Nokia to Bring Offline Navigation to Samsung Galaxy Devices

Nokia may be abandoning Android on the hardware side, but the company isn’t giving up on Android entirely.

Nokia is partnering with Samsung to bring its Here Maps app to Samsung Galaxy smartphones, the two companies announced in a blog post on Friday.

The free app includes maps for 200 countries, with support for driving and walking route guidance for 100 of those. When used with a data connection, it also includes real time traffic and transit schedules for dozens of countries.

But the app’s most impressive feature, and the one most likely to lure Google Maps users, is its robust offline capabilities. As with Here’s Windows Phone counterpart, users can download maps for entire countries, or specific regions, for offline use.

The app’s launch will coincide with Samsung’s recently announced Galaxy Gear S smartwatch, which will also sync with Here Maps.

The two companies’ partnership is another sign of Samsung’s increasing reluctance to rely solely on Google services. Tensions between the two have risen in recent months. Google executives are reportedly unhappy with Samsung’s decision to focus its wearable efforts on its own Tizen platform rather than Google’s Android Wear.

Though Samsung does have an Android Wear-based smartwatch, the Gear Live, its other wearables, including the upcoming Galaxy Gear S, run Samsung’s Linux-based operating system, Tizen.

SOURCE: MASHABLE