ESPOO, Finland - Nokia has just pulled the dust sheet off a landmark development that sees the introduction of free global walk and drive satellite navigation for Nokia smartphones. Today's milestone move has been realized via a new version of Ovi Maps that includes voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation and a bunch of other smart sat-nav talents, initially covering 74 countries in 46 languages.
Read on to get the full lowdown on what's on offer. Plus, discover which Nokia handsets are immediately compatible with the new free sat-nav update of Ovi Maps.
One of the most exciting aspects of today's news is the fact that all new GPS-enabled Nokia smartphones from March 2010 will come with this fresh version of Ovi Maps installed, meaning free global sat-nav is now a staple ingredient in all top-end Nokia handsets from here on in. In the meantime Nokia is also making free sat-nav immediately available to heaps of existing devices - sharing pole position are the Nokia N97 mini, 5800 XpressMusic, 5800 Navigation Edition, E52, E55, E72, 5230, 6710 Navigator, 6730 classic and X6. More handsets are expected to be added over the coming weeks, and you'll be able to keep clued-in on the most up-to-date list of compatible devices at the Ovi Maps site.
As for how it'll all work, it really couldn't be simpler. Once you've got this latest version of Ovi Maps installed on your Nokia smartphone, you'll be faced with free instant worldwide access to top quality pedestrian and in-car sat-nav. It's all in there with no hidden costs or surprises, meaning you get unlimited access to free sat-nav for the entire lifetime of your device. When you're sat in the driver's seat you'll receive turn-by-turn voice guidance with smart features including lane guidance, traffic info (in over 10 countries), as well as safety camera and speed warnings. Likewise, on-foot you'll receive clever guidance that exploits shortcuts through parks and pedestrian-only spots for over 100 cities worldwide. This is bolstered by over 6,000 3D landmarks in over 200 cities to make it even easier to recognize where you are and where you need to be. Plus, this update includes free access to premium extras, such as Lonely Planet and Michelin guides with info on over 1,000 destinations.
You'll be able to tap into high quality and more energy efficient maps for over 180 countries - Ovi Maps features smart hybrid vector maps that are far less data-heavy than typical map images, meaning you can download and update them via your device faster and more efficiently. Storing these maps on your handset means your phone doesn't need to be connected to your network to stream info, saving extra battery juice for longer road trips or rambles.
Anssi Vanjoki is Executive Vice President at Nokia, and had this to say about today's announcement:
"We want to make using your mobile for navigation as familiar as using it to send a text or take a picture. We believe that making the best maps with voice guided navigation available for free will be the catalyst to do this. Why have a mobile phone and a separate car navigation system that works in only one country or region? Put the two together, make it free, make it global and you have something that is truly useful and can help you get round almost any city in the world whether you’re on foot or driving.”
If you own any of the handsets detailed above visit Ovi Maps to get free sat-nav on your Nokia device today.
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