back to article Nokia: Read these Maps, Samsung – we're HERE for the Gear

For Nokia, getting Samsung – the world’s biggest smartphone manufacturer – to use its HERE Maps is a huge win. Unfortunately it’s not Samsung throwing Google Maps out of its smartphones but rather a realisation that Google isn’t going to rush to port maps to Samsung's home-grown operating system, Tizen. The “HERE for Gear” …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If they put Here into the Google Play Store

    I'd gladly buy it*.

    * Assuming Google would allow Here Maps into the Google Play store.

    1. DrXym

      Re: If they put Here into the Google Play Store

      I don't see why they wouldn't. They'd probably be delighted if Nokia sold it for a sum of money too since they'd get a % cut and it wouldn't directly compete with Google Maps or Waze.

    2. Philanthropic Philanderer

      Re: If they put Here into the Google Play Store

      Hear hear, I've been looking for an alternative that offers much more off-line.

      And I honestly don't see Google having any interest in blocking it, if Nokia would put it into the Store.

    3. ThomH

      Re: If they put Here into the Google Play Store

      Be careful what you wish for. When they launched for iOS all we got was a hastily knocked-up web view with a reasonably unresponsive web site within it, showing content at a quarter of the resolution of the screen (i.e. non-retina content only, if you must use Apple nomenclature).

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    You can take the Nokia out of Finland

    but you can't take away their desire to throw resources at niche OSes

    1. /\/\j17
      FAIL

      Re: You can take the Nokia out of Finland

      Umm, you DO realise that the Nokia that owns HERE maps is the one that's still in Finland and NOT the one that was sold to Microsoft (the devices and services business) don't you...?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: You can take the Nokia out of Finland

      "but you can't take away their desire to throw resources at niche OSes"

      Yeah, how is Jolla doing?

      1. returnmyjedi

        Re: You can take the Nokia out of Finland

        You mean the Jolla mobile phone that runs Sailfish, developed by Jolla also? The Jolla that's manufactured by Jolla, not Nokia?

    3. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: You can take the Nokia out of Finland

      Like Android?

      Unfortunately it'll be a Galaxy exclusive, I'm not sure how long everyone else will have to wait... Maybe a year? Maybe until someone on XDA ports it?

  3. theOtherJT Silver badge

    Possibly the very best bit about the current crop of Nokia phones this, and a major reason to consider WinPho. I wonder how much of HERE not being available on Android is down to Google wanting people to use Google Maps, and how much is down to Microsoft not wanting to let a strong WinPho USP slip out of their grasp.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "I wonder how much of HERE not being available on Android is down to Google wanting people to use Google Maps"

      Most of it.

      "how much is down to Microsoft not wanting to let a strong WinPho USP slip out of their grasp."

      None - Nokia would undoubtedly license HERE Maps to Google too given the chance.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "I wonder how much of HERE not being available on Android is down to Google wanting people to use Google Maps"

        "Most of it."

        I would say none of it. Google don't seem to care if another map provider wishes to ply their wares in the play store. There are some excellent ones, at least as good as 'HERE'. Try Sygic for instance (paid) or one of the free openstreetmap based ones.

        However, it may well be more down to people wanting to use Google Maps, or even Waze.. For many the plentiful (or unlimited) data plans combined with reasonable cell coverage and Maps' ability to cache the route makes it good enough for free. HERE would be competing with that by charging people, and when you charge quite a lot there are many alternatives in the Play store as mentioned.

  4. James 51

    Best reason by far to buy one of those watches.

    1. N13L5
      Coffee/keyboard

      "Best reason by far to buy one of those watches."

      True, but still insufficient...

      Another battery to keep charged.

      As trackable for anyone with an interest as an offender bracelet.

      And where am I supposed to wear the mechanical time piece I favor?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Before I start: I have a Windows Phone (a few actually) and love it (them)

    HERE is rubbish for navigation when driving. It drains my phone's battery even when the maps are offline and the phone is on charge with a proper car phone charger. I find that to be really quite frustrating.

    1. graeme leggett Silver badge

      I find mine gets quite warm round the back, and I need to have it on charge or drain the battery.

      Whether that's the way it hammers the GPS, or is still using the data plan to grab traffic flows, I don't know. Or perhaps the case doesn't help.

      But it's still a good app for giving directions.

      1. cambsukguy

        I think it drains the battery a lot because the GPS position and map drawing occurs very often so that the position updates fast enough in town at corners and roundabouts etc. so that the "Take the next exit" prompt is reliable.

        Even if the GPS is not updated too often (interpolation works pretty well in tunnels), the screen updates would definitely drain the battery, just like video games would.

        For the record, mine doesn't drain while it is on (wired) charge in the car using nav.

    2. getHandle

      Sounds like a petrol station special

      0.5A rubbish. My relatively old S3 wouldn't even charge while doing satnav duties until I bought a chunky 2A car adapter.

      1. John Tserkezis

        Re: Sounds like a petrol station special

        "My relatively old S3 wouldn't even charge while doing satnav duties until I bought a chunky 2A car adapter."

        You're doing wrong. I've been using <shameful sell here> Oziexplorer for nearly 15 years over a variety of laptops (including a PIII and an Atom), several WinCE devices, and three different Android phones. Although it offers an "online" map display, I've only ever used offline, and all still get used regularly on battery.

        Bottom line is, if your phone gets hot, or you need a charger at all to get any reasonable charge life out of the battery, then you paid too much for your satnav application. If it was free, you especially paid too much for it. I'm sure there are other apps that do a suitable job, just not any of the ones mentioned here it seems.

    3. Terry Barnes

      You need to buy a 2 Amp charging lead and try to have at least 50% battery when you start navigating. I've just driven to the south of France with my Lumia 820 as a sat nav, the battery was fine. Before I bought a better charging lead it would run out of puff after a couple of hours.

      1. phil dude

        symbian and...

        My N8 has same problem and since the phone can run for several days without charge, I will point at the GPS too... even via the USB. My Toyota socket is rated 10A, so I imagine the juice is sufficient.

        I understand there are external bluetooth GPS's are small, more senstive and much more power efficient.

        Something about the compromises of mobiles phones I guess, can't be good at everything....!

        P.

        1. Dan 55 Silver badge

          Re: symbian and...

          IIRC an N8 draws only 0.5A through the USB socket no matter how much current is provided. If you want to charge it faster you'd need to use the Nokia charger socket.

          Oh, and you can turn off wi-fi GPS assistance which is pretty useless when driving.

    4. Jess

      I used my N8's satnav on holiday, it lasted 4 or 5 hours, and then the phone quite happily charged while continuing to run it.

      Either the OS or the hardware is inferior to the older range.

  6. CaptainBanjax

    HERE for gear?

    That's old school street slang for something isn't it?

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