Nokia updates N97 with free Ovi Maps, just as promised
By Richard Lai 
posted January 27th 2010 4:07PM
posted January 27th 2010 4:07PM
It was only a week ago when Nokia shook us with its free turn-by-turn navigation update, but the poor old N97 got left out in the cold. Not any more though, folks! In fact, the new Ovi Maps for N97 was delivered one day earlier than promised, and can be found "through the software update client in the device." Thanks, Nokia, but don't forget your N900 fans, too.[Thanks, @old_no_7uk]
@Swagger
Engadget should ban you and shut you up.
@Swagger
Ugh this guy should be banned on stupidity alone, and if thats not enough then his out of line insulting and [now] racists comments should fill in the rest.
@MarkAnderson
I think he's gone!
@yulebellow
Think again.
Awesome!
thank god. non iPad news. at least this is actually useful
@cplush
I agree, I skimmed down the main page and clicked on the title that didn't have ipad or Apple on it.
I think I'll have to stick to this method for at least a week.
Sorry, I just got out of the iPad thread. Who's Nokia again? j/k
it can multitask and handle flash too...
@Jamma and it has a front-facing camera!
@N900 And a qwerty keyboard!
@Jamma
And you can put it in your pocket
now its time to roll out the ovi map on N900, please?
@kongmw
They promised N97 maps for this week, but told that N900 will take more time. So not in the near future, unfortunately.
@kongmw
did you also get a N900 and feel extremely shafted too? My N900 arrived the same exact day they announced the free Ovi Maps navigation =/
@kongmw
Ovimaps for n900 is all I need to buy this phone.
I'm so happy to finally see an article that's not about Apple's big event today. I'm a big fan of Nokia, wish I had picked up the N97 honestly.
@deadeyes989 You must be out of your head. No sane person should ever buy a N97 after everything us poor users of the handset have made known. The N97 is a disaster, and the best and often only use for it is an overpriced paperweight.
@deadeyes989
I agree with the other poster, getting an N97 would be a completely stupid idea given all the reviews out there and people complaining about the product. Nothing against Nokia, I'm pretty neutral when it comes to brand loyalty, although I suppose I like Google, but if you want a Nokia you should probably get the N900 or the absolutely sexy E72. However, personally I have an E71 which is really fast but the interface is seriously ugly, so even then I'd advise against it until Nokia revises the interface (properly).
@deadeyes989
If you want an N97 I'd gladly sell you mine, it's being collecting dust since the e72 was launched, now, that is an amazing phone. Never thought I was going to say this, but I regret buying that POS every time I see it, I've being holding on it just because my ego don't let me accept in front of my wife and friends that I fucked it big time when I spent 600 bucks on it...
@Junzhi: Mileage varies on the device; you didn't have a good experience with it but you're experience is not everyone else's.
I have an N97, an iphone, an SEw995, an Omnia II and an e72. Based on my usage, I prefer the N97 the most. I suspect that there are others like me who actually like the device (okay, maybe not everyone has 4 smartphones and a feature phone) .
I wish the N97 had more RAM and more C: drive space but these have not been deal-breakers for me.
I wasn't even disappointed with the later release of the turn-by-turn nav on Ovi Maps for the N97; it just isn't a priority for me -- I have a Garmin Nuvi 1490 -- so I don't rely on it for anything GPS-related. Maybe if I did hiking and stuff I'd be disappointed but I don't so that's that.
On the other hand, I do work with a lot of spreadsheets and paid $5 for QuickOffice premiere (it was on sale on Allaboutsymbian that day) and I find it fine to use.
Messaging is pretty good with the much-maligned QWERTY if you don't fancy a flashy interface -- which I don't.
Overall, I'd say I'm happy with the N97. It doesn't really do anything exceptionally poorly as far as my personal use is concerned and all its alternatives have deficiencies: I like the iphone but the lack of a physical QWERTY really kills it for me; I've had the 3GS for 2 months now and still haven't gotten used to it. I find that I use my 3rd Gen Touch quite a bit more than my iPhone.
Meanhwile, the touch pro 2 runs windows mobile (which is why of the 5 devices I own, I'd rate the Omnia II last) and makes my wife want to throw it out the window. Maybe the Droid is truly superior but I don't live in America so I'll have to wait for the Milestone.
