Preview Of New Nokia Maps v2.0 Beta
I was lucky enough to get a chance to preview the new version of Nokia Maps, v2.0. There’s tons of cool new features in this update, and I’m excited to be able to explore with it and let you guys know what to expect. I’ve attached a Flickr slideshow with a bunch of screenshots I took to show off some of the new features, which I’ll also highlight below.
I have a full license for all the features included in this Beta, so if you have anything you want me to check out, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment asking specific questions. I’ll be heading out and about tomorrow via foot and by car, to give every feature a good working-over, so please leave plenty of things for me to try out.
The new Maps 2.0 will be pre-installed on any future devices, and will be available soon as a download from Nokia Beta Labs. It also comes with an updated Map Loader application, so that you can take advantage of several of the new features. Click through to get a quick overview of what’s changed, what’s new, and everything else.
The Drive and Walk features have been split, so that you can purchase the Walk guidance separately for a little cheaper. The Drive license includes the Walk license. Simply put, Nokia has added even MORE flexible purchasing options. They’ve also done away with the 3-year license, which is fine by me. I would assume they didn’t really sell too many, so it’s not a big loss.
Drive now features the ability to save routes, as well as plan stopovers. Real-time traffic updates are available in 18 European countries, with more coming soon. You can specify in the application’s settings how often Maps 2.0 will check for updates, and also whether it auto-reroutes around traffic situations.
Walk is a new feature that makes it easy to use the Nokia Maps application in a large city or other situation in which you’re more likely to be on foot. Pathways and houses are shown in this view, to help assist in navigation. The navigation also works better in the slower walking speed, offering slow-motion ability to make it easier to use.
The interface has changed as well, and for the better. There is now a search box on the main screen that you can use to quickly find local places. Results are returned sorted by category, making it really simple to find the nearest pizza joint, or a specific restaurant among the many results. They’ve also added a new Satellite and Hybrid view options, so that you can use local landmarks to find your way.
City Guides have also gotten an update and now include multimedia such as photos and videos, which make it fun to explore new places with your handset.
All handsets will received a 3-day trial so that users can get a full experience of the new features. It is also now possible to transfer licenses easily between handsets, as long as the SIM card is the same. Users can update the license information through on-device menus, which is stinkin awesome.
Stay tuned to Symbian-Guru.com for more insight into this new version as soon as I’ve had a chance to play.
Can you confirm if it auto zooms into your last position when it starts up?
Does auto find your current gps position and zoom in on it once its got s lock?
Is the tracking function still there and does it work as it should?
Thanks
Ricky since they no longer offer the 3 year license can you shed some light on lengths of licenses and pricing info? One of the drawbacks of the 3 year was you couldn’t transfer it to another handset. Now that its possible maybe they shouldn’t do away with it. Perhaps if 2.0 is really a superb program people should purchase the 3 year before upgrading, then upgrade. Thoughts?
Icyhot1966 - If you look through the screenshots, there’s a pricing shot for both the Walk-only and Drive+Walk license for the U.S., for a comparison against current pricing. It’s about on par with what’s currently there, I think.
bazza - it does not autocenter or autozoom, despite my pleadings with them. Tracking has been removed for a while now and I’m not expecting to see it return anytime soon, unfortunately.
Thanks Ricky. Was reading and posting from opera mini so will look on my pc once I get home.
i want to know does it work for India Maps?
So they removed the scale to put a search box? Aw…
Ricky, how is the performance? is it smooth when zooming and moving around or is choppy like Maps 1.0?
Is there any chance they could bring back the tracking feature they removed in the recent update?
I find the apps usefulness has nosedived since its removal.
The pic I see is saying the 1-year license costs
what I payed for my 3-year license.
Have you been able to try to transfer the license between two phone while keeping the same SIM? That would be a killer feature for me as I have been holding back buying the 1 or 3 year licence as I change my phone every 6 months or so.
Also, do you know if the licence would still hold valid if I change the SIM card but keep the same phone number (in case the SIM gets damaged etc)?
Ricky, I always had trouble listening to music and using the navigation at the same time on my N95 8gb through my car stereo. Please, ask Nokia to implement a fade in fade out effect whenever a turn is coming. Because this effect has been around in many in-dash navigation systems built-in to the car, what’s the trouble implementing it into the N95? Thanks
Does this have Text-to-speech? Meaning does it say street names for upcoming turns?
Is it available in South Africa and what will the cost be? Will the price decrease or be available for free?
DO NOT buy a licence using Maps 2.0. The navigation feature is extremely buggy, and if you try to downgrade to the original version of maps you’ll find your purchased licence does not work. Nokia’s response to this is simply that licences purchased with Maps 2.0 are not compatible with Maps 1. Don’t throw your money down the drain like I did.
does anyone have a keygen for this nokia maps
Feb 8th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
[…] Welcome! If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS Feed! Thanks for visiting!Ricky ha potuto provare in anteprima la nuova versione di Nokia Maps, la 2.0, che sar
Feb 11th, 2008 at 4:11 am
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Feb 11th, 2008 at 4:30 am
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