia -_- its JAPAN

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @Stylinred:disqus I’m going to update the map with the newest additions soon ;-)

      • mmali386

        Hello, I was curious if the newer Nokia Drive will come with voiced guided navigation with street names. Don’t remember when somewhere along the line that feature seemed to disappear?

        • Stoli89

          Depends. On my N8 I can download English with Streetnames. I guess it depends on language.

          • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

            Hi @mmali386:disqus @Stoli89:disqus spoken street names is a feature available on Symbian but ont yet ported to the Lumia smartphones. Stay tuned and I will inform you as soon as it’s available on Windows Phone.

    • KillerKettle

      As far as i know, the maps of belarus too poor to be a called map, there are only a few main roads, and thats all.

      • Xfour000

        if they left maps out for being poor than Apple would have no coverage at all (check out the big news regarding their ios6 maps)

  • http://twitter.com/AsemMahmod Asem Mahmod

    Hey, I’m glad your maps support Libya, but they’re not that good. They need more work.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @twitter-378162451:disqus we are constantly improving our maps coverage, exactly because it’s strategical to us.

  • http://www.facebook.com/bestbry Bryan Garcia

    Lumia 920 with windows phone 8 is much better than any other phone, this is just amazing to say :)

    • JLishere

      If only it could ship.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001522424289 André Henrique Buss

    I love my Lumia 900 and waiting for the Lumia 920 o/

  • lenardjclim

    It’s because of Nokia Map that make me still hang on to my Nokia N8 until today. As Nokia Map really useful and practical and it just worked!!

    Just curious how come there is no Japan map on Nokia Map. I hope I can download it before I goto Japan next year.

    • http://twitter.com/EShy EShy

      I’m going to Israel soon, no map for that either, I think Korea is also missing

    • Stoli89

      Same here.

  • xnay

    There’s no experience on Lumia 920 because there’s no such phone on the market today. You will release it when Microsoft tells you to do so, as for now you can’t even present how the OS works to the public.

    • MS 31684

      microsoft is waiting to launch like any other company would do or doing..like how apple launch ios6…Dont forget Windows phone is small part of microsoft…they are releasing so many products this year..and most imp windows 8 OS…they have chose better timing of revealing it so whats wrong…there is lot of buzz due to nokia samsung htc showing their hardwares so that people stop buying iToys and android junks..and windows phone 8 is as we have seen few have amazing features on top of amazing OS which many of us are using in windows phone 7..IOS is no comparison to windows phone 7 only so i dont think people should worry abt windows phone 8..

  • Aerostar

    The first thing that got me mad about BB Storm2 and then the Iphone 4S – offline map. I love Nokia; it is truly the best phone I ever used and as for me and my household, we are back with Nokia and now it comes with my favourite OS – Wndows 8 (P) (at least I am paying – LOL).

  • Entegy

    Offline maps is probably the thing I’m most excited about for the Lumia 920. And public transit!

    • Stoli89

      I’m using Nokia’s public transit for CH more and more. It’s quite good for Geneva and Zurich. Still waiting on Bern and Lausanne. :)

  • Erkki Ruohtula

    The samples of Apple’s new map software goofs on other forums are simply hilarious! Recommended if you are feeling glum. Having used Nokia’s maps and navigation on my N97 mini in Finland and Denmark, I have never encountered a situation where they are wrong (apart from very rare glitches). If Lumia’s maps are as good, Nokia really has a big edge over the competition here.

    • Tom

      “. If Lumia’s maps are as good,”

      No, Lumia’s Maps have only 10% of the function of the Symbian version.

      • Erkki Ruohtula

        That would be surprising. Don’t they use the same Naviteq data?

        • C38S

          Yes he’s talking about features compared to the *newest* symbian version. But don’t worry, the 920 fixes most of that, if not all?

          • Tom

            “the 920 fixes most of that, if not all”
            Are you from maps team?

        • Tom

          Data are the same. Lumia App is very poor and lack of many important features

          • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

            Hi @google-9c54cead8ed6e87643c9f29238d672be:disqus @bazilgr:disqus @C38S:disqus please have a look at http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/08/09/a-day-in-london-with-nokia-location-based-apps/ when comparing the Lumia and Symbian mapping experiences. I’m sure @XP17:disqus has already read it and knows my answer ;-) You are comparing 6 years and 1 year of development, we have to prioritize features to deliver both a great user experience but also innovation.

          • Tom

            “we have to prioritize features to deliver both a great user experience but also innovation.”

            Sorry Pino. You are in “special” ;) situation.You have to work harder than ever. Why little company’s can make greater product? I biggest mistake is you never explain, was will be in next version of drive app. Is this mystery?
            Why I should wait for 920 if I don’t know I can expect?

          • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

            Hi @Tom we never comment on our roadmap or future features/products. When we have some new features to share, we will communicate them accordingly.

          • Tom

            I think this is wrong strategy. Look at Apple. They show iOS6 few months before of launch iPhone 5.
            Now we can’t even know, when you push to the market new Lumia’s. ;)

          • Mark_Anderson

            Drivel. It’s very good. You don’t have a Lumia, Tom, so how the hell would you know?

