Nokia took aim at Google today by announcing a "game-changing" decision to roll out free professional GPS navigation software on 10 different Nokia smartphones available to consumers worldwide.
The new Ovi Maps is supported in 74 countries for 10 smartphones, with the phone manufacturer expected to introduce additional phone models in the future. The new features include text-to-speech, voice-activated driving and walking directions, live traffic information, and lane assistance.
Even though Nokia's decision was aimed at Google -- which now offers free voice-guided navigation services on phones running Android 2.0 and above -- Garmin and TomTom will take the strongest hit. Both companies face a steep battle back into relevance in the mobile space, with Nokia, Apple, Google, and other companies rolling out their own GPS-based services.
"This will help us defend our selling price for products that contain global positioning system technology," said Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia VP of Marketing, in a phone interview.
The new version of Ovi Maps can be found on the N97 Mini, E52, E55, E72, 5230, 5800, 6710, 6730 and X6 smartphones. None of these phones are available subsidized from a U.S. wireless provider, but they can be purchased at full price unlocked.
It's good to see Nokia making moves to try and better compete in the U.S. smartphone market, but it's unlikely the manufacturer will be able to take much share from Apple, RIM, HTC and Motorola, especially with no wireless provider partners. Even so, this is an important first step for the company to make as it transitions to focus on offering better smartphone features.
