Bloomberg reports that Apple is among the list of companies Nokia is hoping will purchase its struggling HERE Maps, as it seeks to cut divisions that are losing money.
According to the publication’s anonymous source, Nokia is seeking more than 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) from a sale of the unit. It’s selling HERE Maps for the “ubiquity and utility” of its location-based services.
Nokia executive Sean Fernback told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that the Finnish telecommunications company will be releasing a brand new cross-platform mobile navigation app for the iOS and Android platforms later this year.
Nokia, which sold off its handset division to Microsoft, kept its Here mapping service. The forthcoming GPS navigation app would be unique in that both the maps themselves and searches would work without an Internet connection.
Nokia’s long-standing mapping service rebranded as Here got announced in November 2012, with the native iPhone and iPad application arriving soon after with maps for around 200 countries, voice-guided walking navigation, public transportation directions and offline capability.
It was a nice little app that Nokia hoped would effectively fill the void in the App Store at the height of the iOS Mapsgate controversy.
Then, Google released its revamped standalone Maps for iPhone and spoiled the party for Nokia as its offering quickly tanked in App Store rankings. On Thursday, the embattled Finnish company has removed the Here application from the App Store, with a company spokesperson firing a potshot at Apple’s iOS 7 in a written statement…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEz1sSKCpIc
While most people consider the return of Google Maps to Apple’s App Store an all-around positive, one observer sees the move as a ‘mixed blessing’ for club Cupertino. Not only is the familiar mapping application once again available, but the Android maker Google may now overshadow Apple’s own efforts to make a difference in the increasingly competitive mobile mapping arena. As we reported yesterday, the new Google Maps for iOS is the top free app for the iPhone.
Indeed, Google admits the iOS app – which adds turn-by-turn directions – is superior to the Android version from a design standpoint. But for Google, returning to iOS means it also reconnects with iPhone users and a wealth of data…
Last week, Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop told reporters at a San Francisco press conference that Nokia was rebranding their mapping service to Here Maps, and would be releasing a native iOS app for the service within a few weeks.
Today, Nokia has made good on that promise, as its Here Maps app has just been spotted in the App Store. The HTML5-based software includes walking and public transportation directions, and many other features…
Nokia just announced Here, an upcoming iOS app with voice-guided walking navigation, public transportation directions and offline capability, the latter two glaringly lacking in Apple’s in-house built iOS 6 mapping solution. In comparison, Microsoft’s Bing app only supports basic maps.
Google has problems of its own, rooted in belief that Apple won’t approve a native Google Maps app so it hasn’t even submitted it yet. Regardless of the scarcity of details, we’d love to hear your initial thoughts on Here so cast your vote now…
The embattled handset maker Nokia introduced at today’s press conference in San Francisco today some interesting news related to maps. In an attempt to beat Google and Apple to the mapping punch, Nokia tapped 20 years of location expertise and its data sets spanning 200 countries to map out a new strategy which involves a re-branding effort, cool new features and a good ol’ acquisition. Nokia Maps is no more. Henceforth, the new mapping service shall be known as Here.
The new cloud-based map service works across multiple devices and operating systems, it does directions and location, lets people save favorite locations and supports crowd-sourcing by allowing users to report errors and make changes themselves.
The service is based on HTML5 and an iOS app is in the works, pending Apple’s approval. The iOS app will have voice-guided walk navigation, public transport directions and will cache data for offline use. And taking page from Apple’s book, Nokia spent an undisclosed sum to snap up California-based 3D mapping company Earthmine, with aim to use its technology to help index the world in 3D…
Apple’s boss Tim Cook just issued a mea culpa on Apple’s awesome Maps in the form of an open letter published on Apple’s website. What’s really interesting is that the issue which threatened to snowball into a PR catastrophe has forced Apple to advise customers to use rival services “while we’re improving Maps”.
It takes a tremendous amount of public outcry to force Cupertino into such a defensive position. I imagine heads will roll as Cook gives Apple’s mapping team a kind of dressing down Steve Jobs once gave to the MobileMe team (“you should hate each other for having let each other down”). No matter how you look at it, the Maps fiasco has tarnished Apple’s reputation, at least in my view…