          • Tom

            I have Lumia 800. Try first Symbian version drive and map.

            Then you will understand my point of view.Lumia drive:
            - no add to route,
            - no avoid toll roads,
            - no optimized/speed/shortest
            - no sync with web version (favourite, saved routes)
            - no multipoint routes,
            - no auto complete during typing,
            - no tap on (gas station etc.) and go.
            - no….. many, many, more……

      • Vasilis

        In fact Lumia Maps have already left the Symbian version much behind. All the new features are on the Lumia Maps but not on the Symbian maps.

        • Tom

          “All the new features are on the Lumia Maps but not on the Symbian maps.”
          Auto Day/night ? ;) Are you joking?

          Lumia maps:
          - no add to route,
          - no avoid toll roads,
          - no optimased/speed/shortest
          - no sync with web version (fauvorites, saved routes)
          - no multipoint routes,
          - no auto complete during typing,
          - no tap on (gas station etc.) ang go.
          - no….. many, many, more……
          Lumia drive is JOKE!

  • http://www.facebook.com/teropetteri.laine Tero Petteri Laine

    What’s all this bashing of competitors? It started right after Elop came. I really don’t like this where Nokia is heading.

    • kamranayub

      I don’t see this post as bashing, it’s simply showing a comparison; you are getting less if you get an iPhone or Android. I have an Android and I can easily see why Nokia’s software is much better.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @facebook-623439323:disqus this is no bashing at all, this is a fair benchmark.

  • yousseph hamade

    I have tried both Nokia map navteq and Google map in android phone and I must say that Nokia sure is the winner’s on this field. This is one of the main reason why I will buy Nokia Lumia 920. I missed Nokia maps with offline mode. sorry Google map you loose in this one.

  • http://twitter.com/Cod3rror Cod3rror

    “Unlike our competitors, which are financing their location assets with
    advertising or licensing mapping content from third parties, we
    completely own, build and distribute mapping content, platform and apps.”

    That’s why you guys are so outdated. There are several streets here in Ireland that haven’t been updated in Nokia Maps for YEARS!

    Also Nokia Maps app lacks so many features…

    Search by coordinates
    Navigate from a picture exif data
    Multiple route choices
    Multiple route points/stops
    Contacts navigation
    GPS coordinates – display/copy

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @twitter-137471511:disqus the quality of our data is very important, which is why we verify it in cycles. If you have some coverage feedback please refer to http://mapreporter.navteq.com/.
      Also, the feature we decide to include or not are selected among those which make sense for most consumers.
      But I believe you are a bit confused about the business model. If our investment in maps would come from another source, we wouldn’t be able to commit to improve coverage or features.

      • http://twitter.com/Cod3rror Cod3rror

        Thanks for the link, submitted some changes. As for the features… you guys are dumbing down Nokia Maps to appease to consumers, however then Google or Apple come out with that feature and they look like innovators when Nokia had that feature but it got dumped, then you go ahead and add that feature back and look like copycats. Take some risks, show some leadership, add advanced and really useful features and implement them in a streamlined and easy to use way, consumers will learn. Don’t take it bad but the Lens feature is a gimmick! Nothing but a glorified POI display, it’s much easier and quicker to just look at the map in 2D with POIs that you search for on the displayed map all around you, very few people will use Lens.

        • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

          Thanks for your usual open and constructive feedback @twitter-137471511:disqus . We believe that Nokia City Lens is not only a glorified POI display because it integrates with the navigation on the smartphone. It is also the first step of using sight as a way to interact with your mobile device, far better than touch or voice.

      • Tom

        “the feature we decide to include or not are selected among those which make sense for most consumers.”

        As you can see the results of the sale, this is a bad tactic. When I travel with my Lumia 800 I have to take the old C7. It’s not normal.
        Why do not you give people what they want, only what you think they want (generally useless “city lens”).

        • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

          Hi @XP17:disqus I can assure you that we test our location-based apps before going to market. Nokia City Lens might not be appealing for you but it is for many other people. That’s the beauty of our suite, isn’t it? You can pick and choose what is more relevant to you.
          Last but not least we are proud of our constantly growing sales.

          • Tom

            “Nokia City Lens might not be appealing for you but it is for many other people.”

            Of course. But FIRST you should fix and improve drive app. Now it is almost useless for me (not only for me, I can send you TONS of similar opinions)

            “Last but not least we are proud of our constantly growing sales.”
            ;)

  • kamranayub

    Maps is one of the most important uses of my phone, which is why I am glad I don’t plan to get an iPhone. I really like Google Maps on my Android, if only because Google Navigation is awesome…

    But Nokia Maps looks even better, especially if I can download maps in advance of a trip so I don’t always have to have a data connection to navigate or find my way around.

    Can’t wait for 920 to come out! If it doesn’t come out for Verizon, I may need to do something drastic.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1410581346 Gustavo Puente

    Nokia Drive still doesn´t have offline maps

  • BT

    this could be a single reason to have NOKIA device with NOKIA maps. As simple as that.

