Nokia Here Maps now available for all Android 4.1 Jelly Bean phones
The app can be downloaded from HERE's website and is not available on the Google Play store.
Originally, Nokia's HERE maps appeared way back in late 2012 on Android. But that was a haphazard effort and Nokia too admitted to that, which is why soon after it was pulled back. Back in August, it was announced that it will launch a new HERE maps app exclusively for Samsung's Android based Galaxy smartphones. Now, free from Microsoft's shackles, the Finnish company has announced that any phone running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with more than 1GB of RAM can download the app.
The app can be downloaded from HERE's website and is not available on the Google Play store. This means the apps can only be installed via a process known as side-loading. Probably, Nokia is sorting out bug fixes and is incorporating feedback from Android users, before it throws the app in the wild on the Google Play Store.
One can download the .apk file from Here's website . To access the file, users will need a full manager app in the vane of Astro File Manager. The app can be opened and installed, but users should go to the settings menu and enter the security sub-menu and select unknown sources in the more options header. Once installed, app will be available in the app drawer.
Nokia's Mapping data is considered to be superior to Google's comprehensive Maps app as it uses Navtech's mapping data, which has been under construction since the mid-70's. The app features voice guided turn-by-turn navigation. For India too, Nokia's Mapping data is superior. This advantage shines through when used outside metro cities. In the big cities, the difference is negligible. Nokia's HERE Maps are also build into Maruti Suzuki's new sedan for India -- the Ciaz.