Nokia's free 'Here' maps coming to Apple's iOS with offline support
Nokia on Tuesday announced it will bring a new mapping service dubbed "Here" to Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
The HTML5-based maps will include offline capabilities, voice-guided walk navigation, and public transportation directions. Nokia said Here will launch on the iOS App Store in the coming weeks.
"People want great maps, and with Here we can bring together Nokia's location offering to deliver people a better way to explore, discover and share their world," said Nokia President and CEO Stephen Elop. "Additionally, with HERE we can extend our 20 years of location expertise to new devices and operating systems that reach beyond Nokia. As a result, we believe that more people benefit from and contribute to our leading mapping and location service."
Nokia's new mapping service will also be available on its own handsets that run Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, and dedicated Here applications will also come to Google's Android and Mozilla's Firefox OS.
The Finnish handset maker also announced that it plans to enhance the 3D capabilities of Here with the acquisition of earthmine, a maker of reality capture and processing technologies.
"Maps are hard to get right - but location is revolutionizing how we use technology to engage with the real world," said Michael Halbherr, executive vice president of Location & Commerce and responsible for the Here brand. "That's why we have been investing and will continue to invest in building the world's most powerful location offering, one that is unlike anything in the market today."
The debut of Here on iOS means Nokia will take on Apple's own Maps application found in the iOS 6 operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Users and pundits have deemed Apple's mapping solution to be inferior to its predecessor, which was powered by Google Maps.
Criticism of iOS 6 Maps became so pronounced that Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook issued an apology in September, acknowledging "the frustration this has caused our customers." Cook vowed that Apple's Maps would improve, but also suggested alternative applications for users to turn to in the meantime.
Google is believed to be working on a dedicated iOS App Store application for its own Google Maps product. In the meantime, the service is available through the Safari browser on iOS devices.
The HTML5-based maps will include offline capabilities, voice-guided walk navigation, and public transportation directions. Nokia said Here will launch on the iOS App Store in the coming weeks.
"People want great maps, and with Here we can bring together Nokia's location offering to deliver people a better way to explore, discover and share their world," said Nokia President and CEO Stephen Elop. "Additionally, with HERE we can extend our 20 years of location expertise to new devices and operating systems that reach beyond Nokia. As a result, we believe that more people benefit from and contribute to our leading mapping and location service."
Nokia's new mapping service will also be available on its own handsets that run Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, and dedicated Here applications will also come to Google's Android and Mozilla's Firefox OS.
The Finnish handset maker also announced that it plans to enhance the 3D capabilities of Here with the acquisition of earthmine, a maker of reality capture and processing technologies.
"Maps are hard to get right - but location is revolutionizing how we use technology to engage with the real world," said Michael Halbherr, executive vice president of Location & Commerce and responsible for the Here brand. "That's why we have been investing and will continue to invest in building the world's most powerful location offering, one that is unlike anything in the market today."
The debut of Here on iOS means Nokia will take on Apple's own Maps application found in the iOS 6 operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Users and pundits have deemed Apple's mapping solution to be inferior to its predecessor, which was powered by Google Maps.
Criticism of iOS 6 Maps became so pronounced that Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook issued an apology in September, acknowledging "the frustration this has caused our customers." Cook vowed that Apple's Maps would improve, but also suggested alternative applications for users to turn to in the meantime.
Google is believed to be working on a dedicated iOS App Store application for its own Google Maps product. In the meantime, the service is available through the Safari browser on iOS devices.
Comments
So, it's a mapping system for hit men? :smokey:
Edit: I just saw where the app will be a free feature-limited version, so Nokia can capture the data to help improve the full-featured Lumia version.
Nokia maps are really very good.
Check the web version out:
http://maps.nokia.com
A better article is at:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/nokia-here-maps-iphone/
Including this (emphasis mine):
Quote:
Nokia has emphasized the power and thoroughness of its mapping database, which has information on 200 countries, in an effort to distinguish its new Lumia smartphones from the competition. For instance, when Apple’s new maps system turned out to have some embarrassing lapses, Nokia published a blog post that compared its maps with Apple’s and Google’s and, of course, concluded the Nokia maps were better.
But Nokia’s Lumia smartphones haven’t sold very well. So why give away its secret sauce to rivals?
