Ovi Store App: Ovi Maps 3.06 Review
Ovi Maps 3.06 is the latest version of Nokia’s free turn-by-turn navigation app. It’s still at the beta stage – so it’s not the finished version – but it’s still deeply impressive. Join us after the break to find out why…
Ovi Maps 3.06 is a turn-by-turn navigation app. It’s currently available from Nokia Beta Labs – the division responsible for creating new apps – but it’ll soon be released as a full app for the Ovi Store.
Fire it up, and the first thing you’ll notice about Ovi Maps 3.06 is the new menu. It still features lots of similarities – such as the layout and the intuitive nature – but this time Nokia has gone with a light coloured background.
You can also select most of the items you want to appear on the menu – such as a Lonely Planet guide. Don’t want it to appear? Simply untick the option. There are more options than ever, with Weather, Events, Michelin, Qype, Trip Advisor, Expedia, Time Out, Insight Guides, Map Reporter and Bookatable all joining Lonely Planet.
It’s that comprehensive that you’re unlikely to use all the options – so the fact you can remove some from the menu is a welcome choice. Those you do use are impressive, however, offering everything you’ll ever need as the tourist or business person trying to find a hotel or something to do in your free time.
The compass option in Ovi Maps 3.06 has been updated, now offering faster and more accurate calibration, and after a couple of seconds of waving it around like a madman, it quickly picks up the direction that you’re facing in. It’s ideal for pedestrian navigation, then, as there’s no chance of you walking in the wrong direction while you try to find out where you are on a street.
Turn-by-turn navigation when driving remains pretty much the same – it’s still the best navigation app we’ve seen on a mobile phone. It’s easily capable of mixing it with dedicated sat-navs, and the fact it’s completely free is remarkable.
Nokia has introduced pinch to zoom functionality for Symbian ^3 devices – an option that works flawlessly when looking at maps. We found it quick to respond, with maps rendered quickly and smoothly.
There are now over 80 public transport lines included on Ovi Maps – such as the London Underground in the UK. You’ll be able to see exactly where the different train lines go, with the colours mapped out – so you can even work out whether it’s actually worth catching the tube, or if you’ll be able to walk it instead.
There are so many features on Ovi Maps 3.06 that we still haven’t had the chance to try them all out to the full. You can check out the full Ovi Maps 3.06 changelog here, however.
One of the strange things about Ovi Maps 3.06 – at least on the version we tried – is that it doesn’t start up in the same location initially. Every time we turned on the app, it started off in Germany. It quickly found our location, but it seems a bit strange that it doesn’t start off in the last known location.
We also couldn’t get Ovi Maps 3.06 to work on our Nokia N97 Mini – despite working flawlessly on our Nokia N8. There’s obviously still some way to go with development, but if Ovi Maps 3.06 does work, then it’s worth checking out.
Ovi Maps 3.06 is a very impressive app. It takes everything from Ovi Maps 3.04, and offers that little bit more. When it makes it from beta to full app, it’ll be one of the best apps on the Ovi Store.
Check out our Ovi Maps 3.06 review photo gallery below:
