Putting aside the other issues people have with Windows Phone 7, one big issue that it has compared to Android, Symbian, etc is a lack of Sat Nav software.

Does anyone know whether there will be any available soon, either to buy from a third party or as an upgrade of the included maps application?

found this...

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/Window...n-app-9438.php

Rumour is that the big update due March-ish will introduce Bing Maps navigation, similar to what Android has now with Google Maps. Although that said, with the Nokia partnership and the ensuing integration of Ovi Maps, this plan may have been shelved.

Ovi maps sounds like a brilliant addition to 7

This is one of the things that's bugging me about my Trophy from work. It's good news about the bing maps but in my experience those kinds of apps aren't a patch on the 'real' sat nav programs like Tom Tom or Copilot.

OVI Maps is an offline maps software like Tomtom and Copilot. Nokia's partnership with Microsoft is supposed to bring this phones across all manufacturers. But given this partnership was only announced a week ago, the details have not been released. E.g. it could be on the next gen of phones (post-Mango) or it could be included in the Mango update. It might depend on manufacturers agreeing to put the software on their phones, who knows?

It's not just about it being offline though although IMO that's a basic requirement for even considering it (and caching a route doesn't count). It's about the UI, clarity and experience as well, and that's where the premium paid for options win. I agree that for many people sat nav is something they only occasionally use so it wouldn't make sense paying for it, but I drive a lot with work and am often going to customers who I have never visited before. I'm more than happy to pay for something that makes that easier.

Having said that, Ovi certainly looks a lot closer to the competition and well worth considering. It'll be interesting to see how quickly they port it, and whether it'll be available on handsets other than Nokia (there's probably an answer to that one out there already lol). The other thing that is a must have with sat nav is multitasking. Shutting your sat nav down to take a call is a bit of a no no lol

The tomtom app in iPhone costs about £60. If you are going to drop that much money, I figure may as well spend a bit more and get a proper hardware tomtom.

It just shows what great value the budget Nokia phones are for anyone wanting a car navigation system. Especially with the Nokia smartphone screens usually being high resolution.

agreed...

Having all the devices combined is far more convenient though. I agree that nothing beats the purpose designed kit, but it starts to become a real pain having charging cables running round the car for phone (when I use it for music on a four hour drive it drains the battery otherwise) and sat nav. It's far easier just to drop the phone into the dock and off you go.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a show stopper on the Trophy by any stretch of the imagination, but it's something that I would really like.

As a long-time user of a Garmin SP2610 for planning touring trips on the motorbike with all the flexibility and functionality that model has (later models were dumbed down) I find Ovi Maps on my Nokia phone more than adequate for multi-drop trips during a working day. The one thing missing is being able to plan fixed route trips from the comfort of your own computer and downloading them them to the phone.

Anyone tried this or a suitable alternative. I am rapidly heading towards phone renewal time and considering my options. Currently on Andriod but I am not a massive aps user but I do love the free SatNav on my phone. If Windows doesnt have a similar or 'good value' alternative this would be a show stopper for me.

There is a proper GPS app on Windows from Garmin but it might be only.

There's a few apps available in the UK marketplace that provide voice navigation: look at GPS Tuner and Turn-by-turn navigation.

Nokia Windows Phones will come with Ovi Maps and it is expected that Nokia is licensing the maps to Microsoft so they can be used by all OEMS on all windows phones.

I had Ovi Maps on an old Nokia and it was great. All the maps were free and you just paid for the license for the turn by turn instruction part. They even had options for a year, a month and a week, so when I went on holiday to the States, I bought a month's navigation for £6. Didn't get lost once across 6 different states.

Ovi Maps is excellent basic A to B sat nav.

Stand-alone units from Tomtom and Garmin however offer more features such live traffic updates . estimated time arrival, lane guidance, etc etc