  • Umair

    Is Nokia capable of launching a 4 inch windows 8 phone which is high end. I have the HTC Radar and I don’t want a larger phone 4 inche screen size is perfect. If they could launch a phone that supports SD card ,removable battery, thin and has 4 inch screen that might be a winner. Also if it had the glove touch and pureview camera that would make it sell. I hope they are working on something like that.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mattias-Henriksson/581401499 Mattias Henriksson

    So now there will be THREE apps named Nokia Maps, Nokia Maps respectively Nokia Maps? One is the old good reputated with full offline maps and navigation, one is newer with only car navigation offline, the rest of the functions are very basic and one is new and still only available in a small part of the world.
    Search your homepage for “Nokia maps” just mixes everything up. You certainly don’t make it easy for your customers.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @facebook-581401499:disqus I’m honestly don’t know what you exactly mean here :-(
      We offer a suite of apps to answer everyday need. Nokia Drive is particularly designed for commuters and travelers with a car.
      Nokia Maps is designed to feel like a local anywhere by finding what’s around you, planning routes, get walk navigation.
      Then we have Nokia Transport, Nokia City Lens, Nokia Pulse.
      I’m glad to answer any question you may still have.

  • http://www.facebook.com/maricel.t.damalerio Maricel Tabis Damalerio

    i love nokia

  • http://www.cubeverse.it/ Mr Snurbs

    Speaking of Nokia Maps, I have a Nokia N9 and I would to know if Nokia Maps of my terminal will be updated in the future and with him all the Nokia apps like Nokia City Lens, Drive etc.

    And the operating system will be updated or Nokia N9 is presumed to be dead?

    This is now the best smartphone ever, with updates could be even better.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @Mr_Snurbs:disqus we are also very proud of the Nokia N9 and the location experiences delivered with it. However, in moving forward, our strategy will focus more on the Windows Phone smartphones like the current Lumia range.

      • http://www.cubeverse.it/ Mr Snurbs

        I know but this is not a reply, or rather it is but it is negative.

        If you can’t say that N9 will receive new updates, it is because N9 not receive them at all.
        I have no problems in this regard, because N9 is great as it is now, but I was curious :)

        • jalyst

          I don’t blame you for being disappointed…
          It’s quite simple, make sure you never buy another Nokia phone.
          Given their horrid support for the N9 & many of their Symbian phones I won’t be.

  • Visitant

    I love my phone and I use Nokia Maps almost everyday. But the people who are reading Nokia conversations aren’t the people you need to be targeting.

    This information should be on billboards, internet ads, anywhere but here! Let the Android and iphone users know by going after them, for goodness’ sake!

    • http://twitter.com/ahmedmahadik Ahmedkhan Mahadik

      just shared this on my FB wall… i m doing my part of helping nokia…coz i love the company…since 2003…Nokia 5100 blue was my first fone….

  • http://twitter.com/EShy EShy

    Traffic data is always needed not just when you’re commuting. if you have this data, use it.

    My Commute is so poorly implemented and limited, it shouldn’t be mention at all. I can also define my home and work locations but other locations are somehow added, they keep showing up in the live tile and I can remove them for my commutes. if I started driving before starting Drive the commute feature isn’t available, I have to be exactly at the start location.

    What should have been implemented is traffic data whenever you drive. My commute should just be used to check traffic and update your live tile for your daily commutes and you should be able to completely manage the list of commutes.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @twitter-3033901:disqus thank you for your feedback. My Commute is currently in development and your experience is very precious to understand the behavior of our consumers.
      Nevertheless, let me openly tell you that we don’t believe you actually want to spend time looking at colors on the map. What you would probably want to know is whether you still have time to enjoy breakfast before leaving to work or not. With this in mind we developed My Commute. But hey, this doesn’t mean that you are using it wrong. I think you have some fair points that we will be happily implement in the next release.

      • http://twitter.com/EShy EShy

        My issue with My Commute and Traffic is that you’re limiting the usability based on that thought (that I probably just want to know what’s the best time to leave). that’s only one use case.

        Having traffic data on all the time makes more sense.

        Recalculating the route even when I’m on my commute shouldn’t interfere with the current feature set.

        Allowing me to delete commutes that are automatically added is a must feature. right now, destinations are added to my commute because I went there a couple of times so the Drive tile keeps showing me data on those even though it’s not relevant at all. when I open the drive app it goes to that commute too. it’s a little annoying actually.

        the daily commute is fine for the live tile, the rest not so much. a better feature for these other destinations is to allow me to pin a route to the start screen and have that show the time it will take to get there.

        The bottom line is, Nokia Drive is a good app, but it could be a great app. keep working at it and try not to limit feature based on how you think we should use it, leave that approach for the fruity companies

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Rustie-Kuntsz/100003049278140 Rustie Kuntsz

    iPhonys…suckas!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QH25RVNTUIAU7HT6DQ7CONEO2U havasu46

    Lumia 900 has offline maps too and you only have to down maps of US states that you use frequently. Really nice.

