Here comes HERE to Samsung......
http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/29/samsung-nokia-here-maps/?ncid=rss_truncated
Relations between Google and Samsung are already a little tense, but the Korean smartphone maker may just have elevated those frustrations a little further. Extending its existing deal to provide mapping data on Samsung's Tizen wearables, Nokia (the part that wasn't sold to Microsoft) today confirmed that it will bring HERE Maps to Android for the first time, giving Samsung Galaxy smartphone owners advanced access to its own Google Maps alternative.
After Nokia jettisoned its smartphone division, the company doubled-down on HERE, striking deals with a few of its former rivals, including Amazon, Jolla and, of course, Samsung. The app itself comes with many of the features you'd find in Google Maps, but also excels in some areas where Google doesn't. A couple of examples include true offline maps, which are currently supported in 95 countries, and LiveSight, which lets users navigate to landmarks by following virtual signs on their screen. If you don't own a Samsung smartphone, don't fret, Nokia says that HERE Maps will come to other Android devices by the end of the year (note: you can still use Google Maps, even on a Samsung handset). The HERE Maps beta will make its way to Galaxy phones when the 3G-enabled Gear S smartwatch goes on sale, which is expected sometime in October.
"Telecom gear maker Nokia Oyj has partnered Samsung Electronics Co. to provide its maps and location services to Tizen-powered smart devices by the Korean electronics giant.
The Finnish firm’s location-based services arm HERE will also provide solutions to Samsung’s new smartwatch, Gear S.
Nokia in a statement on Friday said, “HERE has partnered with Samsung to bring its maps and location platform services to Tizen-powered smart devices by Samsung, including the Samsung Gear S.” On the Samsung Gear S, HERE is powering an application called Navigator, which offers turn-by-turn walk navigation and public transit routing, it added.
Tizen, an open and flexible OS operating system, was launched as a competitor to Android and iOS operating systems.
The OS aims to address the needs of all stakeholders of mobile and connected device ecosystem, which includes device manufacturers, mobile operators, application developers and independent software vendors (ISVs).
Samsung will launch the first smartphone based on its Tizen platform in the July-September quarter this year, a move aimed at reducing dependence on the popular Google’s Android OS.
Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker, said the Tizen-powered “Samsung Z” will be made available in the third quarter in Russia followed by other markets, Samsung said but did not disclose specific details.
A majority of Samsung’s mobile phones are currently powered by the Android platform, which is also the dominant OS on most smartphones across the globe.
Previously, Samsung ran “Bada” OS, which did not see much success. It has since been working on merging the platform with Tizen, which is backed by chipmaker Intel Corp.
The other popular operating systems include Apple iOS, Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS and BlackBerry’s proprietary platform.
According to research firm International Data Corp. (IDC), smartphone sales stood at 281.5 million units globally in Q1 2014, up 28.6% from 218.8 million devices in January-March 2013" |
