Maps application is in the wind and I’m going a little retro this time. I first learned about this application through a post on AAS three years ago.
As the name indicates it’s a map application which offers you the functions such as being planning of a route, zoom in and zoom out of a place and viewing POI, points of interest. With maps applications such as the Nokia Maps and Google Maps can Map24 keep up with the competition?
First impressions
To be able to download this application you have to go online to their website and register before gaining access to it. The web interface hasn’t changed a lot since then, besides some extended functions. It’s still best displayed by using Microsoft Internet Explorer. Being a free and native Symbian application the download size weighs in at around 2 Mb. Such a small size also means that there is no maps included in the application and that you need a WiFi connection or a data plan to be able to use it.
In use
Once launched you are asked to “press any buttons to continue” before getting asked if you want to connect to Map24. Zooming in on the application you quickly realizes that there isn’t much detail displayed, before zooming much closer. Points of interest such as restaurants, parking lots, churches, hotels and transportation are easily visible with their own telling icons. You have a handful of smart shortcuts which is displayed when you consult help inside the application. The numeric keypad functions as shortcuts while the D-pad functions as the navigator. Keyboard shortcuts also have two levels, the second level coming up when pressing the *, star button. You can search up an address by pressing 1, but the address have to be correct for it to work as it only have a partial suggestion feature. The navigation option is by default at driving and using it you can display good descriptions, there is no voice assisted navigation in this application so the good information is essential. You can any time press down on the D-pad to see how far you have come and compared that with the actual route you are on. Navigation is disappointingly slow and the application seems to be hitching while you navigate. There is a simplified 3D view but this only changes the angle and doesn’t offer much and the option for satellite view and traffic info doesn’t work.
Pressing the left softkey brings up the options and choosing POI display, you are able to toggle between what is displayed on the maps. Settings offer you the option to choose from a total of sixteen languages, six different parts of the world being Europe, North and South America, Middle East, M.East (Arabic), South Africa and Australia. Here you can also choose between three different navigation modes, being a fast and short route for car and one pedestrian mode. When choosing maps for a particular region you are asked to restart the application for no apparent reason. There is in my opinion unnecessary as the maps are downloaded online as you navigate inside the application.
Final thoughts
The application was one of the better out there when it was launched as a beta in 2006 and I used it a lot during my vacation abroad. Zooming in and out of places is very quick, only let down by the slow navigation speed. The ability to search up an address is also nice and other nice features such as detailed navigation information. Maps however doesn’t offer great details. If your primary use is to have an application taking you from one place to another, it can be an alternative. The fact is that it’s quite strange that the maps are that bad considering that they use Navteq, the same maps providers which Nokia purchased in 2007. If you can live with these flaws Map24 Mobile is a decent application. Unfortunately it seems as the other competitors out there have raced far ahead in the game.
