Nokia’s Here map app debuts on Tizen

Nokia's Here map app for wearable devices has arrived, starting with the new Samsung Gear S powered by Tizen, CNET reported.

Here is the part of the Finnish company Nokia that builds maps and provides the data to a smartphone and tablet app, and to third-party apps that work just about everywhere, from smartphones and tablets to in-car sat-nav systems.

Here was not acquired by Microsoft in the $7-billion deal that snapped up Nokia's device division.

This is Here's first foray into the growing wearables sector, as it puts directions on users' watch to save them fishing for their phone out of their pocket every hundred yards as they head towards their destination. It also obviates the need for users to stand at street corners waving their smartphones around.

Here app for the Gear S called Navigator, allows turn-by-turn navigation while users walk or get public transport.

Though the small screen is fine for showing the user where to go next, it is not ideal for actually planning a route. The watch uses Bluetooth to pair with the user's phone, where the new Here Android app allows users to look up their destination and figure out how to get there, whether on foot or public transport, before zapping the route to their watch, and setting off with their phone safely tucked back into their pocket.

Nokia said in a statement today, "HERE has partnered with Samsung to bring its maps and location platform services to Tizen-powered smart devices by Samsung, including the Samsung Gear S."

Tizen, an open and flexible OS, launched as a competitor to Android and iOS operating systems, aims to address the needs of all stakeholders of mobile and connected device ecosystem, including device manufacturers, mobile operators, application developers and independent software vendors (ISVs), PTI reported.

Samsung would launch the first smartphone based on its Tizen platform in the July-September quarter this year, a move aimed at cutting dependence on the popular Google's Android OS.

According to Samsung, the Tizen-powered 'Samsung Z' would be made available in the third quarter in Russia followed by other markets. The company however, did not disclose specific details.

Samsung's mobile phones are mostly currently powered by the Android platform, which is also the dominant OS on most smartphones across the globe.