The new Ovi Maps 3.03 has gone live, you know, the one where you no longer have to pay for features like turn-by-turn and traffic updates. There are also some neat integrated features. The software is free to download right now so we've done exactly that with our Nokia 5800. Find out how we got on with our Nokia Ovi Maps 3.03 review...
Before you can start making the most of Nokia Ovi Maps 3.03 you need to download the 7.8MB file from the Ovi Maps site. You can have it sent straight to your handheld or you can download it to your PC or Mac and install it from there.
The update only took a couple of minutes to install itself on our Nokia 5800 smartphone and immediately sets about making itself felt. The new user interface is fresh and clear and works well in both Landscape and Portrait mode. There is a taskbar that allows you to define your connection, as well as manage your maps and drive preferences as well as how you want to sync the information in the app with your PC or Mac.
However, most of the every day functionality can be had direct from the main screen. The standard array of features we're used to in Ovi Maps is still there but the first thing we noticed was how much smoother the interface runs. Checking your location and getting routing information is a whole lot quicker and scrolling around maps is easier too.
What's more, the UI really feels as though it has been optimised for touchscreen devices like the Nokia 5800 and Nokia N97 Mini. The Share Location feature is there to let people know where you are by linking through to your Facebook account.
New features include the Weather and Events app that allow you to pull up information on your current location as well as anywhere you wish to search out. Making full use of location-based services you'll find that as soon as you fire up the app it's populated with your location and the latest information to hand. The Events tool not only allows you to see what's on but you can also push through to the relevant site and book tickets.
Nokia as done a great job with this update of Ovi Maps, bringing with it a far more intuitive interface, what genuinely feels like a speed boost to sat-nav location-based services and a far more intuitive feel to the whole package.
We've not had a chance to check out the turn-by-turn and 'on-road' experience with Ovi Maps yet but we'll be doing so over the next few days. In the meantime, if you've not downloaded Nokia Ovi Maps yet we'd suggest you do so right now and discover a whole new way of getting around!
Check out our Nokia Ovi Maps 3.03 review image gallery:
