Nokia Battles Google With Free Navigation, GPS In Smartphones
Nokia's free navigation services via Ovi Maps come just months after Google launched its latest version of Maps Navigation for the Google Android platform. Maps Navigation takes elements from the widely used Google Maps and Google Street View and layers voice search and turn-by-turn voice directions. Google Maps Navigation is currently available on Android version 2.0.
According to Nokia, the move could double the size of the current mobile navigation market.
The new version of Nokia Ovi Maps includes high-end car and pedestrian navigation features like turn-by-turn voice guidance for 74 countries, in 46 languages, and traffic information for more than 10 countries. It also adds detailed maps for more than 180 countries.
Along with taking on Google, Nokia's latest mobile phone and smartphone rival, the latest Ovi Maps release is also a jab at traditional car-based navigation system makers like TomTom and Garmin.
"Why have multiple devices that work in only one country or region? Put it all together, make it free, make it global and you almost double the potential size of the mobile navigation market," Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia Executive Vice President, said in a statement. "Nokia is the only company with a mobile navigation service for both drivers and pedestrians that works across the world. Unlike the legacy car navigation manufacturers, we don't make you buy maps for different countries or regions even if you're only visiting for a few days. We offer both navigation and maps free of charge, with all the high-end functionality and features that people now expect."
Research firm Canalys estimated that at the end of 2009 the number of people worldwide using GPS navigation on their mobile phones was roughly 27 million. Nokia's free Ovi Maps offering could grow that installed base to more than 50 million by giving smartphone users free walking and driving navigation via an Ovi Maps download. Canalys also estimated that the installed base of smartphones with integrated GPS was 163 million worldwide in 2009. Of those, Nokia accounted 83 million, or more than half.
And while edging out the competition is top of mind, Nokia is also bent on becoming the largest provider of maps, navigation and location-based services in the world. As the largest mobile phone maker, Nokia has already staked its claim as the world's largest manufacturer of mp3 players and cameras, as most of its mobile phone models contain those functions.
"This is a game changing move. By leveraging our NAVTEQ acquisition, and our context sensitive service offering, we can now put a complete navigation system in the palm of your hand, wherever in the world you are, whenever you need it -- and at no extra cost," Vanjoki added in the statement. "By adding cameras at no extra cost to our phones we quickly became the biggest camera manufacturer in the world. The aim of the new Ovi Maps is to enable us to do the same for navigation."
Initially, 10 devices will support the latest Nokia Ovi Maps release, including the N97 mini, the 5800 XpressMusic and the E72. Nokia said more Ovi Maps support smartphones will be added in the coming weeks. In March, Nokia plans to release new phones with the Ovi Maps software pre-installed. The updated version of Ovi Maps is now available via download from Nokia's Web site.