While much of the hype surrounding Apple's new iPhone 5 smartphone understandably concerned the handset's specs, and features, the failure of its native Maps application in iOS almost drowned out everything good about the device and its operating system. While Apple is reportedly currently working to fix the issue, Nokia has released a new maps application called "Here," available now on iOS.
"Nokia's mapping data is just as good as Google's, so the new app will make a great alternative to Apple Maps," says CNET.
Nokia's app, for some reason gut-wrenchingly named "Here," lets you save maps for viewing offline, gives you public transit directions, and provides voice-guided navigation. Nokia's map app is a free download for iPhones and iPads.
Here looks similar to the majority of maps apps, the most glaring difference being a bar at the bottom of the screen that directs you to nearby points of interest like restaurants, movie theaters, and museums.
"My first impression using Here on a quick Wi-Fi connection is that it's respectably fast to zoom and in and out and find search results," said CNET.
The site continued: "Making a maps app is a shrewd move for Nokia, even if the name is terrible. With the pedigree of Nokia Maps on Windows Phone beyond question, Here should be streets ahead of Apple's poor excuse for a Maps app, which replaced the excellent Google Maps with out-of-date data and poor performance."
Nokia's Here maps app is also online at Here.net for anyone to use on their computer, tablet, or phone. If you own an Android phone you can find your way by heading to the Here website in your phone's web browser for now, with an Android SDK -- and presumably an app -- set to appear next year.
"In the upper right-hand corner of the screen sits a small button; tap it and you're given the option to search for a new map location, look up a route for travel purposes, create a map "collection," or perform several other functions. Searching for a specific location is fairly straightforward. Finding a route is just a little bit trickier, because the navigation buttons aren't entirely intuitive," said MacWorld.
"The app's integration with local public transit services makes it feel more complete than Apple's native app, which lacks such built-in offerings," MacWorld added.
If you remember, Apple sent waves of geek panic through the tech sphere earlier this year after announcing that it was removing Google Maps from iOS 6 and replacing it with its own Maps program. After iOS 6 launched earlier this week, Apple's software was quickly criticized for a host of errors and omissions, including missing cities, duplicated islands, and more.
Since Apple released the iPhone 5 on Sept. 21, the reviews have mostly been glowing, but everyone seems to agree the smartphone's new Maps app is a clunker. Apple CEO Tim Cook even made a rare formal apology for the failure of Maps saying he was "extremely sorry."
Apple made another small gesture to users by creating a special section of its mobile app marketplace for mapping applications called, "Find maps for your iPhone." The section included apps Cook discussed, as well as others, such as those made by Garmin Ltd. and Waze Inc.
Noam Bardin, head of Waze, which provided some data for Apple's map app, is poised to benefit from Cook's apology and Apple's crisis management strategy of pushing users to download other mapping programs.
"Launching a maps app in a half-baked way, that was a questionable decision, but making up for that so fast and making a category, it's great," Mr. Bardin said. He added that downloads were up 40 percent Friday after the apology, versus a typical daily download.
The New York Times reported in October that Google was building a Maps app for the iPhone and iPad that will be out by the end of 2012. Apple has yet to comment.
Google has had mapping software since 2005, and a Google Maps app was pre-installed on the first iPhone starting in 2007. Apple only began building its maps software in 2009 under Mr. Jobs, with an eye toward making its version the default mapping app on the iPhone and, later, the iPad. Apple acquired several companies to construct its mapping technology, as well as using information from third parties, such as navigation system maker Tom Tom NV, before it was ready to boot Google Maps.
Maps are a big piece of the Apple-Google rivalry. Opus Research has estimated that mobile ads associated with maps or locations account for about 25 percent of the roughly $2.5 billion spent on ads in mobile devices in 2012.
Have you tried out "Here" yet? How has it been working for you? Let us know in the comments, we're tired of getting Apple's Maps getting us lost.
Apple iPhone 5 Features
Height: 4.87 inches, Width: 2.31 inches, Depth: 0.30 inch, Weight: 3.95 ounces.
4-inch (diagonal) Retina display, 1136-by-640 resolution, 326 ppi, GSM model: GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, CDMA model: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n; 802.11n on 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and GLONASS, 1GB RAM, SoC: A6 Chip, Nano-SIM, three-axis gyro, dual-mic noise suppression, assisted GPS and GLONASS.
Front and back facing cameras:
Front: 1.2MP photos, 720p HD video, Backside illumination sensor;
Back: 8 megapixel Autofocus Tap to focus, LED flash, Backside illumination sensor, Five-element lens, Face detection, Hybrid IR filter, ƒ/2.4 aperture, Panorama,
Video: 1080p HD video recording, 30 fps, Tap to focus while recording, LED light, Improved video stabilization, Take still photos while recording video, Face detection.