Nokia has been using Nokia maps (also known as Ovi Maps) in its Symbian devices for several years. Now, after the announcement of the possible “death” of Symbian devices and introduction of the new Windows Phone smartphones, Nokia has plans to expand its application.

HTML 5 Map app will be capable of working with different kinds of operating systems, including even Android and iOS, which used to have their own apps — Google maps and OS maps.

The novelty has the following features: points of interest, walking and driving routes, location shots (everywhere, where it’s possible), and reviews of the places. This app is still in its beta version, which means that a list of other features will be added to the application before it’s released. The satellite feature of the application allows to have a look at detailed images of most of the U.S. and European cities.

At this point, HTML5 Map app is not going to be a powerful competitor of Google Maps, as the latter has a large list of user-friendly features, such as pinch-to-zoom, rre-cache and 3D viewpoints. But I think that Nokia’s maps are good, too, and with time they’ll become even better.

If you want to try the novelty, head to m.maps.nokia.com.

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A friend of mine has recently bought a Nokia C7. It’s not the latest or the best smartphone made by Nokia, of course, but it’s elegant and has rather good features for its price, so I can understand why he chose it. He’s never had a Symbian^3 based smartphone before, so he had no idea what apps to install.

Here are the 3 must-have Symbian^3 apps (IMHO), and I hope this little list will be useful for him and all the others who are new to Symbian.

1. Swype

Swype, Swype, Swype! If you are going to input much text in your smartphone, I’m sure you won’t like using the default pad. Swype will help you input any text on any screen much easier and faster by continuously moving your finger (or stylus pen ) from letter to letter. Besides, Swype has many built-in languages (at least English, Spanish, Canadian French and Brazilian Portuguese), and you can install additional languages, too. So Swype is really a must-have app for almost every smartphone user.

2. Nimbuzz

Nimbuzz is a very useful app that gives you the opportunity to group all your friends and contacts, call them, send messages (using a big list of services including Skype, MSN, Google Talk, AIM, Yahoo Messenger and many others), chat online and share some files with them. And it will be for free if you use Wi-Fi (free Wi-Fi, of course). Even if you don’t use Wi-Fi, you’ll have a great opportunity to make calls that will be much cheaper than usual, no matter where your friends are.

3. Ovi Maps

You won’t have to search for and install Ovi Maps – they come pre-installed in all Nokia smartphones. But I can’t help mentioning this app, since it offers free navigation and is very useful. Android users have Google Maps, and Symbian^3 users have Ovi Maps!

Earlier Nokia CEO announced that the company will continue to push out updates for Symbian handsets until 2016. That time Nokia was busy negotiating with Microsoft, and many people thought it will completely switch to Windows Phone and ignore Symbian. It was hard to believe Nokia would support an OS known as a “burning platform…” Anyway, Nokia is one of those companies that prefer to prove their words with deeds. I am glad to inform you that Nokia rolls out the latest Symbian^3 update for its old smartphones.

By saying old smartphones I meant Symbian 3.2 and Symbian 5.0 handsets — they’ll get Symbian Anna! The whole list is below:

Symbian 3.2

• Nokia E72
• Nokia E52
• Nokia E5
• Nokia C5-00
• Nokia 6700 slide

Symbian 5.0

• Nokia C6-00
• Nokia C5-03
• Nokia 5230
• Nokia 5235
• Nokia 5250
• Nokia X6
• Nokia N97 mini
• Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
• Nokia 5530 XpressMusic

Perhaps you already know that the latest Symbian update is called Anna and comes with many improvements. One of the most attractive features is Browser v7.3, which now provides clearer UI and improved performance. Moreover, Symbian 3.2 handsets will get Ovi Maps 3 SR4 with indoor positioning through Wi-Fi and travel recommendations. Symbian 5.0 devices will get only Ovi Maps 3 SR6 bringing public transport lines and check-ins to social networks. The update also includes special emoticons for funnier messaging.

I can only add that the first handsets that will get the update are the Nokia C6-00 and the Nokia 5230.

Yesterday when I wrote about the rumors that Nokia will be sold to Samsung, I wasn’t sure whether I should believe those rumors or not. Fortunately, yesterday Nokia CEO Stephen Elop spoke at the Open Mobile Summit in London announcing that Nokia is not for sale.

I definitely like such statements! And there is no need to think what the spokesperson meant or whether there was something under the line. Moreover, Stephen Elop said people are tired of seeing iOS- and Android-powered smartphones everywhere, and Nokia’s future Microsoft-based devices will be a good alternative for all those who wish something new.

Plus, when he was asked whether some Nokia’s unique services will be used in other Windows Phone handsets, Elop answered that it is quite desirable. Truly, it will help both companies enlarge their market shares and become more popular. Generally, the question referred to the offline voice-guided navigation with Ovi Maps, and this anxiety is clear, because Google will offer Google Maps with free offline navigational capabilities soon, so Nokia must prepare something not to lag behind Google.

I think there will be some cooperation between Samsung and Microsoft app- and service-level, nothing more, and all these conversations made people think Microsoft and Samsung are hungry to ingest Nokia. However, Stephen Elop has come to Nokia not for this, right?

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2012 is going to be a sad year for the Ovi brand. The brand services, which appeared in 2008, will be rebranded back to Nokia. The services will not face any kind of content changes, the only difference is the brand name.

