Nokia hints maps for Android, more

Nokia may bring its newly free Ovi Maps service to other platforms, the company's southeast Europe GM Greig Williams said in a new interview with Austria's Die Presse. While not mentioning the particular platform, he told the paper that expanding outside of Symbian is "the next step." Android and Windows Mobile were mentioned as possibilities by the interviewer but weren't acknowledged by Williams.

The strategy if true would be a major reversal for Nokia. While it writes sync software for Macs and Windows PCs, it has always used Symbian on its phones and has kept Ovi exclusive to the now open-source mobile OS. A shift else would either be used to draw attention to Ovi or else may be a sign of Nokia no longer limiting itself to a single platform.

Less pressure exists to use an alternative platform now that Symbian^3 will add multi-touch and other modern features, but Nokia has gradually but steadily lost smartphone market share due to an increasing dissatisfaction with Symbian as a whole.

Nokia hasn't confirmed the rumor but is unlikely to ever port Ovi Maps to the iPhone due to the ongoing ITC complaints and lawsuits between itself and Apple. [via Electricpig]

By Electronista Staff