GPS and maps

It's a great feature to have a built-in GPS receiver. Having used many SIRFstar III equipped GPS devices, I guess I've been spoiled. SIRFstar III is known for its fast Time to First Fix (TTFF) and its ability to acquire and maintain a signal lock even indoors. When you start the Maps application in N95, it takes quite a long time before it acquires a signal lock.
What's really great about N95 is that you can download all the maps you need for free. Just go to smart2go.com and download the Nokia Maploader. Use maploader to download maps and store them on a microSD memory card. That way your phone doesn't need to use the network to download maps saving your data charges. It also saver battery life.
You can search for an address or enter the starting point and end point and the N95 will find a route. If you plan to use it as a car navigator with turn-by-turn instructions, you have to pay for a subscription service. Except for the turn-by-turn navigation, there are no other subscription fees. The Maps application is easy to use. You can pan, zoom in/out and change between 2D and 3D views.
The points of interest (POI) database that comes with the maps is very good and you can search for things nearby. The POIs are grouped into dozens of categories and in the settings, you can choose which categories are shown on the map.
In conclusion, the N95 doesn't quite offer the performance of dedicated GPS navigators. However, it's great to have a GPS device with you at all times. Having said that, I'll still keep my Garmin Nüvi.