Nokia’s Here Maps Released For iOS, But It’s Still Far From a Google Maps Alternative

jassimNovember 20, 2012

Nokia, hoping to step in and save the day from the dreaded iOS 6 maps fiasco, have released a new mapping application into the iOS App Store. The App is titled ‘Here Maps’, and has much the same functionality as many other mapping softwares available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod. However it’s just not up to Google Maps standard just yet.
The first issue comes with aesthetics. Put simply; it’s ugly. One advantage of Apple’s iOS 6 maps is at least they’re attractive, even if they are rather void of function, but Nokia just haven’t got that right. Text isn’t crisp, colours are boring and the visuals just aren’t there.
The app is also slow. Quite painfully slow when you’ve been so used to Google Maps for iOS. When zooming particularly is when you’ll identify how poorly the app performs, as instead of smooth zooms and fluid motion you get sometimes laggy imagery that constantly needs to update any visuals to display. More often than not you’ll be presented with the following screen:

This being said, there are some positives to be found. There are more points of interests available than are displayed with Apple’s current maps system, so if you are bored on a day out this application may come to rescue you! It’s also worth mentioning that the actual function that these maps is supposed to support works. It’s a mapping app, and should bring you where you need to go. It does that, but it doesn’t do it that well. If anything, it’s positive to see Apple accepting one of their frontline competitors’ mapping app into the iOS app store.