Nokia announced today that they are planning to include a free walk and drive navigation service for its smartphones on the latest edition of Ovi Maps.

 

The latest version of Ovi Maps will integrate new car and pedestrian navigation features, including turn-by-turn voice guidance, with detailed maps of more than 180 nations. It doesn't only sport new functions since users will also encounter a cleaner icon and tab-based interface that should make navigation easier.  

 

The maps on Ovi Maps can also be saved on Nokia smartphones, which makes it possible to set Ovi Maps to offline mode, saving money in terms of data connection costs and cutting battery usage as well. This is also useful while visiting areas off the beaten track where the network signal is bad or non-existent.

 

Ovi Maps’ services for drivers include lane assistance, traffic information as well as safety camera and speed warnings. Pedestrian navigation will include shortcuts through parks and pedestrian-only zones for over 100 cities from around the world. 6000 3D landmarks in over 200 cities are also present to make orientation a bit easier. 

 

“We want to make using your mobile for navigation as familiar as using it to send a text or take a picture. We believe that making the best maps with voice guided navigation available for free will be the catalyst to do this,” explained Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President of Nokia.

 

Nokia also stated that as of March 2010, new Nokia smartphones that are GPS-enabled will have the latest Ovi Maps pre-installed with local country map data and high-end walk and drive navigation. Access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides is also included at no extra cost. You can check the Ovi Maps website to see if your Nokia is one of the ten smartphones that currently support the latest edition of Ovi Maps.