Symbian And Windows Mobile Phones

Symbian and Windows Mobile phones get Google Street View, There’s an application that’s become a firm favourite of oh so many people, whether they’re using it on their PCs or on their mobile phones: Google Maps, that awesome mapping program, that lets you get directions, find just about anything on the map, and even see aerial views of what you’re looking at. On some mobile phones, though, it goes further, by giving you Street View, where you can actually get down to street level, and look around in full 360 degree vision, seeing the street as you’d see it at eye level. The iPhone, the T-Mobile G1, Blackberrys… they’re the ones you needed to buy to get Google Street View.

Except they’re not the only mobile phones it’s available on now, according to Engadget Mobile, because now, Street View is available for Symbian (presumably Series 60) and Windows Mobile phones.


Since I’ve more or less decided I’m having an X1 Xperia (yes, I’m calling it that now, I’ve decided that name just rolls off the tongue so nicely, and will, hopefully, make me sound more exciting than I really am), that’s rather good news, that! You may ask why they’ve now decided to roll it out onto other mobile phones besides those, but the answers a dead simple one. Those mobile phones up there in the first paragraph… they be massive big’ns in America. But with Street View rolling out in places like France, Spain, Italy and, yes, the UK, it makes a huge amount of sense to roll out Street View to the big smartphone systems over here.

And that means Symbian and Windows Mobile. So, rest assured, if you have the X1 Xperia (and I plan to join you in the not too distant future), you’ll be able to zoom in and see where you are at street level. But… I’ll tell you what’ll be really cool. If you’ve ever seen Street View used on the T-Mobile G1, you’ll know that because the G1’s got a compass built in, you can pan round the view of the street you’re looking at just by turning round with the phone. The Nokia N97, due out next year, also has a compass built in. So, if you go for that upcoming Symbian monster, it’s entirely possible (although not confirmed yet), that you’ll get the exact same feature!

Now, if only they’d care to release Google Earth for something other than the chuffin’ iPhone, I’ll be a happy bunny