[Romer Reyes]

Or maybe they should give us an option what maps to use.

I want HERE Maps because it has more stuffs and it knows local places unlike the built in one :(

[MrWhiteman]

HERE maps is the built in one. Unless you aren't using a Nokia phone, in which case, you will have to wait as they probably will do this in the future. I have no idea why someone would not have chosen Nokia as their Windows Phone.

[Dave Bhullar]

The built in maps that cortana uses have more places and the locations are accurate. Here maps isn't great for finding places in my area. I'd prefer it the way it is right now. It probably varies from region to region, here maps rarely finds accurate locations for points of interests for me

[thekeeblerelf]

I have a Lumia 928 on Verizon, and the 8.1 update included Microsoft's Maps application. Cortana defaults to use this application, rather than the HERE maps. I'm only really bothered by the redundancy, but the option to choose would be nice.

[jhoff80]

HERE maps is the built in one. Unless you aren't using a Nokia phone, in which case, you will have to wait as they probably will do this in the future. I have no idea why someone would not have chosen Nokia as their Windows Phone.

Not true. In 8.1, Here Maps is not the built-in app. Who knows if that'll change with the Nokia firmware update or not.

[Alex Rodriguez Jr.]

Isn't Microsoft Maps built off of the HERE tech? Either way, once the merger is complete & they stop acting as separate companies I expect it all to be the same

[Jas00555]

They can't do that since they're buying Nokia. They can't show any favoritism to Nokia at all during the acquisition otherwise they could get in legal trouble. Allowing any maps app to work would be a pretty good idea though.

[jhoff80]

Isn't Microsoft Maps built off of the HERE tech? Either way, once the merger is complete & they stop acting as separate companies I expect it all to be the same

The map data is licensed from Here. The apps themselves both render differently. I actually prefer the 8.1 built-in maps now myself.

[GB330033]

Isn't Microsoft Maps built off of the HERE tech? Either way, once the merger is complete & they stop acting as separate companies I expect it all to be the same

Microsoft is only buying Nokia's hardware division. The HERE division will still operate independently (Though Microsoft is licensing HERE stuff for at least 4 years) along with the infrastructure division. That means the native Maps and HERE Maps will continue to be individual apps, but they'll use the same data.

Part of the reason this preview is out in the wild is for developers (Like Nokia's HERE division) to work on integrating their apps with new features. I suspect there are probably API hooks that can be used in apps to tie into Cortana, we just haven't seen anything other than the native apps use them.

[Suspekt]

Isn't Microsoft Maps built off of the HERE tech? Either way, once the merger is complete & they stop acting as separate companies I expect it all to be the same

Microsoft didn't buy the HERE part of Nokia's business

[kk77]

With 8.1 there is a way to select the default Map application. Have you tried that?

Go to Settings --> Applications --> Maps and there if you scroll all the way down, you will find option to change the "Default voice navigation app"

[jhoff80]

With 8.1 there is a way to select the default Map application. Have you tried that?

Go to Settings --> Applications --> Maps and there if you scroll all the way down, you will find option to change the "Default voice navigation app"

Voice navigation app is different from mapping app though. The former works for queries like "Drive to" or "Navigate to". The latter is for things like "Where am I" or (potentially - though it hasn't done this for me) "where is".

[JPDVM2014]

I actually uninstalled the HERE maps because I prefer the new maps app. But it would be nice if people had the option.

[MrWhiteman]

Ahh I didn't realize that Microsoft added their own mapping app. It's basically here maps with a new name.

[leops1984]

Outside of the US there is a huge gap in the data available to the default Maps app and HERE. In the Philippines, HERE is reasonably filled out; the built-in app has roads... and that's about it. No points of interest at all, so many of Cortana's best features are non-existent.

[JamesDax]

I would like to see integration of Here Transit as well.

[tk-093]

Hope there is at least a choice.

[Romer Reyes]

Outside of the US there is a huge gap in the data available to the default Maps app and HERE. In the Philippines, HERE is reasonably filled out; the built-in app has roads... and that's about it. No points of interest at all, so many of Cortana's best features are non-existent.

This is what I'm saying! Haha. I'm from the PH too

[cdesportnut]

How do I set current location to favorites. I work on a campus with many buildings and have multiple locations I frequently go to that don't have an exact address. Example: The gym on my campus is in a specific location, and I want to remind me of something when I get to gym (location)

[DaT Franchise]

The question should be she needs to be tied to the maps app better. What I mean by this is here maps knows my exact location IE address I'm at, Cortana when I ask my location no matter if I'm home work or at a Starbucks she always comes back with "some street Gainesville 32607"

[MrWhiteman]

HERE maps will be phased out soon mate when MS completes the buyout. The new MS maps IS here maps so don't worry about it for now. There will be plenty more updates soon as I think MS is getting very heavy on the mobile market and it shows. Loads of my mates now have windows phones.

[Talderon]

HERE maps will be phased out soon mate when MS completes the buyout. The new MS maps IS here maps so don't worry about it for now. There will be plenty more updates soon as I think MS is getting very heavy on the mobile market and it shows. Loads of my mates now have windows phones.

Completely Inaccurate.

Microsoft bought the Nokia Handset Devices and Hardware Division. This did NOT include ANY of the HERE products. NONE.

There are MANY facets to Nokia other than their phones and tablets. They have networking hardware/software, the HERE apps and more.

Here Maps is COMPLETELY different. When you search Maps from many devices and services, you are presented with Map Tiles that belong to one of a few companies. Google being one and Nokia being another. If you use Google Maps and for a while Apple Maps on the iPhone, those tiles were all sourced from Google.

Bing Maps uses tiles supplied by Nokia, as well as Yahoo and a some others.

The HERE applications and the Microsoft applications are completely separate even though they use the same source. Microsoft won't phase out Nokia HERE Maps or any other HERE application because we do not own them.

As for the Cortana integration, it's up to Nokia HERE to do that, not MS.

Hope this clears a few things up!

[Guzzler3]

As for the Cortana integration, it's up to Nokia HERE to do that, not MS.

I really hope that Nokia works on integrating Cortana with HERE. I find the routing algorithm in HERE to be superior than the Microsoft Maps (at least where I live).

[Kunal Dudwadkar]

Even for me (In India) HERE maps works best. The MS maps lacks lots of details and the scout thing doesn't work at all. In fact the pointer in MS maps jumps every 10 seconds to different locations and never stops at the current location :\

[WPit]

Under maps settings you can set the default gps as HERE and Cortana, despite not integrated, will execute it if you ask her to do so. I always do after getting the georeferencing alerts. Easy and accurate. I know, not the same thing, but. For example, in the morning I always get this, "Sir, time to leave for work". After this alert, if I ask her to "get me there", she does it launching HERE maps. Well, before this, actually I always ask how is traffic, than the "get me there" works if I want (usually to another place, not work of course).