Review: Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta

I've had a few days to get familiar with the new Nokia Maps 2.0 beta, and I must say I'm impressed with the sheer amount of features and options presented over the previous version. For starters, Nokia Maps 2.0 beta is a free download available from the Nokia Beta Labs. Nokia Maps should be compatible with all S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack phones, "including N81, N81 8GB, N82, N95, N95 8GB, E90. If you are using N95, please make sure you have the latest firmware (20.0.015 or newer). You can update the firmware with Nokia Software Updater. Navigation features require either built-in GPS or external Bluetooth GPS receiver such as Nokia Bluetooth GPS Module LD-4W."

Nokia has finally put out a mapping solution that can compete with that of TomTom and other well known mapping/navigation software. I do find it a bit frustrating that you need to pay for so many services to get the full functionality out of the software, however the application itself is very impressive. 

To install the application(from Nokia Beta Labs): 

Step 1: Download the correct version of Nokia Maps to your PC and install it with PC suite or transfer the sis file to your phone.

Step 2: Launch the Nokia Maps application on your phone if installed with PC suite or locate the sis file and run it. Follow the instructions. Launch application after installation finishes.

Step 3: (optional): Download and install Nokia Map Loader for your Windows PC from this page. Follow the on-screen instructions during installation.

Step 4: (optional): Download map files with Nokia Map Loader and transfer them to your phone. Start exploring your world!

Now that we have that out of the way, let's actually look at what's new. First off, right when you open the new Nokia Maps you are presented with a completely new interface. The mapping system looks much cleaner, offers a integrated search function (very handy), along with numerous new options.

New Mapping Options

Nokia Maps 2.0 brings some new mapping options to the table, most notably the option to view Satellite and Hybrid maps. If you are familiar with Google maps, these will be quite recognizable to you; if not -you're in for a new experience. These options can be selected by going into the 'Map Mode' in the main menu, which presents your 4 modes for map displays.

    Normal Mapping Option         3D Mapping Option            Satellite Mapping Option              Hybrid Mode

Improved Navigation Interface

This is where I can honestly say I was most pleased. All too often I have seen users installing TomTom on their Nokia, and then using an external GPS. The sole reason for this was that Nokia Maps didn’t offer developed and usable navigation option. The new platform is completely overhauled, offering a very user friendly experience.

         Hybrid Mode                         Drive Navigation                  Drive Navigation                 Drive Navigation 

 (High Resolution -Detroit)            (Bird's-Eye View)                  (Maneuver Mode)                (Bird's-Eye View)  

Once the GPS has a lock on your current location, you can scroll or search for a destination -which you can then set a waypoint to Walk, Drive, or send to another user (via Text/Multimedia Message, Bluetooth, or Infrared). You can then select between three view modes -Maneuver, Bird's-Eye, and Arrow. The new modes allow user preference while navigating, and really challenge that of popular commercial software. 

      Mode Selection                        Mode Selection                   Location Options                      Night Mode

Keep in mind the 'Drive To' option is not free; however a 3 day trial is included with the initial download. You can also purchase the 'Walk To' function separate, however the Drive packages includes both. Also worth noting is the 3 year plan has been dropped, and the longest plan now is one year at 69 Euros (or about $100 USD). I think this to be a bit much for a one year subscription, however it would depend on how you plan to use the navigation feature.

Once in navigation mode you are presented with a different options menu (shown below), which has the following options:

1. 2D/3D - Appears to swap between Maneuver and Bird's Eye view

2. Repeat - repeat a previous route

3. Night Mode - Map goes to negative colors, see screenshot above.

4. Save Place - Save location or place for future reference.

5. Different Route - Detour your route for any reason

6. Volume - Voice Navigation and Sound level

7.  Stopovers - Add stops to your navigation (Gas, food, etc)

8. Traffic Info - Available in 18 European cities, not free

9. Route Info -  Displays useful trip information including trip distance, time, average speed, and total distance.

10. Zoom In - Zooms map in

11. My Position - Places the highlighted circle on your current location

12. Zoom Out -  Zooms map out

The menu is also key pad mapped, so hitting a number will activate the corresponding option.

       Nav. Options Menu                 Bird's-Eye View                      Arrow View                        Pricing Outline 

Integrated Search Box, Travel Guides, and Traffic Updates

With the release of Nokia Maps 2.0 comes a fully integrated Search box. The search box, very similar to the Nokia Search found on many standby screens, allows users to quickly search for a number of locations and accommodations. The results from the search can be displayed in alphabetical or sorted by distance, and can then be selected to 'Drive To' or 'Walk To'.

Real time traffic guides (not free) are now also an option in Maps 2.0. These traffic feeds allow dynamic rerouting of navigation, and is currently supported in 18 European countries. Since I do not live in a large European city, I wasn't able to fully test the usefulness of this feature. I would imagine Nokia will continue to add cities over time, hopefully those in North America will be on that list. The traffic guides will inform you of traffic jams and collisions, along with road work in the area. We have also been warned that traffic feeds transmit large amounts of data, so make sure you have a hefty data plan. 

Another new feature of Nokia Maps is the ability to download travel guides for a number of major international cities. The guides are a nice touch when in the vicinity of a large city, but I am shocked that Nokia thinks its a also good idea to charge for these. This information could be easily found by opening up a browser, just much less convenient. The guides do however make it very easy to locate Accommodations, Entertainment, Dining, and several other sought after locations without ever leaving the Map application. They also allow for streaming images, audio, and video of the selected city.

       Quick Search Box                    Travel Guide                  'Visiting the City' Results               Location Data 

Known issues: (directly from Nokia Beta Labs)

• Traffic info service has a known defect that it is downloading too much data when activated. We recommend you do not purchase or use Traffic info with this Beta release.
• New map data (upgrade via the new Map Loader) is also still in beta and, for example, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are not drawn correctly.
• If you are using N95, please make sure you have the latest firmware (20.0.015 or newer). You can update the firmware with Nokia Software Updater.
• The help texts have not yet been updated from previous Maps version.
• Localization is not completed in all languages so some menu items might still be in English.
• If your phone has an older version of Maps application in its firmware, it is not possible to uninstall the Beta version. To go back to the old Maps version, you will have to first remove e:\cities folder from your memory card and then install the older version from maps.nokia.com.
• Some services like Drive and Walk navigation and City guides require purchase.

Given that the new Nokia Maps is completely free (the application atleast), there is no reason you shouldn’t give it a run. It is a huge leap forward from the previous mapping application, and the new mapping modes are quite impressive. My only disappoint comes from the idea of Nokia charging us for Drive/Walk navigation, Travel Guides, and Traffic services. This seems a bit much, as the functionality is slightly crippled if you don't pay out something. I would have loved to see the Drive and Walk navigation, along with the travel guides come bundled right in. Nokia could then present the option to purchase voice navigation and traffic updates, which would give us more functionality with the option to purchase the real 'extras'. Since these things were not free in the previous version, expecting anything else in the new version would be quite a leap of faith.

Even with these slight drawbacks, Nokia Maps comes highly recommended even in its 'beta' state. Click the download link below to head over to the Nokia Beta Labs for the installation file.

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