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Nokia has pulled its Here Maps app from Apple’s iTunes Store, blaming Apple’s iOS 7 operating system, the Indian Express reports.
The Finnish phone firm — whose handset division is soon to be owned by Microsoft — claims that changes introduced in iOS 7 harm the user experience of Here Maps. Search for ‘Nokia Here Maps’ in iTunes, and you won’t find the official app made by Nokia in the results.
A Nokia spokesperson told the Indian Express in a statement: “We have made the decision to remove our Here Maps app from the Apple App Store because recent changes to iOS 7 harm the user experience. iPhone users can continue to use the mobile web version of Here Maps under m.here.com, offering them core location needs, such as search, routing, orientation, transit information and more, all completely free of charge.”
When I asked, Nokia wouldn’t say which changes in iOS 7 made Here run so badly. A spokesperson got back to me with the exact same statement as above. I’ve asked if it’ll release a new version of Here Maps for iOS 7 at some point, and will update this story if I hear back.
Nokia Here Maps isn’t available on Android, which leaves it on just Windows Phone and Nokia handsets.
I haven’t used Here Maps on an iPhone, but according to the Indian Express, it wasn’t much fun. Zoom in and out, and it would freeze. Or if it didn’t freeze, it would zoom in as close as possible, or out to the extreme, with no middle ground. If you wanted a medium amount of zoom so you could check out the surrounding area and look for alternative routes, you were bang out of luck.
The design also looked more like Nokia’s old Symbian operating system, compared to the much cleaner look of the Windows Phone version.
Did you try Here Maps on iOS 7? What did you make of it? Was Nokia right to pull it? Let me know in the comments, or navigate your way over to our Facebook page.