  • AskmeAD

    A few things I’m missing from my Lumia 900 Nokia Map / Drive are:
    1) Tap and hold on map to input destination on Nokia Drive. This is available on Nokia Map.
    2) Offline download for Nokia Map.3) Enter GPS coordinates for destination.
    4) Tap and hold to get GPS coordinates.
    5) Seamless integration between Nokia Map & Nokia Drive.
    I hope you are working on this for the not so distant future..

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @AskmeAD:disqus the point is that we are committed to develop new features. We can commit to this because the location business is strategic to us.

  • C38S

    Great work guys! Keep it up. Can’t wait to see what you bring to WP8

  • http://www.omreddy.com/ Mahesh

    Nice guys.. perfect timing.. :)

  • http://twitter.com/josch Jochen Schneider

    Nokia maps is really, really slow to download data on a Lumia 800. It’s barely usable.

    • Wiikinki

      Use faster connection, that should do the trick

  • http://twitter.com/faridouizid Farid

    I don’t see whats the point of advertising a product that is not avaible. I admit that nokia Lumia might be better than the iPhone 5, but what you do is: for example telling the iPhone 8 or 9 will be by far superior to the Lumia 900.
    If i want a phone, I won’t wait for Nokia, I grab the best on the “market” (that i can actually buy), in this case, the iPhone 5.

    • jotjot

      Then, you should go for Samsung, not iPhone 5.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Actually, as I mentioned in the blog post, the location experience I’m talking about is a Nokia signature since 6 years, @twitter-386491543:disqus . You can find it in any Nokia smartphones currently on the market.

  • obarthelemy

    Makes me wish your Map apps were available for Android ^^

    • http://conversations.nokia.com/ Adam Fraser

      You could always try m.maps.nokia.com – not an app, but web-based. Same POI database.

  • Tim Jones

    I do not travel outside of the US. This means that, as is, Google maps is the best option…

  • http://www.facebook.com/shpe11 Dan Matei

    nokia should tell the world more of this comparisons

    camera,battery,OS

    too bad that now can only refer to WP, and not MeeGo/symbian

  • GandangaTororo

    why count eggs as chickens? i do not have an iphone, but jobs had marketing strategy that works, release and sale.

    still waiting for the wp8, are there is the problem. we are waiting for the release of w8. damn nokia bring back nokia 5100.

  • Stoli89

    I’m wondering, will the WP Lumia devices allow users to create or download custom voices for the voice guided navigation? I really have fun with this feature on the Symbian powered N8.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      We will look into this @Stoli89:disqus , I’m happy you liked Own Voice on your Nokia N8.

  • zil_chica

    Gotta say, I was really disappointed that the first string of Lumia phones didn’t have offline map access (and this probably won’t be on any update), even though it was touted as a main feature – nobody mentioned it was just for Nokia Drive, but what’s the point of GPS if you don’t have a car? I had offline access on my old Nokia webphone, and not having that was one of the things that most frustrated me on iOS and Android.

  • SAMEER

    IT’S PURE FANTABULOUS PHONE

  • cristianer

    Cool

  • http://twitter.com/groenroos Oskari Groenroos

    My Lumia did let me down when visiting South Korea, since no maps are available there. However, the offline voice navigation was simply fabulous in Paris — being able to skirt 3G roaming fees and not being tied down to spotty Wi-Fi coverage, while still getting accurate directions in a foreign country was simply magic, that I know from experience is simply not there on Android or the iPhone (Google era or not). I #switched from Galaxy S, and haven’t regretted it for a day. Here’s hoping Korea will be mapped soon!

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Yes @twitter-153351549:disqus although we are mapping over 190 countries, there are some exception and Kores is one of them. But you can bet that we are working on it, because the mapping business is strategic to us.
      Moreover, I’m going to Korea myself very soon and I will put some pressure on the maps team ;-)

      • Stoli89

        To be honest, I think we’ll settle for South Korea for the time being. Republic of Korea to me more exact.

  • james mcintosh

    I’ve got an idea, SHIP THE 920 and I will buy it. A lot of this rhetoric is useless when you’ve not got a phone to buy.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Fair enough @google-9d2c3d7e45fad87cf617943775ba71a7:disqus however, consider that the mapping experience I’m talking about is already available in the Nokia smartphones currently available.

      • JLishere

        … which I’m not compelled to buy.

        • http://twitter.com/ginger_boy92 Syukri Lajin

          then it’s your problem.

          • JLishere

            Sure.

        • http://www.facebook.com/tatu.valjakka Tatu Valjakka

          The E7 (Symbian Belle) is much better than any Windows Phone at least for my business use. The biggest issue in it are the maps, which still are far from being reliable enough to use as the only navigator. And if what Pino says is right that on the new Lumias they are no better then why bother? By the way,another annoying bit in the E7 are the Microsoft apps of usual Microsoft usability that came with Belle refresh update and Lumias contain more of those.

  • vmgunz

    Well done, Nokia.. Hope you can send this information across more to the public..

  • Mario Erazo

    really cool, but with no phone in the market that you can actually buy… useless

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @google-9dd865498453be0c249bd4e506e0ae92:disqus the location experience I’m talking about is already available in the current devices on the market.

