As well as fast Internet, social networking and games, another of the key experiences on the Nokia Asha Touch range of smartphones is that you can also use Nokia’s wonderful location tools.
Staying true to Nokia Asha’s spirit of being innovative, data efficient and cost effective, your local map is pre-installed on the memory card that came with your device. With the maps information stored on this card you can search for places, plan routes and get your current position with minimal data required.
However, it is also very easy to download more free maps to your phone via Nokia Suite.
As I am shortly going on holiday to Hong Kong and the Philippines, I installed some extra maps to my Nokia Asha 311 and gave Nokia Maps and Nokia Nearby a brief test run.
Installing Maps
Nokia Suite is the gateway for syncing contacts, photos and music between your computer and your phone. You can also download apps, games and it is here that you can install the free maps as well.
Open Nokia Suite on your computer and connect your phone with the USB cable – you may have to select ‘USB Mode: Nokia Suite’ on your phone’s display.
On the computer, click on the green Maps icon along the top (it looks like a compass) and you will see a list of all the different maps that are available for you to download. You can see here just how many countries are supported by Nokia Maps!
They are sorted alphabetically by country, but you can also filter it by continent if you wish. Find the country or countries that you need and then just press the download button. Once the file has been downloaded it will be synced automatically to your Nokia Asha.
All the maps are free and you can download as many as you need but keep in mind that they are large files. A good tip is that you can also use Nokia Suite to delete maps that you may no longer need, for instance once you’ve returned from a holiday.
To delete a map, select ‘Maps and voice guidance’ on the bottom half of Nokia Suite where it says ‘On Phone Nokia 311’ or whichever model you have. Highlighting this will show you all the maps that are currently installed on your phone. Just press delete to remove the ones you don’t need.
Using Maps
With the maps installed you are now ready to use Nokia Maps and there are several key functions you will probably use the most. Icons along the bottom of the display provide you with easy and quick access to:
Map: This always brings you back to the main Maps Screen. You can zoom in and out, and swipe to pan around the map to your heart’s content.
Search: Use this to find addresses or places of Interest. Once the position has been found, it will be pinned on the map and you can press the flag above it for more options. You will then be given further options to plan a route, save it as a favourite or send the location via SMS to a friend.
Directions: This is the route planner. Select your starting location – you will see that you have a choice of inputting a location manually in the text box, using your current location, a favourite location that you have previously saved, a recent location or choosing a spot on the map itself. Do the same to select your destination.
Once your starting point and destination have been selected, you will see a ‘walking figure’ icon appear on the display. Tapping on this icon will start the route planning – you will see the distance between the two points, turn-by-turn directions and the estimated time it will take to get there.
In the bottom left corner you will see back and forward arrow icons. You can use these to guide you along the journey. Each step gives clear instructions on where you are and far you need to walk before the next stage of the journey.
Your most recent routes are saved within the Directions screen for quick access.
Nokia Nearby
Another of the extra icons within Nokia Maps is Nearby, which will show you places of interest in your area, such as restaurants, shops or post offices.
Nokia Nearby is neatly integrated with Nokia Maps but it is now a standalone web app as well so it is worth considering in more detail.
Upon opening the Nokia Nearby app it will automatically find your current position show you some tiles of quick search options, such as ATMs, Shopping or Eat and Drink.
Tapping on any of these will launch a search for you. You can also search manually or by what you have looked for in the past, in Recents. The ‘More’ tile gives you further categories to search for.
When the search results are returned, you will a list of all the places of interest it found for that category. Select any of the results to see more detailed information:
- The address
- Phone number with the option to call them
- Save it to your favourites
- See the location on the map
- Share the location on Facebook
- Ratings and other recommended places nearby
With Nokia Nearby, you can use Nokia’s location tools to not just find a route from A to B, but also help you discover new places along the way as well.
Let us know how you have been getting on with Nokia Maps and Nokia Nearby on your Asha devices.
Źródło: Using the location tools on your Nokia Asha
Category: NOKIA EUROPA | Tags: None
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