I think everyone should try out the devices they intend to buy and decide based on their preferences and personal experience. If you rely on blogs and stuff, they tend to have this checklist of things a phone should have (no 1GHZ Snapdragon -- hiss; no in-browser flash -- groan!!, etc).
In practice, maybe a typical user will use 30% of his device's features on any given day. That's why Nokia still sells so many handsets -- typical users and some business users don't need a flash interface and just want to SMS and call -- their devices that do just those things do it very well; even the ones that cost 13 quid.
engadget remove the only view 10comments feature it sucks.
man this and google nav has pretty much killed gps companies like tom tom.
@saturnblackhole o looks the 10comment thing was removed nice
@saturnblackhole I have a HUGE amount of influence here it seems, just as I said it they changed it back.
Well, can you use this in space like you can with the iPad? Wait, nevermind...
Oh look. A company that promises a useful feature, doesn't keep it secret and actually delivers on time.
Pretty f**kin' refreshing if you ask me.
@MarkAnderson
Hey where are all the itards who said they would all laugh at you for saying the islate would not be the god of all devices?
@kitsune
To be honest I don't care.
Anyone with a shred of intelligence knew the iPad would be what it is based on Apple's strategy with the iPhone. Anyone who didn't probably isn't worth bothering with anyway.
@MarkAnderson
+1
i will now gladly bring the ipad into this topic though it's unrelated: free navigation for the new apple device? yet another thing it lack. funny that after releasing the jesus phone they go for the judas tablet.
I hate it I hate it I hate it. even though my mbp and ipod touch are alright.
go nokia!
So how is this related to the iPad?
@Edobe
Its not, therefore this is an awesome article.
@yulebellow sorry, I couldn't help myself. First and last time I'll ever do that....probably.
@Edobe
Well, if N97 fucked the iPad, their kid would be the N900.
@vvnraman Sorry but N900 is so far from ipad as it can
Both can multitask and both got flash. N900 whole point is the multitask and best mobile flash support there is. In essential N900 is tablet in a phone form. Ipad is simple phone OS inside a tablet.
@Edobe i see what you did there.
@Pdexter
I wish Nokia made a 10-inch Maemo5 internet tablet, the browsing experience would kick ass
@(Unverified) Well thee is a rumor.... JK. But it would have to wait for maemo6 because the only thing apple got right with the iPad was the multitouch gesture controls, if you watched the hands on video you know what i mean.
@(Unverified) but yea that would totally kick ass.
@(Unverified)
instead we get mid like this
http://www.pocketables.net/2009/12/optima-to-launch-first-nonnokia-maemo-mid-the-optima-op5e.html
and this
http://www.pocketables.net/2010/01/aigo-launches-feature-packed-n500-maemo-mid.html
If nokia did a 7-9 inch mid with maemo 5 or 6 it would totally slap the ipad around
Finally, no more of those iCrap posts, it's enough!
who cares!
It's not an iPad.
@OrsonX
I know. It makes calls, multitasks and is actually useful.
@OrsonX
isnt that a good thing?
*engadget community sigh of relief*
@NoOrdinaryMSFT Friggin' LOVE your avatar, dude! :D:D:D
so does this, along with the updated firmware finally make the n97 a good phone? I'm seriously asking, because when it was released, it was universally panned as the worst thing they'd released in a long time. If it can handle email, organizer and web browsing well, then this is a cheap 32GB option compared to the N900.
And before everyone starts going "but the N900 has a proprietary Linux variant", I don't care. If I wanted a feature-heavy smartphone, I'd wait for the HD2 or Bravo. Right now however, there aren't nearly enough phones with large built in storage.
@aniym
I say yes. I bought the N97 when it first came out and hated it. I actualyl planned on selling it but I just never got around to it. Last month I did a hard reset and installed the new FW. With that, it finally became the phone I had been expecting six months earlier. That alone makes the N97 worth it to me; adding Ovi Maps is a bonus.
iPad gets iSlated.
Go Nokia FTW! Keepin' it real in Espoo. Oh and thanks for the free quality sat-nav :)
@Rod
Nokia FTW. iPad is LAME!