With the introduction of Ovi Maps 3.03 Nokia changed the world of sat-nav forever, offering completely free turn-by-turn navigation, so it's no wonder Google Maps has struggled of late. However, it’s still a decent app to have as a backup, especially with the recent introduction of Street View. With that in mind, we thought we'd try out Google Maps and Street View on our Nokia N97 Mini…

Ovi Maps 3.03 has completely changed the satellite navigation market, offering a free guidance service to compatible handsets such as the Nokia N97 Mini. It's not only the fact that it's free that makes Ovi Maps compelling, it's the ability to use the app in offline that make Ovi Maps 3.03 a formidable package.

However, the inclusion of Street View makes Google Maps worth a look, especially now the whole UK is covered. Lets look at the benefits, first, however. For a start, Street View is very impressive, with 360-degree images of the street you want to look at, making it easier to find out where you are.

To get Street View in Google Maps on your Nokia N97 Mini, open the application and go to the area you want to view. The click and hold on the area itself, which will load up a nearby address. Tap this and it’ll come up with more options – one of which is Street View.

The service itself works in exactly the same way as it does on your computer and regular web browser – once you have street view open simply drag to the left or right to swivel the view, or click on the forward arrow to go down the street.

The images on our Nokia N97 Mini offered excellent detail and clarity, and the software really does come into its own if you’re unsure of what street you’re on or what direction you’re walking in.

While it’s a great application to have, it does lag behind Ovi Maps 3.03 in some major areas, the major one being data usage. While Nokia’s application is capable of working offline – letting you download maps over Wi-Fi in your home and work out routes before you travel, Google Maps needs a constant connection to the internet in order to provide data.

As such, it’ll use up a lot of your data plan, especially if you’re using Street View. Unless you have an unlimited data plan, it’s worth using Google Maps and Street View sparingly. Overall, the revisions to Google Maps make it a decent application, but it’s still not as good as Ovi Maps 3.03 largely because there are no true navigation features built-in.

Check out how Google Maps and Street View look on our Nokia N97 Mini image gallery: