08 February 2008

New version of Nokia Maps application
to be available soon for public

Just to briefly inform you that I’ve just got an exclusive copy of the latest Beta version of the Nokia maps application and I am truly proud I'll be able to give you a preview of the upcoming Nokia Maps 2.0!

Unfortunately I can’t tell you what I personally think about latest update after few minutes of testing but I can say that Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta offers a lot of new features.

Features like Drive or Walk mode, satellite and hybrid view for selected bigger cities and the Real time traffic information (RTTI) feature that I've just wrote about in another article.

It also brings better 3D mode and application is overall faster, better, and more definitely beautiful. The beta offers satellite maps in 200 cities worldwide. Satellite maps can be turned on when browsing the map and also in the Walk mode as well. Sure, satellite maps are downloaded over the air and are saved automatically so next time you start Maps and highlight the same location satellite maps will be there and you'll no need to download them again.

This is a completely new version of the software and unfortunately can’t use the maps that I have preloaded on my memory card already, This version requires maps re-downloading but I am on the EDGE connection at the moment and I just have to prolong it for tomorrow morning. That’s all for now, more to come in upcoming days, in meantime you can find the short overview of the new features.

Pedestrian navigation: Bigger cities are more and more pedestrian-oriented and less suited for cars, therefore Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta offers you the possibility to explore a city by walking! Breadcrumbs show your previous position and mark down the route you’ve been walking. Stop at any place you’d like to and continue your route afterwards. Navigation is visual and without voice guidance. To start a pedestrian navigation, choose your destination and select Walk to from the selection key menu (in the middle of your mobile device). Please note that you need a valid navigation license to use pedestrian navigation (there is a 3-day free trial available for each device).

*click to enlarge

Satellite and hybrid images: Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta offers satellite and hybrid view maps for selected bigger cities. Satellite images offer an accurate map view and they display individual city buildings. You can change the view from the normal map view to satellite or hybrid map view via Options > Map mode > Satellite or Hybrid. Downloading satellite images may involve the transmission of large amounts of data through your service provider’s network. Contact your service provider for information about data transmission charges.

Improved user interface for car navigation: Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta offers clear guidance and improved visual elements for car navigation. Try it yourself by just choosing your destination and select Drive to from the selection key (in the middle of your mobile device). Please note that you need a valid navigation license to use car navigation (there is a 3-day free trial available for each device).

One box search: One box search to search for addresses or places that interest you is available with start-up of the application! Just enter the address or name of a place for which you are looking in the search field and press Search. The results are displayed, sorted by category. Please note that you do not necessarily need to enter all letters of an address. It is, for example, enough to enter the first three letters of a street name. Of course this increases the number of search results.

Multimedia city guides: This new type of city guide features photos, videos, and audio streams. This new method of accessing information about a certain city has a lot of advantages compared to traditional electronic or written city guides. Multimedia City Guides have to be purchased as an additional feature via Options > Extras > Guides.

Real time traffic information (RTTI): Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta offers real-time traffic feeds and dynamic rerouting in 18 European countries. Real-time traffic feeds inform you of collisions, roadworks, and traffic jams. After the feed is received, the device can dynamically re-route you to avoid a traffic event. RTTI is a feature that can be purchased separately. You can purchase RTTI via Options > Extras > Traffic info. Note that the usage of RTTI may involve the transmission of large amounts of data through your service provider’s network. Contact your service provider for information about data transmission charges.