Nokia is doing its best to create a brand new image in the area of map apps, and it is making a stand to compete head to head with other competitors, like Google Maps. The once popular smartphone company is doing this through its Nokia HERE Maps app by offering more than just navigation options; it is adding in an expanded public transit data option for commuters.
While Google and Waze also offers this kind of service through their apps, Nokia is using a slightly different approach to give the needed information to its users. In order to provide accurate data on traffic or public transportation, the company is negotiating deals through public transit officials all over the globe.
This has been a large endeavor by Nokia, but the company is quickly showing its users that they mean business. For instance, Nokia recently released public transit information for the Metro Tasmania, which is the Australian state’s largest bus operator. The Nokia HERE Maps has also included data for places like Fredericton, and New Brunswick in Canada, as well as 19 locations in the US. In addition, the app also shows information for Rennes and Marseille, France, as well as cities in Spain like Granada, Huesca and Avila; and cities in India, including Nagpur, along with Rajkot and Jaipur.
Nokia HERE Maps already has one noteworthy advantage over its competitors because it offers offline map support, allowing users to download maps and keep them, depending on how much storage space your device has. In addition, the hybrid engine in the app knows when a map has been updated or not, and won’t download any old map portions.
Offline map storing isn’t unusual in the world of mobile apps, but the functionality is normally expensive or only functional in a small area. Best of all, updated information for HERE Maps won’t cost Nokia customers any more money; to use its new features, users only need to download and install the updates.
Nokia HERE Maps provides navigational directions and information for driving, walking, and public transit. It will show users the options for all three when they ask for directions. Users can also store frequent destinations and have collections of synced and saved locations. Nokia HERE Maps also works with iOS (iOS 7 or above) and requires users to have an iPhone 4S or later.
