The Maps app on your webOS phone is getting a new view of the world. It now uses the same "much, much better" approach to maps as the HP TouchPad.
Powered by Microsoft Bing Maps, you’ll find some new features when you launch the new Maps app. Some of the highlights (depending on your version of webOS) include:
- Map and satellite views
- Driving, walking, and transit directions
- Convenient access to recent and bookmarked locations, as well as places of interest.
To install the new version of Maps on Veer, Pre and Pixi phones (including original and Plus versions, as well as the Pre 2), just search the App Catalog for the Maps app and download it.
Jon Zilber
Does this fix the inaccuracies with using GPS in the southern hemisphere?
Posted by: Corey D | October 12, 2011 at 05:01 PM
Great move guys!
Posted by: MrKal_El | October 12, 2011 at 05:04 PM
So much better than the google map on my pre2. Much much faster... Thank you webos team!
Posted by: B | October 12, 2011 at 05:23 PM
Thanks for finally remembering that most of your users still use webOS 1.4x! (Sprint Pre-)
Posted by: JaronRH | October 12, 2011 at 05:25 PM
Might be good to update this post (and the App catalog description) to be clear that this new Maps app will overwrite the Google Maps app. That's not obvious in any way, since they have different names. Thanks!
Posted by: Kellan | October 12, 2011 at 05:27 PM
Thanks for making this available on legacy devices!
Just an FWI, I noticed that when you SWIPE through search results (i.e. Pizza) the map will update with the location of each result; however, if you TAP the next numbered result, the map will not update.
Posted by: RafRoldan | October 12, 2011 at 05:58 PM
AWESOME! SO COOL!
Posted by: Philip bernstein | October 12, 2011 at 06:31 PM
The problem is that bing maps have crappy maps for Korea
Posted by: Dane | October 12, 2011 at 06:56 PM
It shows that you can still use Google Services within the Location Services settings. How so? Or is this now defunct?
Posted by: RafRoldan | October 12, 2011 at 08:11 PM
It appears to me from using the TouchPad that the Bing transit directions provide no departure times. Is this correct?
Posted by: Ryan N. | October 12, 2011 at 09:56 PM
Is there a pro/con for keeping Google Maps instead?
Posted by: SabChgo | October 12, 2011 at 11:15 PM
Hi!
With this update, all the apps that uses Maps to show the Google Latitude location stop working... :(
Posted by: Laegnur | October 13, 2011 at 12:36 AM
A Bing-based map app? Which map app? I have Google- based that already does most of what you said. I'll have to see.
Posted by: Flyhombre | October 13, 2011 at 03:11 AM
Please let people know it REPLACES the Google Maps. thx
Posted by: shane | October 13, 2011 at 05:12 AM
While the Bing Maps app for the Touchpad is richly featured and handsomely done (while somewhat muted in its color presentation), it is very incomplete in its implementation of public transit. My Google Maps app on my Pre Plus can document routes in suburban Detroit, where I live, but Bing gives me error messages saying way-points are not available.
I have read similar criticisms about the new Bing Maps app that is now available for the Pre Plus and other legacy webOS phones: either individual bus routes, or departure times, or whole transit systems are missing from this app.
What's the chance that Bing can improve its public transit information? Until that happens, I'm hesitant to install the new app on my Pre Plus
Posted by: William | October 13, 2011 at 07:58 AM
I love the new app!
The sliders are fantastic and easily allows interacting with the app without needing the back gesture.
For people like me that have been following the Palm-saga, the release of this app is incredible in terms of the promise of webOS! Enyo apps can run on legacy Palm devices!
Wow... I remember even Steve Jobs giving the HP Palm group kudos for their software efforts! Arguably the most forward-thinking platform on the planet!
From a fanboy stance, this makes me want to believe... again!
Posted by: Thawil | October 13, 2011 at 12:30 PM
Yup, make SURE Bing Maps support your location if you use the Transit features of Google Maps. Bing maps don't work in Pittsburgh, and I upgraded not knowing this would overwrite my Google Maps app.
This is effectively a huge downgrade for me, and is useless for 90% or more of what I use the Maps app for.
I'm very disappointed that there was no warning that it'd overwrite my Google Maps app, which actually worked.
Posted by: Jon | October 13, 2011 at 01:56 PM
since updating the map app fails to identify my current location!! Its a pre2 to boot, this never happened earlier. What's the solution ?
Posted by: ionic | October 13, 2011 at 03:28 PM
It's a nice app and a welcome update BUT I have to echo the concerns re: Public Transit. Being able to select departure and arrival times is crucial. The sad part is I can't even navigate to maps.google.com to plan my trips now since it automatically opens up the Bing Maps app and times out the google maps web interface...
Is there a way to revert back to Google Maps? Do I need to Doctor my phone?
Posted by: David | October 13, 2011 at 04:47 PM
So glad to get an update to my Pre minus... thanks u guys.
Posted by: Carlos | October 13, 2011 at 05:55 PM
Because the new BingMaps-app also brings Enyo-support to all webOS-smartphones, installation is a must!
But it is possible to keep your GoogleMaps-app if you save/modify it first. Search the precentral.net- or German nexave.de-forum how to do it.
Posted by: thg | October 14, 2011 at 01:07 AM
I installed the new Maps app on my Pre 2 yesterday and today received a System Update notification to install webOS 2.1.0 even though that's what I'm already running!
I decided to try the "update." Google Maps came back so I re-installed the new Maps but now the new Maps app won't "stick" - after a reboot it's gone again and I'm back to Google!
If prompted, do not re-install 2.1.0!
Posted by: Jaytay | October 14, 2011 at 06:29 AM
Uh, is it really true that it *replaces* Google Maps? You need to fix that, or at the very least make it very clear in the description that the default is replaced.
Posted by: Michael Stillwell | October 17, 2011 at 09:45 AM
Thanks for providing this update for Pre-. As the new map app seems to install enyo what are your plans for enyo on Pre devices?
If only you guys had shown us Legacy Pre users some updates back in February more of us might have jumped on the Touchpad bandwagon instead of sitting back and waiting to see if HP would support the Touchpad better than HP was supporting the Pre.
Posted by: Still rocking the Pre- (for another month) | October 18, 2011 at 08:17 AM
Doh now Lattitude has stopped working!
Can we not get a choice of map apps instead?
Posted by: RichTea | October 18, 2011 at 04:32 PM