  • Pijay

    I know Nokia has a very solid mapping infrustructure, and they easily compete / beat Google and Apple in many areas. You can win in many of these categories, but what pissed me off about this article is the comparison of City Lense to Street View and Flyover. The big mistake Nokia can make is fooling customers. Don’t set the expectation for something that doesn’t exist. City Lense is used for exploration when you are in the area, unlike the other two technologies. Again, don’t fool people, and set the expectation high and then disappoint when people buy your product.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @Pijay:disqus I think the comparison is fair. Most people use Street View to orientate themselves by recognizing how the surrounding looks like. We bring that to the next level. Not only with Nokia City Lens but also, if you read well, with Nokia Maps as you can read here: http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/09/06/nokia-maps-for-windows-phone-8-goes-offline/
      You reach your destination but you can’t recognize the place? Bang, you fire up Street View on Android, or you use the augmented reality solution built in Nokia Maps.
      I will post soon a video that explain this much more in detail.

  • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

    Hi @disqus_bbc6b7JPet:disqus and @irfanullahjan:disqus thanks for praising Nokia Maps 3D online, we are also very proud of it. But you should know that for us 3D maps aren’t just beautiful to look at. We are building experiences here, not art.

    Experiences have to make sense, so you can actually use our 3D maps for much more than flyovers. Have a look here http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/12/07/nokia-maps-3d-now-with-navigation-and-share/ or here http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/04/04/new-features-on-maps-nokia-com-and-nokia-maps-suite-for-symbian/
    On mobile we are using the same 3d data to offer an accurate augmented reality experience. Because we know the exact shape of buildings we can tell you wich place of interest are in your line of sight or not. This is much more useful when you are out and about!

  • http://twitter.com/rdewes Rodrigo Dewes

    I went to North Korea and haven’t find a single map that does turn by turn navigation, shame on you!

  • mart

    Sad to see that at Nokia the good features are always in future tense. (as well as some basic ones).

  • eliking

    Thank you, Nokia, for providing the competition, and hopefully getting Google to offer search and routing offline in not too distant future.
    iPhone is no longer innovative enough to get Android to up its game, so it’s good to see a third player emerge and maintain the sort of competition we need to continue in this space.

  • Abhay_naik

    If Nokia wish to advertise itself as a mapping company, there is one thing that will force people to use Nokia Lumia for their navigation needs…..

    Provide a free “CAR MOUNT ACCESSORY” with every phone Lumia 920 device they sell.

    This is the only way people will use the Nokia drive app.

    The worst thing about Nokia Lumia 900 was that, these dedicated Nokia apps did not come pre installed. I had to download all the maps along with all the applications from marketplace. Not everyone will do that. Every Apple phone sold previously (except the new iphone 5) came with gmaps and youtube pre installed on their phones.

    People who can advertise Nokia maps to others are not the ones who buy a Nokia phone, its the one who use Nokia phones for Navigation. And unless its obvious from the get go (i.e. out of box) you wont get everyone who buys a Nokia phone to use Nokia maps….

    So two things I request Nokia to consider:

    1. Nokia Lumia 920 – Car mount

    2. All Nokia Mapping software pre installed with regional maps

    I am sick and tired of seeing the NOK staying in that $2- $3 range. We need to sell some Nokia phones here…

  • http://www.davidar.org Jonathan Davidar

    Very true. I have used Nokia Maps from phones such as the N97 Mini onwards and have seen the way it has improved in avatars such as the N9 and the Lumia 900. What I really like about the N9 avatar is the mention of exit numbers instead of directions to take the next exit. In India, I used the N97 Mini to navigate from Coorg to Bangalore. The directions were brilliant and navigated from the outskirts of the city to our destination in less than 40 minutes in rush hour, and that, if you know Bangalore traffic, is a miracle. I use it in offline mode and find that it works perfectly. Great work Nokia.

  • http://3dmee.com/!/Shiny.Pixels ShinyPixels

    Well I can only say I hoipe Nokia ‘actually’ ships this to all those countries pretty quickly else it’s all for nothing. (Much like Lumia 900 – wp8 is almost here and it’s only just been released in some of the countries… I like Nokia but it’s all just talk if they can’t get phones on the street for people to buy.

  • Vimal Kumar

    mobile+teamviwer= windows+teamviewer+7keypad
    7Keypad website

  • nokia is awsome

    nokia is the best for ever

  • http://www.facebook.com/robert.teir Robert Teir

    Last summer three friends and I enjoyed an amazing roadtrip accross USA. We drove from Miami to Los Angeles. Easy navigation was made possible by Nokia maps. The best, no roaming fees! Thankyou

  • Arcest

    You may be right in some points, but why may I buy a Windows Phone, if there are some extremely limited features, like the bluetooth (nothing to compare with Galaxy S2), or you can’t publish open source /GPL apps in Microsoft’s marketplace?

    Nokia may provide good maps but the Windows Phone 8 has major setbacks whatsoever.

