If you are using iOS 6, you probably already know about the inconvenience new Apple Maps is causing for some people. I for one love the new Maps app and think it’s much better than the old Google powered app, but that’s just me. For those who are still searching for alternatives, Nokia has stepped up and released an iOS app for their mapping system called Nokia Here. Nokia says that it offers much more information than Apple’s mapping system but there is one fatal flaw. It’s just way to ugly to look at and it almost feels like a step backwards when compared to Apple Maps.

For starters, the maps themselves are really hard to look at. It doesn’t seem like the app uses vector based maps so every time you zoom in or zoom out, it has to reload the data. There’s also the issue of the colors Nokia chose for their map. I don’t know if it’s just me, but the colors just seem very muted and not very bright. There’s just something about it that makes it very hard to look at. The same goes for their satellite images. Their images are very grainy and blocky looking  and there is a strange green tint on all the images. Again, this makes it very hard on the eyes making these maps some of the ugliest looking maps I’ve ever seen. On the plus side, they do download pretty quickly and you can even save maps for offline use, they are just really bad looking.

Now, there are some good points to Nokia Here however. At least in my area, it does look like the app has all the latest streets. It also seems to find a bit more point-of-interest (POI) locations when compared to Apple Maps and finds them quickly. It even shows traffic data. What Apple Maps does better though thanks to it’s Yelp integration is that it gives a lot more info on each POI. Nokia Here does not, or at least for all the locations I looked up. It only gives you the name, address, and phone number. It’s supposed to show more, but I never came across any locations that did this. Still, Nokia Here does offer a bit more on the POI side of things. It even includes public transportation data. All of this makes it quite useful.

The final bit that Nokia Here includes step-by-step voice guided walking navigation. Yes, I said walking. For some reason, it only includes voice directions for walking directions and not for driving directions which I find quite odd. Who needs voice guided walking directions? Also, unlike Apple Maps, it needs to download the voice data for each route before you can start the voice guided portion. With Apple Maps, it’s pretty much instantaneous. The routes are also presented to you in top-down view only like the old Google Maps powered app. It does not offer the 3D view guided navigation that the new Apple Maps includes. This makes the app  useless for navigation to be honest.

Nokia may have high hopes for Nokia Maps, but the app is just way to ugly for me to use. There is nothing about it that would make me replace using Apple Maps with this, despite having a bit more features that I don’t really use anyways. Apple Maps is still my go too mapping app because in my area, it’s been pretty accurate and looks much better in my opinion, especially with 3D navigation and flyover maps. Nokia Here is free thankfully so I do suggest trying it out but I think imagine you’ll end up deleting it after using it a few times.

Nokia Here is available now in the App Store for Free. It is a universal app and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description

HERE Maps helps you feel like a local anywhere you go. See where you are, search and discover nearby places, and get a feel for the place. Collect places to remember or for later discovery. Explore new destinations and know instantly how to get there on foot, by car or on public transport. HERE Maps is based on the world-class NAVTEQ mapping data used in 90% of in-car navigation systems in the world.

Features:
• Map views – Pick the map you need from map view, live traffic view, public transport line view or satellite view
• Save map areas & wander without data coverage

• In selected countries, access community maps created and updated by users
• Maps, search and place coverage for nearly 200 countries

• Search with history and suggestions
• Share places with just a tap, including the location and how to get there, over SMS, email, or social networks

• Organize places you love into Collections
• Sign in to HERE Maps with your Nokia Account or Facebook login
• Sync with Here.net – Access your Collections anywhere

• Step-by-Step voice-guided walk navigation
• Walk navigation through pedestrian routes, parks, alleyways, and more
• Public transportation and driving directions

[via App Store]