Smart2Go aka Nokia Maps finally arrives

I was (finally) able to download the Smart2Go application today have spent some time playing with it on my N73. You’ll need to have at least 3MB free for the initial install and will certainly want to have space on a memory card for downloaded maps and local info. You will also want to be sure you are good on your data plan as this baby is downloading constantly while you move around.

I opened it up at home and had it quickly running in the car. From what I can tell, it looks a lot like the Maps app that I’ve seen in N95 demos which is cool that it’s being shared across devices. As you can see below there are both 2D and 3D views, but there is no way to adjust the manner in which the maps scroll, so if you are driving south you are moving down. In other in-car navigation situations, I’ve typically switched that view to be heading up regardless of compass direction which can make it easier to quickly scan where you are heading — which by the way is amazingly difficult and dangerous on a phone if you are the driver. Safety First!

2D and 3D views…

Search by Category…

In general, I like this application. There’s quite a bit here as far as geographic and local info for free. You do have to upgrade if you want turn by turn navigation (about $90/yr or just over 100 for 3) and about $10 for detailed city guides. I’m a tad skeptical of how good the information in both will be based on my usage.

The local information seems to have some pretty big holes. I was at a Chase bank today and tried searching for an ATM. the nearest one was revealed to me miles away. I then headed to a shopping center which had both a Target and an A&P Grocery store and was not able to find either… when I searched directly for A&P I was not able to find ANY grocery stores with that name (there are at least 3 within 15 minutes) and Target showed up about 25 miles away. These are not reasons to avoid this software, but be aware that the information you get may be far from complete.

If you’d like to see how things work, I’ve made a video to share. I recorded this several times actually due to some lovely technical issues with my camera and recording setup so if it’s a bit rough or uneven that’s just the way it is today.

Technorati Tags: Bluetooth, gate5, Google Maps, GPS, N-Series, N73, Navigation, Nokia, smart2go