Nokia rebrands mapping service to Nokia HERE, unveils new features

Nokia has rebranded its mapping service, formerly known as Nokia Drive, to Nokia Here. While the service will remain more or less the same, the company has also announced some new features, according to GSMArena. The new features include Collections, 3D maps and a maps editor. Collections lets you save locations you search for through the mapping service to your Nokia account. This allows you to quickly access the saved locations instead of having to search for them again. This also allows you to quickly access your locations from other devices by logging into your Nokia account. The same service with a new name 3D maps lets you get a 3D view of key locations around the world. Comparisons can be drawn with Apple's own 3D maps service, called Flyover, as the provider of the data is the same for both the services – C3 Technologies. The maps editor lets users update street names and traffic information. The information will then be available to other users of the mapping service. Nokia may also soon be able to kick off its own version of Street View, as it has acquired Earthmine, the mapping company which brings street view functionality to Nokia's maps.. Nokia has also announced that Nokia Here will also be made available for devices running on iOS and Android. Nokia will be providing the maps SDK to OEMs of Android devices so as to offer better integration of apps with Nokia Here. The iOS version is set to include many features that are absent for some people using the iOS 6 Maps app, like turn-by-turn navigation and information on public transportation. The Nokia Here app for iOS is currently pending Apple's approval. Nokia Here can be tried out on your web browser here. Earlier this month, before the name change, Nokia had announced that its mapping services are available to other makers of Windows Phone 8 devices. The inclusion of Nokia Drive in devices could be optional for manufacturers. Also, there is no information on whether a free version of Nokia Drive will be making its way to the Windows Phone Store. Nokia had earlier announced in a blog post that it will make Nokia Drive available to all Windows Phone 8 manufacturers. The post said, "Nokia’s Location platform will be central to the Windows Phone 8 experience, with the intention of developing smartphones that bring advanced location experiences. Windows Phone 8 partners and developers will be able to use our location assets to build location-based apps and experiences of superior quality." Nokia has one of the highest stakes in providing quality location data in the market. The option to use the service offline also enhances its overall appeal. The software has been designed to offer fast client-side map rendering (50 fps), and requires only 10 percent of the bandwidth of traditional server-side map platforms.