There’s a brand new version of Nokia Maps available and it’s sporting a host of improvements. Of course, that isn’t quite enough on it’s own, so Nokia’s given us a brand new version of Nokia Maploader too.

The new software is available to download from today. We’re frantically getting our hands on ‘em so we can give you the full low down, but until we do, here’s the highlights.

First up, Nokia Maps gets a new interface, with little extras thrown in. There’s now a GPS status indicator so you can see when you have a lock on satellites. Search also gets a makeover and categories are more detailed than before. All this is Nokia responding to feedback, apparently, so it should be good.

The new Maploader app boasts coverage of 150 countries and now includes the facility to install voice navigation alongside the maps. Handy, as the new Maps app comes with three days free voice guidance, presumably in a bid to get people to actually indulge, something we’ve been so far reluctant to do.

According to Nokia’s navigation don, Muchael Harlbherr, they want to have the whole world covered and when users travel abroad, “their Nokia device has the relevant maps for them”. He also described maps as like an insurance policy against getting lost and you need it most when you’re lost. That sounds fairly obvious to us, though we’re not totally sure what kind of point he’s making. It’s probably a convoluted way of saying people, us included, love the fact our Noks come packing maps.