Nokia Drive Integration Details?

[spaceghostinme]

Does anyone know the specifics behind the Nokia Drive integration with WP8? The quick summaries I have found on the interwebs all seems to say that Nokia Drive is going to be available for all WP8 users, regardless of manufacturer. However, when I read the posts by Nokia about this from back in early summer, it doesn't exactly say that. They wrote, "Today, we are making Nokia Drive available to other Windows Phone 8 partners to offer a turn-by-turn navigation experience for people in over 110 countries."

To me that says, we are making this available for other OEMs to use, but it's not mandatory. I can't imagine HTC or Samsung wanting to license GPS software from Nokia, especially if they have their own (albeit inferior) products to offer (HTC "Locations" anyone?). Am I interpreting this correctly, or is Drive just going to be part of the OS on all WP8 phones?

For my next phone, I really want a top notch GPS solution as well. Nokia Drive, by all accounts, is that solution. My choice of the 8x vs. the Lumia 822 (if rumors hold) on Verizon could be complicated by this. Of course if the 920 (or a similar version) comes to VZW, that would probably make the decision a whole lot easier.

 

[a5cent]

I would also like an answer to these questions!

As I understand it, Nokia is licensing the Nokia Drive app and all their location based services (world-wide mapping data, real-time traffic data, etc) to Microsoft. That deal included the merging of Bing Maps and Nokia Maps.

All other OEM's get these services included as part of their WP8 licenses. Apparently other OEM's also get full access to all of Nokia's mapping API's, so HTC could theoretically also implement something like Nokia's City Lens app.

Basically, all OEM's would get Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive, but they don't get things like Nokia Transport or Nokia City Lens.

However, all of this comes from bits and pieces I've collected on the internet and none of it is official, so it could be all wrong.

Anyone know something official?

 

[Grimlock]

I'm also very interested in this because it could be a deal breaker as far as the 8X goes for me. I've seen official mention of nokia drive that you have linked to above, but this is the only thing I've seen about maps and HTC but I wouldn't really call it official:

"Speaking of Nokia, HTC said it the Windows Phone 8X will come preloaded with Nokia Maps, which is excellent news for buyers of the handset." HTC Windows Phone 8X hands-on review - The Inquirer

 

[a5cent]

Speaking of Nokia, HTC said it the Windows Phone 8X will come preloaded with Nokia Maps

On WP7 Nokia Maps and Bing Maps were two separate apps. On WP8 we will only get one Maps app. That is the only thing I'm certain of. Every single WP8 handset will get this. I don't know if it will be called Nokia Maps, but it will be powered by Nokia's mapping data.

 

[anon(5335877)]

On WP7 Nokia Maps and Bing Maps were two separate apps. On WP8 we will only get one Maps app. That is the only thing I'm certain of. Every single WP8 handset will get this. I don't know if it will be called Nokia Maps, but it will be powered by Nokia's mapping data.

Well I would have thought that HTC and Samsung would have been angry about an app on their phone that has "Nokia" in it, but I guess not.

From the article someone posted:

Speaking of Nokia, HTC said it the Windows Phone 8X will come preloaded with Nokia Maps, which is excellent news for buyers of the handset.
The Inquirer (HTC Windows Phone 8X hands-on review - The Inquirer)

 

[a5cent]

Well I would have thought that HTC and Samsung would have been angry about an app on their phone that has "Nokia" in it, but I guess not.

From the article someone posted:

Yeah. I would also assume that. I'm also going to stick with that assumption for now, because that preview had way to many factual errors in it to be trustworthy.