    Furthermore I want to stick with my Google account and not being forced to use a Live/Outlook one.

  • Golden War

    my next phone is Lumia 920.
    for one main resone : turn-by-turn navigation is available for libya :)
    thanks nokia, good times google and go to hell apple

  • Ramkumar

    I agree.. offline turn by turn navigation.. Nokia Maps is the best one.. i use E71 (after 100 drops,, still it is not breaking :) what to do ?) and eagerly waiting for Lumia 920. Hope you guys will be a massive hit with Lumia 920…

    • Tom

      Lumia drive app is much worse then symbian version.

      • mart

        Absolutely agree. We badly need an update and not just for WP8 phones. What can we expect for WP7? Can current users get a specific answer from Nokia?

        • Tom

          No, this is @haikus:disqus answer:

          Pino • 12 hours ago • parent

          Hi @Tom we never comment on our roadmap or future features/products”

          • mart

            “we never comment on our roadmap”

            I’m not asking for the roadmap. I would just like to know what to expect for WP7 phones. We know about WP8 features, what about us?

          • Tom

            “We know about WP8 features”
            No, they still don’t show everything.

            ” I would just like to know what to expect for WP7 phones.”
            I think that they themselves do not know yet. ;)

          • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

            LOL @XP17:disqus ;-)
            For the current Nokia Lumia range we have already announced, but not yet released:
            - My Commute coming to UK, Germany, Russia and Brazil
            - new Nokia Transport with new UI and UX (details are coming soon)

          • Tom

            Wonderful! ;)
            But I’m not living in ” UK, Germany, Russia ”
            Nokia Transport don’t work in my country too. ;)

            What about really important features?
            - add to route,
            - avoid toll roads,
            - optimized/speed/shortest,
            - sync with web version (favourite, saved routes)
            - multipoint routes,
            - auto complete during typing,
            - tap on (gas station etc.) and go.
            - and…. many, many, more……

            Navigation is very important for me. Should I buy a new Lumia?

          • mart

            Agreed. Same questions here.

          • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

            I knew it, @XP17:disqus I’m never going to give you a satisfying answer, am I? ;-) Where do you live btw?
            Alas, for all the other questions you and @martj:disqus have, I can’t comment. We are working on new features and wider coverage, but they have not been announced yet.

          • Tom

            @haikus:disqus I appreciate your efforts (really), but you still do not give me answers to any important questions.

            ” Where do you live btw?”
            Poland.
            I live only 300 km away from you, and I can’t use all the features. ;)

          • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

            Hi @XP17:disqus sorry for the late answer.
            I know you appreciate my effort and I appreciate your contribution here, because it’s constructive.
            We should meet sometime ;-)

  • Kristian

    The maps app on my Lumia 800 is superb and I’ve come to rely on it for navigation out in the sticks where there’s poor, or no data connectivity. It’s about time Nokia started making a fuss about this. The new hardware looks fantastic and could actually start making a dent in the iOS/Android market share if people just started taking cold hard facts into consideration. The new Lumia 920 is more than a match for the latest iPhone, hardware wise, AND it looks fantastic too, with typical reassuring Nokia build quality as yet unmatched on ANY Android powered device.

    So start kicking up a fuss Nokia, let the world know you’re to be taken seriously again. The more people start to adopt Windows Mobile the more apps we’ll get and for me, that’s the only thing holding it back right now. As a mobile OS I agree with most commentators that Windows Phone is excellent. We’re just crying out for more quality apps.

  • D. Basu

    Google recently announced support for turn-by-turn navigation for India.

  • julizen

    I ve suffered the google maps in a recent travel to a foreing country: you cant make any search even if you previously downloaded the maps, only online (with high fees). For my next travel, nokia for sure. Even my old nokia 5800 is more useful than a SGIII for offline navigation.

    • Stoli89

      Yes, my venerable 5800Xm makes an excellent off line navigator since it’s only a backup phone now and I do not keep a SIM in it.

  • http://twitter.com/peterme Peter Merholz

    Yes, instead of expending effort comparing your not-yet-available phone to those that are, maybe you should expend effort in SHIPPING the damn thing.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @twitter-1154:disqus you should be aware that the location experience I’m talking about here is already available in the Nokia smartphones currently on the market. Actually it has been so for the last 6 years.

  • obit8

    U are crazy, because u consider only what i Galaxy S in pre installed. How many apps in android market works with offline maps for example??
    Turn by turn navigation with wich application???? Sygic, wisepilot, tom tom, navigon??? U can choose.
    This article is not so complete!!!! And this is a bad idea, also because if u take Galaxy SIII, u buy an android phone, this is the difference.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @disqus_hk5AM0otUH:disqus I think it’s fair to compare ou-of-the-box experiences. Yes you can include also third-party apps, but then not only on Android, also on iOS and Windows Phone. And if they are feature complete they are not free.
      At the end of the day, it’s not about apps, but about experiences. What is compared here is what makes a smartphone location aware, it’s the location content and platform. The engines that make location-based apps work without them to build something on top of the OS.

