HERE Maps for Surface Tablets:
- What: HERE Maps by HERE Europe B.V.
- Where: Windows Apps Store
- How Much: $FREE$
- For: All Surface Tablets
- Approximate size: 51.1 MB
UPDATE: The HERE Maps app appears to have been pulled from the Windows Store. There are no details from Microsoft or Nokia as to why. There were rumors a few months ago that Nokia was about to sell the app, so perhaps they did. The app is still available for Windows Phone.
Overview:
I bought my Surface 2 (4G LTE) as soon as it came out earlier this year, see the post My New Surface 2 4G LTE is here. Almost immediately, I started looking for an alternative to Google Maps to use with its GPS. Why? Because Google maps sucks on the Surface! It (Google Maps) is totally not touch friendly and it does a terrible job redrawing maps on the Metro version of IE.
Fortunately, shortly after my purchase, I discovered HERE Maps and let me tell you about my experience with this great little program.
Description:
HERE Maps works with Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 RT. It’s a comprehensive mapping app that allows you to use it with your Surface’s GPS even without a data connection. It even lets you download high-quality maps on a tablet and use them at a later time.
HERE Maps also works on many phones, including the Windows Phone. It finds the quickest way around a city with walking, driving, and public transit directions to the places you want to go.
Pros:
- Works flawlessly with Surface tablets, I’ve tried it on all four that we have.
- Very accurate directions
- Works with the Surface 2 4G LTE GPS without a data connection
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Downloads maps to your tablet for use later, completely free, for when you are traveling abroad or whenever you have no available Wi-Fi
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Allows you to set your position manually for fast navigation anywhere
- Shows the following in the area you choose: top places, restaurants, hotels, places to go out, shopping, and more
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You can add waypoints to plan more intricate routes
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Provides street level view to see panoramic views of places and look around to explore
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Save your favorite places in your own collections
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Can add personal notes and cover photos and sync everything with other HERE apps or here.com
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Pick the map view you want: satellite, public transit, local traffic, street level or regular street map
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Provides up-to-date, live traffic information – very accurate, just tested this in Chicago
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Allows to tilt the map to see cities and buildings in 3DDiscover and find the top places nearby and see photos, reviews and contact info
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Share places with friends via email, Facebook and other social networks
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Maps available for more than 140 cities worldwide.
- Meets accessibility requirements (per the developer)
- Supports US English and 17 other languages – English (United States), Chinese (China), Arabic (Saudi Arabia), German (Germany), Spanish (Spain), French (France), Russian (Russia), Finnish (Finland), Hebrew (Israel), Italian (Italy), Spanish (Mexico), Dutch (Netherlands), Polish (Poland), Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish (Sweden), Chinese (Taiwan), English (United Kingdom)
Cons:
- The only thing I don’t like about HERE Maps is that it does not provide exit numbers on the expressways in the written directions.
Conclusion:
I love HERE Maps. It has, by far, been my favorite GPS maps app. It is easy to use, super accurate, and has a ton of features, like setting your results to avoid tolls or unpaved roads. Most importantly, it works great on my Surface 2 (4G LTE). The GPS is seamless and doesn’t require a WiFi connection, so it doesn’t eat into my cellular plan – very cool. I like this app so much, I now also use it on my cell phone.
I would give HERE Maps five (5) smilies. If you’re looking for a good mapping/GPS app, give HERE Maps a try.
You may also like our other reviews, see Love My Surface Reviews.
Joanna-