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Not to be outdone by Google's free GPS navigation on Android phones, Nokia is offering its robust Ovi Maps turn-by-turn GPS navigation for all compatible smartphones at no charge.

What's more, in the spirit of one-upmanship, Nokia's app/service covers 74 countries in 46 languages; Google only covers the US and is only offered in English.

Also included in Nokia's application are walk and drive navigation, turn-by-turn voice guidance with lane assistance, plus traffic information in 10 of the supported countries including the US and Canada. The real kicker: Nokia's Ovi Maps solution works offline, no need for a continuing and often costly data plan.

And while Google's free smartphone GPS solution was the first out of the gate, it is as yet only available in a small number of devices running the latest Android 2.1 software.

Nokia's Ovi Maps-ready devices include the N97 mini (pictured), 5800 XpressMusic, 5800 Navigato, e52, E55, E72, 5230, 6710 Navigator, 6730 Classic and X6. And by the end of this month, Nokia's flagship phone, the N97 will also run the new Ovi Maps 3.03 application following a firmware update.

Nokia acquired navigation mapping giant NAVTEQ in 2007 and quickly beefed up its navigation software. NAVTEQ provides the maps and technology for Yahoo! Maps, Bing Maps, MapQuest, Garmin, Magellan and Lowrance as well as 85 per cent of car navigation solutions. That Ovi Maps is pervasive is an understatement. That it's now free, everywhere, forever, a bonus.