Stephen Elop, chief executive of Nokia, said in an interview that in order to ensure that its mapping platform stays competitive, it needs lots of users. The more people who look up directions or search for locations on its maps, the smarter the system gets. And Nokia can still build exclusive location features into its Lumia phones, he said.
“For the location platform to be at the highest quality, one needs scale, and you need as many different people contributing as possible,” Mr. Elop said. “Of course, Nokia will build apps, some of them unique to Lumia devices, that gain a competitive advantage for Nokia.”
It appears that Nokia is more practical than either Apple of Google!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Nokia maps are really very good.
Check the web version out:
http://maps.nokia.com
What's with Paris, France and no 3D (Nokia, Google Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps)?
I am a big Flying Buttress kinda guy and I want my 3D!
Quote:
Originally Posted by quinney
If it is a paid app, the revenue could help keep Nokia on life support a little longer.
If they sold a million apps at $10 each, you think a measly $10 million would do anything for Nokia (with a net loss of $1.18 billion last quarter)?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Nokia maps are really very good.
Check the web version out:
http://maps.nokia.com
Its OK but I hate the 'look' of it and zooming is too sensitive with my Magic Mouse. Google Maps is still the best. On my iPhone I use Apple Maps as much as possible because it works the best. The only problem is that it gets most locations wrong and knows very few basic POI's :-(. I have notified Apple about dozens of location where the pin drops several blocks away from the actual location, but so far nothing has changed.
Well, I said a little longer
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
... maps will include offline capabilities, voice-guided walk navigation, and public transportation directions. ...
If Nokia can do this, and Apple maps are based off the same data (and even if they weren't), why the f*ck can't Apple include walking and transit directions in their app?
More like they can't rely on MS to save them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
... maps will include offline capabilities, voice-guided walk navigation, and public transportation directions. ...
If Nokia can do this, and Apple maps are based off the same data (and even if they weren't), why the f*ck can't Apple include walking and transit directions in their app?
It is not the same data. I don't think that it is a matter of Apple can't, they just didn't have time to complete the app before they needed to launch. Pity that they put the burden on the third party devs because eventually they will probably integrate that functionality and the devs will be SOL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Curtis Hannah
Nokia is trying to compete with google and apple maps, why get themselves slapped in the face, they can't compete, I have never used it but I Can not see why this would beat Apple espicially of paid, why buy with a built in free better app, it looks like its just showing there still trying (like there failing phones).
The title of this article says FREE. Have you looked at the web version. It is pretty impressive. The data is top notch. NavTeq is the absolutely best satellite imagery out there and their street data is second to none. Apple maps is really a distant third place at best. Being the default Map on iOS gives them the advantage as it is integrated with Siri but both Google and Nokia have top notch mapping offerings.
Here is a current list of what Nokia offers
Driving and walking turn-by-turn with international voice guidance
Live traffic rerouting in some countries
Live traffic visualization on the map in some countries
Third-party content such as ViaMichelin and Lonely Planet
Location-aware social networking to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and many other networks
Street maps can be preloaded and used offline
Street maps can be loaded via wifi from the phone
Weather app – local conditions by the hour and forecasts for the week
Night View
Satellite Maps
Terrain Maps
3D buildings and 3D maps
Public Transit Lines and routing in some cities
Save favorites
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_CA
How would MS save iOS 6?
Er, the poster was referring to MS potentially saving Nokia by collaboration on the Lumia models.
But MS could 'save' Apple's iOS by winning its case current case against Google's misuse of FRAND patents, which would set a precedent.
Rather important given the termination of the Apple v Motorola FRAND suit.
Think back to last week's PR spin from google saying they didn't think their map app would be approved and this announcement by Nokia.
Google suckered the majority of you into negatively commenting on apple's policies and practices when in reality they were really trying to cover up for the fact that they had months to prepare a new maps app for iOS and couldn't be bothered to devote adequate resources to it and/or wanted to see Apple squirm.
Please try to remember this lesson for the future and learn to be able to recognize blatant PR dirty tricks/BS when you see it.
Also, notice that Nokia states that they needed to release it multiplatform, so as many users possible can use it so that they can remain competitive, as the system gets more intelligent the more usage it gets. Apple was mocked and attacked for saying this exact thing, and instead so many stated that Apple should have 'perfected' the app in their labs before releasing it, a ludicrous expectation.