“We have made the decision to change our service branding from Ovi to Nokia. By centralizing our services identity under one brand, not two, we will reinforce the powerful master brand of Nokia and unify our brand architecture – while continuing to deliver compelling opportunities and experiences for partners and consumers alike”, announced Jerri Devard, Nokia EVP and Chief Marketing Officer.

The manufacturer has plans to make a few enhancements for its map program. “Nokia Maps will be a core part of Microsoft’s mapping services. For example, Maps would be integrated with Microsoft’s Bing search engine.” This means that the cooperation with Microsoft will lead the manufacturer to a whole new level of service. There’s a chance that the new service will be capable of handling all of the service options that have been available on one of the most popular map services — Bing.

Some even claim that the major shift to Microsoft instead of Google is conditioned with the idea that Google refused to help Nokia in the service improvement. The result of the Microsoft and Nokia cooperation will not only influence the improvement of the Nokia products but the Windows Phone 7 OS itself. This means that a whole list of products based on this OS will get a better map service!!!

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Yesterday Nokia and Microsoft signed an agreement, and soon WP7 will  appear on Nokia-branded devices. We’ll just need to wait until the end of the year to get the pleasure of having WP7 Nokia smartphones. And now the Symbian-based Ovi Maps is being transported to the Windows Phone operating system.

The users of the new WP7 Ovi Maps will get the opportunity to use the service of the mapping and other location-based features without any payment, just like before. The feature might not be branded as Ovi, but still there’s a chance to have a cool navigation experience on your gadget. The rumors claim that the feature of the 3D mapping, which was introduced not so long ago, will also land to the upcoming high-end WP7 devices.

To make the cooperation with Nokia more optimal, Microsoft is waiving the first year registration fee of $99 from the Nokia app developers. Their creations will appear in the upcoming Nokia-branded application store, which will coordinate with the 112 mobile operators and carriers working in 36 markets worldwide.

Most likely by the end of the year Nokia will be able to adopt most of the current applications to Microsoft’s OS.

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I guess you want to see this app working, here you are:

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Ovi Maps v3.07 is now available at Beta Labs, so all Symbian^3 phone users can get and test it.

Many changed were made to the application; let’s try to find out more about them. First of all, Ovi Maps was modularized into four components — Maps, Drive, Check-in and Guides, and the access these modules has been made much easier.

The search option was also improved and a new tab was added to make it easier to access your favorite locations.

The Place pages and Guides were redesigned and the weather info was integrated into the Guides section (displayed on the top of it now). When you open the Guides section, you see all the available guides and services, including the weather forecast, depending on your location, which is automatically determined. You can also tap there to get more info about the weather forecast.

Additionally, it is now much easier to switch between different views – just one click is needed.

Mark Guim made a video demonstrating the new Ovi Maps v3.07 on his Nokia E7. Here it is:

Don’t forget to share your opinion about the new Ovi Maps v3.07 with us. Oh, and don’t forget to leave your feedback at Beta Labs, too, so that the developers can continue improving the application!

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All those Nokia fans who want to get a Nokia E7 now have chance to win one. The good folks from WOMWorldNokia decided to give away one device each day from yesterday and end the 28^th February.

Each day a new Nokia E7 will be hidden in one city around the world. The 1^st and the last locations are virtual and you must use your wits and Ovi Maps to find the hidden E7.

All you have to do is to follow the clues once they appear and try to decode the virtual location. As the competition is online you have all the chances to win the one for yourself.

So if you think you have guessed the location head over to your Ovi Maps and if you’ll be the first who share the correct virtual location in Ovi Maps via Tweet @WOMWorldNokia – one from 7 Nokia E7 smartphones will be yours. The winner of the competition will be announced via WOMWorldNokia Twitter after 3pm GMT.

Nokia says the competition is called the Search for 7 and posted on its official website that: “Want to be one of the first to own the new Nokia E7? Each day, over 7 days, an E7 will be hidden in a new city around the world. The 1st and 7th locations are virtual and you will need to use your wits and Ovi maps to find the hidden Nokia E7.”

For more details visit the Nokia E7 official competition page and watch the video which promises more than I have expected.  I only have to add the Nokia E7 is a high-end device and it is worth to try it.

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The Nokia’s C5 line is now added with another smartphone, the Nokia C5-04. According to the Bluetooth SIG’s description, the Nokia C5-04 is a Symbian-powered smartphone with touchscreen. The phone supports 3G HSDPA network and comes with free Ovi Maps and voice navigation. From the picture we can assume the phone will be launched via T-Mobile.

Among other features the handset features a customizable homescreen for quick access to email and an ability to install apps from Ovi Store.

The smartphone is compatible with Ovi Mail as well as other web-based email services.

This means though Nokia’s last announcement they would switch to Windows Phone 7, there are still smartphones running Symbian in company’s plans. But we don’t have to be surprised as Stephen Elop said the WP7 would be used in high-end smartphones, and the low-end and mid-range handsets would be equipped with their own OS, Symbian.

Though the aforementioned site made a fuss, and many people are talking about this new smartphone nowadays, but there are not so much details to talk about. And taking into account the fact this is a Symbian-powered smartphone, there are not too much to expect.

We guess it’ll be available for a cheap price on contract.