After pulling its HERE maps app due to incompatibilities with iOS 7, Nokia is headed back to Apple's mobile platform with a new offline maps application that'll compete with Google Maps and Apple Maps. The app is in the final stages of development and expected to land before the end of the year, reports the Wall Street Journal.

nokia_here_maps

Nokia's previous version of HERE Maps for iOS

Nokia is introducing its new maps app to customers who are tired of their existing navigation apps and are looking for an alternative solution.

"I'm convinced people are looking for alternatives," Mr. Fernback said. "Google Maps is a good solution for many, their maps work very well, but it has looked the same and done the same for a long time."

Nokia will set its maps apart from its competitors by offering offline access to both navigation and searching. The new Nokia maps app will be offered for free in the iOS App Store once it passes through Apple's App Store review process.

Apple's Maps has been heavily criticized since it launched alongside iOS 6. The company slowly has been improving its mapping experience, adding features such as Flyover and expanding the points of interest available to users, but significant changes are still in the works. An overhaul of the underlying maps infrastructure and the addition of major features such as public transit directions may have been bumped from iOS 8 and pushed off to a future iOS version due to internal strife at the company.

Top Rated Comments

TsMkLg068426 Avatar
139 months ago
Wait a minute Nokia is still around:eek:
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
El Pollo Diablo Avatar
139 months ago
I wish Apple would license Nokia’s map data for their own app, so we could get the best from both worlds.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maflynn Avatar
139 months ago
[MOD NOTE]
Lets leave the political discussions out of this thread.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iWe Avatar
139 months ago
If Nokia sold their mobile division, what's left?
Quite a lot actually.

- Nokia Networks
- Here Maps
- Nokia Technologies

Nokia (http://company.nokia.com/en/our-businesses)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stroper Avatar
139 months ago
Their old app was horrible and was mainly a bad attempt to promote their own phones.
Now however they have sold their phone division to Microsoft. And so they can make the best possible map app for other mobile OS. If you've used NokiaMaps on a WindowsPhone, you'll agree it's good.
PS. Nokia still exists, they just sold their phone division to MS, and MS has also bought a licence to use the name Nokia togheter with the maps.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mclog Avatar
139 months ago
Last time I checked Finland is in scnadinavia, which is very socialistic.

Last time I checked, Finland is not in Scandinavia. I never realised being socialistic was a feature of geography. Do you think a river or a lake is more socialistic?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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