At one point in time, Nokia’s HERE Maps service was exclusive to Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. Eventually, the service was made available to the Android-powered Nokia X platform. After the completion of Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s devices and services business, the HERE Maps service was no longer an exclusive to Microsoft.
We learned back in August of this year that HERE Maps would be arriving on Samsung devices, on operating systems running Android. Just as a reminder, Microsoft has nothing to do with Here Maps, as Nokia is now an independent company that doesn’t make phones anymore (the phones aspect of the company was acquired by Microsoft). It is in Nokia’s best interest to get as many users on their services as possible. Android is the natural choice for Nokia if they are looking for the biggest user base to engage.
With that being said, HERE Maps Beta for Android is now available for free in the Google Play store. The app lets you search, navigate, or get directions, and can even helps you find restaurants, and other interesting local places.
“More than a million of you have already taken HERE for Android beta for a spin, with the most active downloaders coming from Germany and the USA. Today, the playground gets bigger with the beta version of HERE for Android arriving for freeon the Google Play store across the world,” Nokia stated.
Here are the key features of the app:
- Always know where you’re going: Turn-by-turn drive and walk voice guidance even without an Internet connection.
- Maps that always work for you: Interactive maps of more than 100 countries that you can save and continue to use offline.
- Choose the fastest transport option: Integrated public transport maps, directions and information for more than 800 cities in more than 40 countries.
- Avoid delays: Real-time traffic and road closure information in more than 40 countries around the world.
- Plan trips before you go: Personalise maps from your phone or here.com and store all the places you’d like see for when you get there.
- Meet friends here and there: Glympse lets you share your location and what time you’ll get there by SMS or email.
Nokia also plans to roll out the service to iOS in early 2015. You can grab the Beta app for Android below.
