Nokia Drive Rebuilt for Windows Phone 8, Will Power All Devices

Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 handsets will arrive on shelves with the company’s Location Platform loaded on them, with some features available for other manufacturers as well, such as Nokia Drive.

Nokia has already committed to making its location service available for all devices running under Microsoft’s new mobile operating system, and it seems that it has indeed kept its word, though with a little twist.

For example, all handset vendors will have access to Nokia Drive, just as the company promised. However, while Nokia’s own Lumia devices are sure to land on shelves with the feature enabled, other smartphones might not be so lucky.

According to Nokia, vendors are those who will decide on whether Nokia Drive will be present on their devices or not.

“Other manufacturers and Microsoft will decide in which countries and on which devices Nokia Drive will be offered to their customers,” the company explains.

Nokia Drive for Windows Phone is currently in beta, yet Nokia smartphones already have access to it via the Windows Phone Store.

Furthermore, the company explains that the app has been rebuilt entirely for the new platform release, and that there are some appealing new features that users will benefit from when installing it.

“You will be very pleased to know that some of the features you have requested the most, spoken street names and route planning options to avoid toll roads, ferries, etc., have been included in this release,” the company notes.

“However, while currently in beta, Nokia Drive for Windows Phone 8 won’t support My Commute just yet and we strongly suggest you to make use of the offline maps to enjoy your travels.”

At the same time, the company explains that, while Nokia Maps will be loaded on Lumia devices, other Windows Phone 8 handsets will feature the Windows Phone Maps app on them, although still powered by the vendor’s map data.

“It is using our geocoding, our traffic information and our routes, but it’s ultimately developed by Windows Phone, with a custom UI, search and POI database,” the company explains.