The Dark Age days of satnav being a service shackled to the dashboard are dead. Today’s smart software can turn your GPS-enabled blower into a personal navigator and precisely guide you around on foot, holding our hand to the nearest Pizza Hut. So if you’re thinking about ditching the ride and hotfooting it around the city streets, here’s a round-up of what’s out there and what to expect. Time for a walkabout…
Get it free
When it comes to free software there’s only really two options: Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta and Google Maps for Mobile. A lot of other smartphone software such as CoPilot Live 7, TomTom Navigator 6, Garmin Mobile XT and Route 66 Mobile 8 all have pedestrian modes but you’ll have to pay out between £70 and £100 for the privilege. Not to mention that Nokia Maps 2.0 and Google Maps are simply the best at what they offer, cue Tina Turner!
Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta
The most noticeable improvement to Nokia Maps 2.0 is the pedestrian feature. Nokia has spruced this up big time, allowing you to avoid motorways and delivering spot-on visual turn-by-turn directions along even the most discreet footpaths and bridleways.
It also keeps you aware of your location by providing info on nearby building, streets and parks and its built-in compass also means you don’t have to consult the sun or stars to find North.
See our review of Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta.
Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta vs Google Maps for Mobile
Nokia’s free software faces stiff competition from Google’s gratis maps-on-the-move service. Both are extremely similar in their navigation talents with clear advantages and disadvantages. Unlike Nokia Maps, Google’s offering doesn’t need a satellite fix to sniff out your location, using network signals instead. This reveals Nokia’s limitation if you don’t have a GPS-enabled phone. You may have to pay for voice-instructions (this is free on the new 6210 Navigator) and city guides but at least Nokia provides the service; Google Maps relies on list instructions and waypoints to get you around. Nokia Maps also has more comprehensive POI search facility with Google using its search engine to weed out the cafes and pubs.
Read our full Nokia Maps 2.0 vs Google Maps head-to-head.
The future of personal navigation…
With Nokia in the process of buying out map gurus Navteq, the Finnish giant now has considerable cartographic clout. Navteq is already showing off spiffing 3D building graphics in Korea so expect to see exact street views replicated on your phone screen as you mosey on down the road very soon. Or how about knowing the exact real time location of your GPS-phone carrying friends or family or being sent location-based information of events and offers you pass certain shops, venues or restaurants. Let’s hope these fancy-pants new features hit our nav phones very soon.
See our wishlist for Nokia Maps here.
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