IMHO Nokia Maps 3.0 has basically two outstanding features:
- great cartography on small displays
- comprehensive POI catalogue
While trying Nokia Maps I usually kept thinking why I would buy Nokia Maps and not use Google Maps mobile, which is a free application. If it’s only for looking up addresses and directions, and I don’t care about the mobile data connection, I’d go for Google. Google does the same or even a better job here.
When it comes to looking up POI nearby, Nokia Maps is way ahead of Google.
The other day I was looking for a post office, because the one I knew was under construction and closed (and the staff there couldn’t tell me where the nearest post office is btw). The official Austrian mail site totally failed on a mobile browser, no chance to get a list of their offices. Google returned a couple of search results considering my location, but would have sent me way far away to a post office in another district, giving nice directions with public transport though. Nokia Maps showed me two post offices in the neighborhood and provided walking directions of course.
Post offices is of course only one category in the catalogue. The POI catalogue seems very well organized and can be explored quickly, even tough it’s pretty comprehensive. I found the catalogue better usable and more efficient on mobile devices than a Google Maps mobile search for POI.
Better usable because a search for POI in Google Maps mobile requires you to stop, type and check results. A catalogue you can explore easily while walking, by using only one thumb, just like an iPod. It requires less attention than a text search.
More efficient because a Google Maps mobile search basically returns lots of locally irrelevant results. Google is probably working on that, but in the meantime Nokia delivers better, clearer and more useful local POIs.
Additionally there is an entire guide-section in the catalogue, providing mobile tourist guides I guess. Unfortunately I didn’t try this feature.
Bottom line: people who want more out of mobile maps than just address search and directions should give Nokia Maps 3.0 a shot.