Best Free Offline GPS App for Android from HERE | Hacker News Reader

Best Free Offline GPS App for Android from HERE

here.com

23 pointsbelleville29 comments

Recent previous discussion:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8580091

It looks like a really cool app, and it's something I've wanted from Google Maps for a while, that Google has danced around without delivering a real solution to "offline maps."

Is there a cost associated with publishing on the android Play Store? I am a little worried about installing this app which wants me to bypass security warnings and install out-of-band an APK download from their site. Not sure if that's a reasonable fear, but I think I could at least count on seeing it flagged and removed from the app store if it was malware. No such guarantees downloading directly from the site. Has anyone already tried out this app?

Google Play only allows .apk files up to 50 MB. Maybe the HERE maps app is larger, so it won't fit on the store. (Yes, of course they can download content separately and make the .apk under 50 MB that way, but maybe they just didn't want to do that for the beta.)

Anyway, HERE is the brand used by Nokia's maps unit, so it's not likely that they would distribute malware.

The zip file on the website is less than 40 MB.

Even if there was a cost ( I don't there there is for free apps ), it would be completely obliterated by the cost of contracting Mark Monitor as their domain registrar!

Nokia is behind HERE, perhaps they just don't want to support or endorse Google in any form. Or perhaps they're aiming at the Chinese and off-brand markets that by and large don't have access to Google Play.

But why not both? You can publish on Google Play and have an .apk listed for download on your website as well.

There's a cost for being a developer, but as I recall it was only $25 or so.

For offline maps, I've used MapsWithMe / http://MAPS.ME/ for years. It's based on OpenStreetMaps data. Comparing them, the Nokia solution offers:

* offline routing, though it's in the MAPS.ME beta

* turn-by-turn directions

* public transit

* (online) live traffic info

* share directions from a computer

I think it might just be that, while they want the app to be used, its not meant for general consumption yet.

So publishing only the apk selects those users who can tolerate semi-broken software.

Or Google Play could provide a 'beta' channel for publishers. Does such a thing exist?

Yes, Google Play lets you define an Alpha and Beta channel https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ...

Yes, we use the same for our app. You need just to link a google group or a g+ community in the developer dashboards. It works quite well.

Here is Nokia maps. It is most likely they have a more complex relationship with Google than most and prefer to release the beta app before finalizing the details of that relationship. I have been waiting for this for years.

It's worth mentioning that Here and the maps database from former Navteq weren't included in the Microsoft acquisition deal.

If they don't want to endorse Google, why do they endorse Amazon instead of using Azure? Anyway, how will updates be handled if we download the APK from their website manually?

It certainly makes it easier to install it on jolla, as far as conspiracy theories are concerned.

Here is such a bad brand name, especially for foreigners, which makes it that much more surprising that a company like Nokia, from Finland, would choose a name like that. I guess they were led by an American at the time. But I would change it, even now, to something better. I think it would be worth it. Make it more of an International name.

When I read "offline GPS" I assumed accelerometer/gyro/compass positioning, now that would have been cool. Some point and shoot cameras have this for tracking position when GPS/GLONASS signal is unavailable.

They do? Everything I've read about this kind of thing says that it's woefully inaccurate. Anyone know of anything to suggest otherwise?

Just using accelerometer, as some point and shoots do, is pretty inaccurate but still somewhat usable. Using all the sensosrs on a modern phone (including signal strength from known wifi/tower beacons) would yield much better results.

My point is more in the spirit of: I got excited because there's little or no such apps on playstore, offline maps aren't anything new.

I had HERE for my Lumia 920. It was phenomenal, excellent UI.

what is wrong with OsmAnd? Have been using it for many years already.

http://osmand.net/

Is this post an ad? Because if so, it's like the most obvious one I've ever seen on HN.

Is it different from the dozen of posts on new Amazon services each time they are released?

From a user of the app.

Color me skeptical, since your karma is the same as the upvotes on the story.

Also, the same link was posted 4 days ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8580091

I wasn't aware of it. Before I posted it, I searched with only "GPS" as keywords.

This is the 2nd post I put on HN. You can check my first one.

My apologies! Reduces the probability of astroturfing :).

the best map ever .... this is what i was looking for longest time ....used it on nokia ...they user vector formatting map technology which is just awesome ... wondering why google or others are not using it(?)

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