As we work through reviewing the Huawei P40 Pro, there’s a lot to like but there are some serious bumps in the road as well. Without a doubt, the biggest hurdle that the phone will face is the lack of Google services and apps. One absolutely critical app that a huge percentage of users will engage with is navigation and until a couple of days ago it was absent from the P40 Pro.
The absence of Google Maps is a real blow to some users, but Here WeGo is a pretty capable replacement. The app is now available in Huawei’s App Gallery, their alternative to the Play Store. For users who haven’t specifically used the app previously, Here Technologies provide mapping solutions to a lot of markets already. They also hold the mantle — through other market engagement — as one of the largest mapping providers on the planet.
Because Here provides a mapping solution to so many vehicles, the software will feel very familiar. It is simple and intuitive to use for navigation, provides turn by turn assistance and has similar public transport information to Google Maps. That broad capability makes it a pretty good, but not a perfect solution to a device that lacks the integration of Google Maps.
The biggest downside here for me is that Here has virtually no data for Japan or South Korea… These are two countries I visit very regularly and I would love to have maps to download for these places.
I have been using this for years, works well. One huge advantage is that you can download proper offline maps that work without any data connections. Another bonus is no google.
Looks like it uses OpenStreetMap data. They could probably use Maps.me just as well.