Nokia GPS phones get free Ovi maps turn by turn navigation

Navigation on Nokia phones will be free for everyone starting March this year. Nokia said in a press release that all GPS-enabled Nokia phones – except the N97 and the N900 – will come with free preloaded Ovi Maps.

The free Nokia Ovi maps will have voice-guided navigation and turn-by-turn directions. The service will be available across 74 countries in 46 languages. Our earlier report on GPS Navigation devices in India

The Ovi Maps on Nokia GPS phones will be a life-time free service. The Nokia free GPS navigation has also an update option, which means map updates can be downloaded on the go. There are no charges for Nokia GPS map updates either.

Apart from driving directions, the Nokia GPS map application Ovi Maps can also be used for finding thousands of points of interest like ATMS, restaurants, petrol pumps and cinemas. There are about 6000 3D objects available on the maps, for a realistic look. In select cities, speed camera warning and weather updates will also be available, Nokia said.

Unlike the data-intensive Google Maps with voice navigation, Nokia’s free Ovi Maps for GPS navigation does not need a live data connection. This means that your phone bills will be less than what you’d have to pay if you are using Google Maps for navigation. Again, since the Ovi navigation maps are preinstalled in your Nokia smartphone, you can use it for navigation even in places without network coverage.

Nokia said that free GPS navigation on Ovi Maps will be available on Nokia N97 mini, 5800 XpressMusic, 5800 Navigation Edition, E52, E55, E72, 5230, 6710 Navigator, 6730 classic and X6. More Nokia GPS phones will be added later. However, for now, Nokia’s flagship smartphone N97 will not have this feature, but it will be on way. N900, the Nokia phone featuring Maemo, a version of Linux, also won’t have free Ovi Maps GPS navigation.

A significant advantage of the free Ovi Maps offer is that the user will not be charged extra if he goes to another country with the Nokia. He just needs to install the free Ovi GPS maps from Nokia into his mobile to start navigating. Most GPS maps which are available in the market are country-specific; that it, if you are in India, you get the maps only for that country. If you go to Europe, you need to purchase an extra map for the specific country you are going to. With Nokia Ovi GPS Maps, it is free from now.

Nokia also said that the Nokia Ovi GPS maps are also “smart hybrid vector” maps, meaning the download files will be smaller. Smaller files mean the user can download the files faster over the air.

Said Nokia Executive Vice President Anssi Vanjoki: “We want to make using your mobile for navigation as familiar as using it to send a text or take a picture. We believe that making the best maps with voice guided navigation available for free will be the catalyst to do this. Why have multiple devices that only work in one country or region? Put it all together, make it free, make it global and you have something that is truly useful and can help you get round almost any city in the world whether you’re on foot or driving.”

Nokia has also loaded some free add-ons with its free Ovi Maps offer. Those who buy Nokia smartphones with preloaded free Ovi maps also get free access to premium services like Lonely Planet and Michelin guides. The two are used for detailed location-based information. There is also a feature on the Nokia Ovi Maps, which gives you information about interesting events happening in a 3-km radius, which could be of use if you are in a strange city, and want to get acquainted with in a short time. Events like movies, concerts etc will be displayed in this feature.

The free Nokia GPS maps (Ovi Maps) also have a pedestrian navigation option, if you plan to get from Point A to Point B by foot. These pedestrian maps are useful in case you want to take a walk around the park or in the city, but are not sure if you can make your way back without assistance.

The mobile navigation arena has seen a lot of action in the recent past with software vendors and mobile phone makers increasingly joining the GPS revolution. In India, GPS is still in its infancy, and there are only two map vendors — SatNav and MapMyIndia – who sell imported GPS devices, GPS maps for these devices, as well as GPS maps for mobile phones. The high cost of these devices has been a hurdle for many GPS enthusiasts. Google Maps for Navigation has been widely welcomed, but it works only with a live data connection, and is available only for advanced Android phones.

Recently, Google had introduced voice navigation for Google Maps, making a direct hit at dedicated GPS makers like Garmin and TomTom. Stocks of these companies collapsed on the day Google announced that voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation is being introduced on Google Maps. However, Google Maps navigation has some limitations too. For one, the data charges will be high. Two, you need to be a network-covered area to make use of the navigation function. Three, it is available with full functionality only on Motorola Droid and the Nexus One. A scaled-down version of the Google Map navigation software was also introduced for Android 1.6 later.

Nokia’s free Ovi GPS navigation maps are not out of benevolence though. Nokia has been struggling to retain its hold over the smartphone market, which is being gradually taken over by the iPhone, BlackBerry and now, the Nexus One. Free Ovi navigation on its GPS maps will definitely entice many smartphone buyers towards the Finnish mobile phone maker. For eg, In India, BlackBerry Maps are not available, iPhone’s AT&T mapping solution is of little use, and the Android phones which are available have voice navigation only for the US and North America. Those who want to buy maps for their GPS phones will have to purchase them from map vendors at a cost, and they will still not be usable abroad. Given all this, Nokia’s free Ovi maps navigation is likely to make it a favourite for smartphone buyers in India.