  • http://twitter.com/MubasharAbrar Mubashar Abrar

    There are no maps for Pakistan

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @twitter-31684790:disqus we are working on it

  • srikapardhi

    I <3 Nokia Maps so much that i use them to explore places that i'm already aware of,may sound sunny but true.I'm quite fascinated with the Navigation pointer that moves along exactly with almost accurate mapping info as we move by ;)

  • http://www.facebook.com/jun.alagano Jun Labonete Alagano

    Try to use NAVDROYD is an offline GPS and you can download all countries maps for offline and works perfect…samsung galaxy s3 is right you.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @facebook-100001225343472:disqus it’s not only about one app, it’s about how location enabled the smartphone is. This is why we are only comparing out-of-the-box experiences. The Nokia Location Platform is indeed powering the whole Windows Phone 8 OS i.e. the location experience here described is part of the OS it’s not limited to one app.

  • Poul_Haacker

    How fast is nokias maps? I have an s3 and have downloaded maps for both london and berlin, but GPS location times were so slow and map loading times were slow alse. It resulted in an oldschool paper map being faster every time. A bit disappointing!

    • Tom

      Really fast. GPS location takes few seconds.

      Now maps are (WP7 ) online only, but in WP8 you’ll can download everything you need, and than work offline.
      Nokia Drive (navigation) is full offline (in WP7 too), and work’s really fast.

      • Poul_Haacker

        Think my next phone is a Windows phone. Seems really solid.

  • http://www.facebook.com/tatu.valjakka Tatu Valjakka

    Nokia maps let me down big time last week in Geneve and Grenoble. I have a new E7 (much better phone than any of the WP junk BTW). I installed the maps I thought I’d need and then decided to update the one for Grenoble area. Well, that of course was not possible – you update all of them or lose them. Idiotic!
    In the end, when I needed the navigation it did not recognize 4 year old roads, including a major motorway.
    That could have been expected, because it did take quite a while for Nokia to notice that there was a new motorway between Espoo and Salo. And if Nokia maps does not work there then it’s hard to figure where it would…

    So how about you guys focus on getting your own things in order? Apple at least is now hiring map specialists to fix the issue.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @facebook-745012917:disqus we are continuously updating our coverage and we understood from user tests that updating all the (downloaded) maps at the same time is the most convenient approach.
      If you find inaccuracies, you can report them at http://mapreporter.navteq.com, however please consider that we validate all reports very carefully before integrating them in our maps.
      Last but not least, in my post I explicitly described how strategic the location business is to us. We have been investing in it for the past 6 years and continue to do so.

  • Ilkka Väänänen

    Nokia Maps- where is lakes Likolampi and Pitkälampi in Parikkala Finland?

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @google-f8b64d2226124920367f0d05d66b337f:disqus I’ve just searched for both lakes and found them on Nokia Maps. Do you get wrong results?

  • http://mobilecrazies.com/ Anirudh Sharma

    @haikus:disqus I simply love the maps app not only for its offline use but for its regional support. the only thing i came across was its ever hungry nature for battery (with the lumia 800). is there a way to make navigation more energy efficient.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @gomcoite:disqus of course battery consumption is a great deal for us and we are continuously working on better ways to manage it. However, please consider that the largest consumption doesn’t come from the app itself but from having the display constantly on.

  • http://www.facebook.com/uvramana Venkata Ramana

    I have been using nokia drive for the past 5 months or so and impressed by it. I see that there is support for several languages for the navigation voice. But I was disappointed as Telugu (india) is not one of them. It is the second most spoken language in india, would love to be able to use it in my nokia drive.

  • http://www.facebook.com/geoff.vandenouden Geoff van den Ouden

    Last week I travelled through Lefkada, a small Greek Island, with my wife. We explored the whole island on a quad, but boy was I glad to bring my Lumia 800 with Nokia Drive. Even in the smallest village high up in the mountains, Nokia Drive helped us out when we were lost. Even without internet connection, the navigation was awesome.

    Unfortunately, the Android phone of my wife was completely useless during the whole trip ;)

  • http://www.facebook.com/alexander.zinchenko Alexander Zinchenko

    Great picture. It says “if you need traffic info in Nokia Drive – throw you old Lumia into the trash and buy new one”

  • http://twitter.com/paazmaya Juga Paazmaya

    Please fill in Japan.

  • Faey Lands

    Faey.Net
    @faeylands …….

  • Faey Lands

    ……………………….

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1445211658 Mohit Abhishek

    Nokia maps are better than Google Maps but for India, it’s around 500MB in size but actually it covers only major cities especially the state capitals & other major ones.

    But, for google maps; exact details are available for smaller towns even for the villages.

    Navigation is a lot accurate for Nokia Maps but coverage is far lower than Google Maps

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @facebook-1445211658:disqus thank you for your feedback, which we are going to take on board.

    • Shadab Khan

      “Nokia maps are better than Google Maps”
      Have you even made a comparison?
      Better in which sense?
      Ever made a comparison with google maps while trying to find a place and locate it?

      Even in cities, nokia maps falls really short of the experience that google maps provide.

