Nokia Maps 2.0 goes gold, lost pedestrians rejoice

After a pleasingly brief public beta, Nokia's glazing its Maps 2.0 navigation app with a thick coating of gold and sending it off into a waiting world of S60-toting fiends to fend for itself. The new version underpins the GPS receivers in Nokia's 2008 smartphones but is also available as a free download for a variety of existing devices, offering key improvements that make it a totally viable nav system -- satellite view, traffic data, and a significantly retooled UI, most importantly, plus the addition of a dedicated pedestrian mode for those times when geographical confusion strikes while on foot. Optional packs add goodies like city guides and the all-important voice guided car navigation and ultimately make Maps 2.0 a non-free venture, but really, no full-featured nav system is -- and the initial download does quite a bit out of the box. Hit the read link to kick off the download.

[Via All About Symbian]

[mphayvanh @ May 22nd 2008 6:59PM]

Very cool. Slap this Map 2.0 on the HTC Diamond and you got my money. Nokia phones...eh.

[paul @ May 23rd 2008 10:40AM]

HTC Diamond will run Windows Mobile. WinMo6 = FAIL.

[mphayvanh @ May 23rd 2008 5:09PM]

User preference. Nokia phones are okay, but I'm use to doing more with my phone other than pictures, internet or music. GPS and Map 2.0 is a step in the right direction. WinMo is crappy too, but software support is huge. Over 2000 plus WM6 apps for virtually everything you want to do.

[Andrew @ May 22nd 2008 7:16PM]

The interface/UI looks pretty sleek and clean, which clearly lacks in other map apps for other mobiles. Nice work, wonders why more map apps aren't like this.

[stonedhippy @ May 22nd 2008 7:39PM]

€69.99 a year here in Ireland for voice guided directions. This seems rather high to me, with the one off price of standalone units being what it is these days.
We don't have any traffic reporting systems here (like most countries) so that feature is useless, and another €20, so I really don't see why you wouldn't go the standalone route.
I'm usually all about integration of my gadgets but not at these prices.

[Martin577 @ May 22nd 2008 7:52PM]

Nokia maps 2.0(1) isnt too good..shows my home to town in the ocean (Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia) Including some major roads..are they predicting the future...?

[TareX @ May 22nd 2008 8:07PM]

I'm disappointed it isn't available for high-end E-series phones... as well as the N73 and many others.

[YoMomma @ May 22nd 2008 8:08PM]

At least it's better than the iPhone current "GPS"

[Andrew @ May 22nd 2008 8:23PM]

that ad copy makes me think of that childish 90s saying of ....

"up your butt and around the corner"

[Vagrant @ May 22nd 2008 8:27PM]

It's working fine on my N95. Has some great new features to boot. Anyways, it works like a charm in Tokyo, even in offline mode, as I use more to see where I'm at, as opposed to telling me how to get there. (Works great with Softbank rental SIM as well.)

[TavisJohn @ May 22nd 2008 9:23PM]

Not available for the N810... The map software that comes with it sucks... Oh well. :(

[Zane @ May 23rd 2008 4:31AM]

There is no such thing as a "N810". Besides, it IS available for the N81, if that's what you meant.

[Wayne @ May 23rd 2008 6:01AM]

@Zane

One Nokia N810 for your enjoyment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N810
http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1160660

[bloody toast @ May 22nd 2008 10:10PM]

wow sure looks better than the iphone's fake "GPS"

[Bill @ May 23rd 2008 12:09AM]

Been on Verizon's website...do they not carry Nokia phones??

[Jaws @ May 23rd 2008 12:55AM]

Is this the version that allows my GPS to be tweaked so I can get faster lock-ons... it is PAINFULLY slow to lock-on to the sattelites on my N82... its made me debate getting rid of the N82, and getting a E51 and an external Bluetooth GPS. :(

[Rich @ May 23rd 2008 3:49AM]

Do you have assisted GPS turned on? That usually speeds things up considerably.

[L.Rawlins @ May 23rd 2008 5:16AM]

The N82 is atleast four kinds of awesome and as far as battery goes, I use an FM Transmitter attached to it in the car on the half hour journey to work for my MP3 collection (which also conveniently makes my car into a giant handsfree speaker), and then switch to the radio function attached to my monitor speakers for all day broadcast at work, and then I revert back to the FM Transmitter for the half hour journey home.

The N82 has seven battery bars. All of this constant use in a single day exceeds only one.

My old K800i used to die within hours if you used the radio. I for one am thrilled at what I can make this dinky dynamo do.

[coolio @ May 23rd 2008 5:03AM]

I really would like to use this on my Nokia N78

http://www.n78.nl

[Shahryar @ May 23rd 2008 11:04AM]

Is this better than Google Maps? I'm preferring to use that right now on my N82.