I’m about to preview the New Nokia Maps 2.0 beta, but before I use it, let me share with you what’s new with Nokia Maps 2.0. In summary, the update includes new pedestrian navigation, satellite and hybrid images, improved car navigation interface, and real-time traffic information. Read on for the specifics.

I just spoke to Ricky Cadden from Symbian-Guru, James Burland from Nokia Creative, and they are also testing the beta as well.

Pedestrian navigation: Bigger cities are more and more pedestrian-oriented and less suited for cars, therefore Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta offers you the possibility to explore a city by walking! Breadcrumbs show your previous position and mark down the route you’ve been walking. Stop at any place you’d like to and continue your route afterwards. Navigation is visual and without voice guidance. To start a pedestrian navigation, choose your destination and select Walk to from the selection key menu (in the middle of your mobile device). Please note that you need a valid navigation license to use pedestrian navigation (there is a 3-day free trial available for each device).

Satellite and hybrid images: Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta offers satellite and hybrid view maps for selected bigger cities. Satellite images offer an accurate map view and they display individual city buildings. You can change the view from the normal map view to satellite or hybrid map view via Options > Map mode > Satellite or Hybrid. Downloading satellite images may involve the transmission of large amounts of data through your service provider’s network. Contact your service provider for information about data transmission charges.

Improved user interface for car navigation: Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta offers clear guidance and improved visual elements for car navigation. Try it yourself by just choosing your destination and select Drive to from the selection key (in the middle of your mobile device). Please note that you need a valid navigation license to use car navigation (there is a 3-day free trial available for each device).

One box search: One box search to search for addresses or places that interest you is available with start-up of the application! Just enter the address or name of a place for which you are looking in the search field and press Search. The results are displayed, sorted by category. Please note that you do not necessarily need to enter all letters of an address. It is, for example, enough to enter the first three letters of a street name. Of course this increases the number of search results.

Multimedia city guides: This new type of city guide features photos, videos, and audio streams. This new method of accessing information about a certain city has a lot of advantages compared to traditional electronic or written city guides. Multimedia City Guides have to be purchased as an additional feature via Options > Extras > Guides.

Real time traffic information (RTTI): Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta offers real-time traffic feeds and dynamic rerouting in 18 European countries. Real-time traffic feeds inform you of collisions, roadworks, and traffic jams. After the feed is received, the device can dynamically re-route you to avoid a traffic event. RTTI is a feature that can be purchased separately. You can purchase RTTI via Options > Extras > Traffic info. Note that the usage of RTTI may involve the transmission of large amounts of data through your service provider’s network. Contact your service provider for information about data transmission charges.