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Nokia’s big press event was to announce a new version of Ovi Maps, now with free navigation

Categories: Nokia,
By: , IntoMobile
Thursday, January 21st, 2010 at 6:17 AM

Nokia got everyone’s panties wet when they invited several journalists and bloggers from all around the world to attend a virtual press event related to Ovi. We all thought Nokia was going to fix their troubled, border line retarded, Ovi Store, or better integrate their various scattered Ovi services, but we were all wrong. Nokia introduced a new version of Ovi Maps, with free pedestrian and car navigation, available immediately at nokia.com/maps for a select number of devices. This new version of Ovi Maps supports the Nokia X6, Nokia N97 Mini, E72, E55, E52, 6730 classic, 6710 Navigator, 5800, and 5230, but it will not run on Nokia’s flagship N97 nor the Maemo 5 powered Nokia N900 as of today.

Engadget spoke to Michael Halbherr, Vice President of Social Location at Nokia, to find out why Nokia’s highest end devices can’t run Ovi Maps and he said that putting the new version on the N97 was a “software logistics issue”, and that N900 users will not be receiving the update, instead they’ll have to purchase the next device in the Maemo lineup. A Nokia employee who goes by the alias “cbidlake” confirmed in an official Nokia discussion board that Nokia N97 users will be getting the new Ovi Maps on January 28, via the built in software update client.

In other news, Pocket Lint was briefed by Mark Loughran at the London press event and told that Nokia would be releasing a new device on January 26, one day before Apple’s event. Feel free to speculate all you want about what form factor and price point it will be, because it, along with any other announcement, will be cast out the public’s eye once Apple fever kicks in.

Read the wordy press release, chock full of quotes, here.

About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

  • Jay

    Zzzzzzzzz…. Another dinosaur stuck in the La Brea tar pits waiting to die. A more interesting question would be how much longer Nokia can afford to keep paying a dividend? When that ends it’s good night Irene. The stock will plummet and the inept asleep at the wheel mgt. Team will slink off with millions in severance packages.

  • jke

    Stefan, they will never get it. Ovi is just the door to Nokias missed opportunities.

  • Ahmed Eltawil

    It’s interesting how all the new mobile announcements are made in just 2 months. There is a lot of new smartphones introduced in just a small period of time. Unfortunately, Apple’s event will demolish all the previous announcements with theirs. It’s just how Apple rolls.

  • Thomson

    Just awsome news ! With the amazing service Nokia give their coustomers , they for sure will have 80% of the smartphone market in the autumn.

  • Stefan Constantinescu

    Hmmm opposing stories. If one takes a look at Ovi Maps on the N900 then it’s obvious that it was the very last thing they worked on before shipping the product. I’m not going to put much hope into them making this new version available on the N900.

  • Will Quinn

    you bunch of sycophantic JobsKnobs get a freaking life for goodness sake Nokia are a company ,Apple are a company etc who are you sticking up for ?!!! Multinationals who are screwing you out of your hardearned cash constantly ,& you guys defend them as they roll out their “next gen music player ” which by the way does exactly the sane as the previous device!! guys dont be suckers all your life,these companies dont deserve your devotion.

  • cjm

    haha, i have no idea what you just said, but it was damn funny to read.