MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

Free turn-by-turn navigation coming to all Nokia smartphones

January 21, 2010

Nokia has announced the upcoming release of a new, free version of Ovi Maps for all its smartphones, which includes turn-by-turn voice navigation for 74 countries in 46 languages, real-time traffic updates for 10 countries, and maps for over 180 countries.

It's news that's sure to make Tom Tom and Navigon shareholders wince, but it's not like they didn't have any warning - Nokia purchased mapping and navigation company Navteq for $8.1 billion dollars back in 2007.

The move pushes the navigation features in Nokia smartphones ahead of those running Google's Android operating system, which had free turn-by-turn navigation added in version 1.6 (but only functions within the U.S.), and the iPhone, where this kind of functionality requires a yearly fee.

Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President at Nokia said "Why have multiple devices that work in only one country or region? Put it all together, make it free, make it global and you almost double the potential size of the mobile navigation market".

Currently supported devices include the X6, N97 mini, E72, E55, E52, 6730 classic, 6710 Navigator, 5800 Xpressmusic, 5800 Navigation Edition and the 5230, with support for other Nokia devices coming soon. Head over to nokia.com/maps for the free download.

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4 Comments

Just a few years we paid 3800.00 USD for one in car system and 400.00 for map upgrades just for the USA.

Gr8 move

Hans R Luginbuhl
21st January, 2010 @ 08:55 am PST

I wonder if apple will have to follow now they have brought their own maps... that would be great .

t2af
22nd January, 2010 @ 05:11 am PST

This "FREE FOR ALL," is a fase... the number of mobile phones it applies to is very limited. It appears the only Symbien platform it works on (or should I say is free for) is: S60 3.2.3, symbien OS 9.3. Hardley free for all. I presently use a relitively new model, E66 and navigation is still a paid application. Lots of hype, buss and fan fare but in reality a very limited "FREE APPLICATION." I will be pleasently surprised if Nokia lives up to the hype and truly makes it FREE FOR ALL, I suggest you monitor this situation as Nokia has got millions of $$ in free plubicity on this for a very small sampling group, in short a marketing coup!

equator180
27th January, 2010 @ 09:17 pm PST

I've yet to check if free is truly free. Just installed it and will take it for a spin around Melbourne tomorrow... My phone is the navigator.

Zulkef Abdul
19th February, 2010 @ 05:28 am PST