  • http://www.facebook.com/smithnkole Mulenga Nkole

    i like nokia maps but the problem is that there is no turn by turn navigation in zambia. I use google maps for turn by turn navigation which i can’t use offline. When are these guys adding more countries like zambia.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Hi @facebook-100000720874564:disqus although we offer navigation in over 100 countries, Zambia isn’t one of them, but of course we’re committed to extend our coverage.

  • Dorin Procopciuc

    I think Nokia will sell more if they make phones also with Android.
    So the customer can choose if buy a Nokia with Windows Phone or a Nokia with Android.

  • kiss

    Well this just the competention what is the nokia strong ! Lets do an nother one where look at the all knowledge of the phone.. ‘. Well dont serch no more i tell yu.. the samsung the best ヅ send fom: Samsung Galaxy Note

  • bloggingpig

    would be nice if Nokia finally got around to adding detailed a maps of major cities in Japan. Right now, can’t even use a Nokia to navigate Tokyo properly – can’t see any of the minor streets there.

  • mart

    We switched from N8 to Lumia in the hope that we would get (at least) the same quality of services. Sad to see how Nokia downgraded nav apps. Basic features still missing after a year… We had trust in you, but you don’t even care to answer if we would get the same features we had been used to on previous Nokia phones. (And no, I’m not intending to buy a new phone after 6 months…)

  • sam

    Nokia is the king of smartphone copycat cann’t be king apple is just selfish and that is what is killing them i have c7-00 very good phone inshort all nokia smartphone are superior to all of them in functions

  • stefan

    The globe of the mapping is nice, but seriously, why does Nokia maps still not support Japan ?

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      Because we want to get the quality of our Japanese data right before entering that highly competitive market, @disqus_aNu7WMfOzU:disqus

  • http://www.facebook.com/nan.zhang.566 Nan Zhang

    Yes, this is way I insist on using Nokia and never change to any other brand. I take my Nokia smartphone since E66 to N8-00 till now I plan to buy a new Lumia 920. I took my nokia everywhere in the world Europe China but unfortunately the map service is not available in South Korean. Besides that Nokia is excellent, the voice guide cld be chosen in a lot of differents languages, which is so wonderful not only to but also my friends from other countries. When I dirve in a foreign country Icld even guide the local guy, isn’t it wonder?!

  • VinnU

    Is’t Nokia Mapping and Google Mapping is similar……

  • BronYrAur

    I can’t wait until Nokia adds maps for Korea and Japan! I mean, I know that Nokia doesn’t sell phones in those countries, and that people that buy Nokia phones never, ever travel outside of their home countries–especially to Korea and Japan–but still, it will be exciting to have a more complete set of maps.

    • http://twitter.com/haikus Pino

      I hear you @BronYrAur:disqus, I was in South Korea myself 2 weeks ago and now I know what it means not to have Nokia Maps available.
      Both Korea and Japan are nevertheless important to us and we are working hard on expanding our maps coverage.

  • http://twitter.com/alessandrouk Alessandro Moraes

    Hello

    I’m having a big problem and the team of Nokia Maps, are doing unnecessary messes.

    Why withdrew the edition of favorites, I can not change the names of the streets!
    Another put “Manage” if it only serves to create a folder, and can not rename.

    Detail stupid programmers, all lost their favorite names.

    Another factor in Nokia Belle, my favorites are gone and can not synchronize, why the Application Belle Nokia Maps is like NOKIA MAPS and MAPS HERE had to change.

    If you are going to update, check first if it is possible, not to do stupid things Programmer child.

    Definitely not synchronize, the names of streets on the Site Maps Here there can not rename the favorites and routes, “Manage” only serves to create a folder and nothing else.

    Nokia Drive for windows phone 7.5 does not synchronize bookmarks and does not search the address book.

    My god, resources so simple and programmers make mistakes and simply can not see.

    Fatal Errors that can not happen, the staff of Nokia Maps, Google Maps does not see in comparison how easy it is to edit addresses sync etc. ..

    Now I lost all my routes Belle Nokia N8, by the staff of stupidity Maps.

    Sorry for the words thick, but you can not accept those mistakes infant.
    Accessibility and Ease the nokia misses and hits a 20, complicating the user’s life.

    Thanks

    User alessandrouk

    Translate by Google

  • Marcel

    Completely lost with Nokia Drive in Peru.
    Outside of Lima it does not even know some of the main roads.
    And in Peru, that means a detour of many hundreds of km.
    And many times the gps is more than 500 meters away from reality.
    In Europe maps seem very outdated. Changes in the road or new roads that have finished 2 years ago, are still not updated.
    I thought that Nokia could be an alternative for TomTom, but it can’t.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1304410832 Bilal Jamil

    please bring nokia maps for Pakistan :( despratly needed. using lumia 800

  • Shadab Khan

    Still have lot of work to do in India. Comparing to google maps, there are hardly any places and roads marked on Nokia here maps.

    Unless the map carries location information like name of the places/landmarks/roads etc its just a nice graphic. Sadly that’s what it is right now compared to Google maps.

    Of course I am talking only about India