Applications: Ovi Maps 3.0 (on the Nokia N97)

| July 6, 2009 | 22 Replies

Ovi Maps 3.0 is the latest edition of Nokia’s free Sat-Nav software. Below is a screenshot taken from Ovi Maps 3.0 on the Nokia N97.

The improvements with Ovi Maps 3.0 are well worth the time to upgrade because the interface is much improved, requiring much less menu wading and button pressing than the previous Nokia Maps 2.0. Note the following:

  • [Top Right] My Location button. Pressing this red dot (inside the square) centres the map to your current location. When you move away from your location, as I have, it will show you the arrow of your location and how far away you are from it. It disappears once the other red dot (indicating your GPS location) is visible on the map.
  • [Bottom] Search Button. Pressing the magnifying glass allows you to either search for an address or categories of places. As with 2.0, this is most/only useful when you have an internet connection.
  • [Top] Location bar . Pressing gives you a range of options to do with named location: Walk/Drive, show details, add to route, send location and explore. This is a very simple change but makes so much difference in terms of making actual navigation and using Ovi Maps so much easier.
  • Only an options button is available. No toolbar to waste space, or exit button to press accidentally.
  • Kinetic scrolling of some sort. If you flick the map, it moves slightly, gradually slowing down to a stop instead of just stoping the moment you lose contact with the screen.
  • Zoom bar on the left. For me, that is a better location as a right handed user, it makes for less accidental zooming in/out. As with before, you can either hold + to zoom in, or – to zoom out. Alternatively, a downward swipe zooms you out, and an upward swipe zooms you in.
  • Compass. As with Nokia Maps 2.0 on the N97, after around a minute, this gets a lock and rotates your map to match the actual alignment of the streets/roads/you.
MNB000028
Basic view, no location set.

From the options button, you get a similar standard menu as the previous Nokia Maps 2.0. Some worthwhile additions include:

  • History. -  Locations previously  navigated to (walk/drive to)
  • Favourites – Access your saved landmarks or routes, plus Sync your favourites with Ovi
  • Dashboard – gives quick GPS info of speed, pace, altitude and GPS coordinates, and changes when you’re in the middle of navigation, giving you trip distance, time, average speed, total distance, time and total average speed.
MNB000031

Dashboard

MNB000034

Options

MNB000038

"Walk to"

In action, Ovi Maps 3.0 turns your N97 or other compatible phone into a very capable Sat-Nav device. Directions for driving/walking appear pretty much instantly and you’re off on your way. The interface has been given a slight rehaul which makes it much more finger friendly on touch devices such as the N97.

Note, though none of the screenshots show GPS lock, that’s because they were taken within a couple of seconds of the app starting. The N97 is pretty quick at getting a GPS signal when outside. (Though there is a slight delay when in a vehicle)

MNB000036

"Drive to" options

MNB000037

"Drive to"

MNB000039

"Drive to" dashboard

Installing Ovi Maps 3.0

You’ll need two parts:

1. Nokia Maps Updater

- this will install Ovi Maps 3.0 onto your compatible phone.

dl maps

Follow the download instructions  >>here<<

Once downloaded, install and connect to your phone, preferably by cable. After restarting your computer, run the “Nokia Maps Updater” software. maps updater

Next, complete the installation on your phone. MNB000027

When you first start Ovi Maps 3.0, it will ask you to delete older maps. Once that’s done, from your phone you can start downloading maps via WiFi or Mobile Internet.

Alternatively, you can do this from Ovi Suite. >> Download here <<

2. Nokia Maps Loader (3.0)

This will install Nokia Maps Loader for your computer.

maps loader 3.0

To save time (and money) it’s advisable to use Nokia Maps Loader 3.0 which will let you load the maps you want onto your phone so you won’t have to download them on the fly later on. You can also download the voice navigation from here too.

Follow the download instructions >> here <<

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Category: 5th Edition, Applications, Nokia, Nseries, Reviews, S60, Symbian

About the Author ()

[Jay]

Comments (22)

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  1. Jay says:

    Apologies for the formatting of this post. WordPress keeps crashing when I try to edit it.

  2. llaadd says:

    installed it on mine, not used much but it’s is rele nice!

  3. Alx says:

    Too bad the selection for night vision mode is buried so far into the menu.

  4. Abu jaili says:

    i want install maps software n97n97

  5. Mark says:

    Enjoy your upgrades
    The beauty of this Nokia device is that taking it out of the box is just the beginning. As with any computer, people can constantly improve and refresh their Nokia N97 with new features, functions and fixes so they can do even more with the device. An exciting roadmap of new features and functions is planned to roll out in the second half of 2009
    Hey, you have a great blog here! I’m definitely going to bookmark you! Thank you for your info.And this is
    **Nokia N97** site/blog. It pretty much covers ###Nokia N97## related stuff.

  6. rob says:

    i have a n97 mini when i put ti on standby it will go on standby 4 like 2mins then this ovi map thing comes on and starts showing me its like a slide show and it kills my battery does any1 no how i can get rid of it… plz help

  7. Nikitas Harhalakis says:

    N97. How to delete part or the whole of History on maps?

  8. Nikitas Harhalakis says:

    N97. How can I delete history on Ovi maps3

  9. elboyero says:

    It seems that history cannot be deleted!. You will have to reset your phone.

  10. elboyero says:

    Another issue with Nokia Maps. I downloaded and installed maps for Venezuela and these maps are not updated, they seems to have been captured many years ago. I guest this happens with many others countries maps.

  11. elboyero says:

    Again, althougt I downloaded USA maps from Ovi when I check the map properties in my phone they are maps from google maps!!!

  12. ricky says:

    can i get satnav on my n900 from ovi

  13. Daniel says:

    it’s no good. I get system error when i try to start, probably because of the inadequate c: space on the n97.

    Won’t be getting nokia and dinosaur symbian again due to this short sightedness by nokia. Nokia is just staying quiet about it too because they know they screwed up and cN’t fix it because it is hardware which they can’t patch

  14. nic says:

    Seriously, when will the MM transfer for N97 be available?
    If i knew Nokia is so slack I would have gotten an iPhone.
    Also, OVI Maps does not seem to be available in South Africa.

  15. nic says:

    OK so I tried the beta version of the MM transfer and that works fine although the download site states that its not…
    managed to get the maps downloaded and unpacked onto my phone – keen to try it out 2morrow.

  16. elboyero says:

    Are you talking about V3.03 or v3.01?. The picture at the end of part 1 shows v.3.01.

  17. ipod repair says:

    I downloaded USA maps from Ovi when I check the map properties in my phone they are maps from google maps
    ipod repair

  18. AR says:

    Hi there,
    My Dad recently bought me N97.
    I read that there are two ways in which you can get the maps – One is obviously using the Nokia Map Loader on your PC and the other option is to directly download them from your phone.

    I chose the Nokia Map Loader. I have managed to download some maps for my phone, but where in the phone exactly are the maps located? On the software, on the computer, it says ‘Transferring to device’ just when the download is finished.
    But where exactly are those maps located on the phone!? And how do I load them while I’m using the GPS?
    I find it very complicated..someone please help!

  19. OPEYEMI OLUWADARE says:

    ple help me to update my device and install the current software and the map respectively

  20. nice, thanks for the detailed guide.

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