Nokia Maps application upgraded

Nokia introduced a new version of its widely popular Nokia Maps, an application for routing from A to B in an earth browsing experience that allows you to zoom in from the globe to a desired destination.

It is free to download from the website of the Finnish company but at this stage the amount of compatible phones is rather limited. These include a number of N-series models as Nokia N70, Nokia N72, Nokia N73, Nokia N76, Nokia N93i as well as the company's flagship Nokia N95, naturally. The owners of the two messengers Nokia E61 and Nokia E61i as well as those of Nokia E65 and Nokia E90 will also be able to enjoy the benefits of the updated Maps application. The only two devices outside the N and E series mobiles that support the new version are Nokia 6110 navigator and Nokia 6120 classic. We are yet to see if more phones are going to be added to this list by the Nokia developers.

The Nokia Maps application itself is improved by a new streamlined user interface and a data download counter to help tracking the used data. A highly appreciable GPS status indicator is the final extra in the new pack. Not a bad effort at all, having in mind that only about six months have passed since the initial version was released. The bad news is that voice turn-by-turn navigation is still charged, but with the new version the application is available free three-day trial. This should be fine for a user to put Nokia Maps application on a test and decide whether it does well and is worthy buying.

The Map Loader application, which allows the maps to be uploaded to the device, is also enhanced with voice guidance files, enabled for upload. Other than that, Nokia claims the upgraded software is up to 10 times faster than the original version. The extended map coverage has now grown to 150 countries, with more than 50 of them navigable.