One of the killer features on the Windows Phone platform is its HERE maps. Many have praised it for its excellent offline turn by turn navigation, making it the perfect companion when data is non accessible. Now Nokia is breaking HERE maps exclusivity to Windows Phone by making it available for Samsung Galaxy devices that are running on Android.
On top of that, they are extending it to its Tizen powered smart watches. This includes the recently announced Samsung Gear S, that can work standalone with built-in 3G connectivity. The HERE Maps for Samsung devices will be free to download as both parties have signed licensing agreements.
For those who are used to Google Maps, HERE offers similar search functions including routes for walking, public transport or driving. You can look up for anything on the search field including restaurants and tourist attractions, or alternatively you can browse through its category list. If you have internet connectivity, you’ll get additional real time information such as traffic condition and public transport info.
HERE maps covers nearly 200 countries and about 100 of them have support for turn by turn navigation. Apart from guiding you to your destination, HERE for Samsung Galaxy also gets Glympse, a location sharing feature where you can let you loved ones know where you are in real time. You can set the sharing duration and which contacts you wish to share with.
With HERE maps for smart watch, you can now get directions from your wrist without taking your phone out in public. However it works best when it is paired with a Samsung device as bigger screen lets you set routes and view travel options better. Once you’ve set your navigation on the phone, it will be automatically beamed to your wrist which is quite seamless.
HERE maps for Samsung Galaxy smart phones will be released only when the Gear S is commercially available. Although they keep referring to the Gear S, it is likely they would extend the feature to other Tizen devices including the Gear 2 and the original Galaxy Gear that’s being upgraded to Tizen OS.
