Nokia originally released its new Android-based HERE Maps for Samsung Galaxy handsets and, today, it’s expanding its release to all Android smartphones. Nokia HERE Maps offers some features that even Google Maps doesn’t, which means the free software should be at least worth considering if you’re a frequent traveler.
Take for example its ability to store offline maps. Unlike Google Maps, which simply caches some data, Nokia HERE gives you the ability to save entire regions, like a state, for offline turn-by-turn directions. You can even search for points-of-interest when you don’t have a connection, which means you’ll still be able to look up the location of a new restaurant while you’re riding the subway. There are also other features, like 3D renders of famous buildings, cloud storage for saved favorites – provided you’ve created an account – and more.
Nokia says that this release should also allow it to test HERE Maps on a larger range of devices. It has already noticed some bugs, like one where cache cleaning applications bork voice-navigation, but says that it already has a fix in the works. HERE Maps is supported on most devices running Android 4.1+ or newer, but Nokia suggests loading it on a phone with at least 1GB of RAM.
Last edited:
