Nokia Drive Sat Nav App Pulls up on Other Windows Phone 8 Devices (Not Just Finnish Made)

With the announcement of Windows Phone 8 eyes will immediately turn to Microsoft’s mobile running buddy Nokia. The partnership has delivered an impressive hardware and software combo over the past seven months, since the one-time “Sea Ray” surfaced as the Nokia Lumia 800 and showcased Microsoft’s then new Window Phone 7 operating system.

Now the Finnish tech-maker has chosen to offer up one of the key app features, previously an exclusive found on the Lumia family of smartphones, to other WP8 host manufacturers when Nokia Drive makes its first journey away from native devices.

Senior Marketing Communications Manager Pino Bonetti revealed the news on the Nokia blog and states that in addition to his own company’s wares Nokia Drive which provides GPS mapping, spoken directions and traffic alerts will pull up on “other Windows Phone 8” partner devices, which would suggest rival smartphone makers HTC and Samsung – both of whom have reinvented the mobile market in 2012 with the launch of the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy SIII respectively.

Nokia adds that the Nokia Drive app for fellow manufacturers will be a full version of the existing software and will cover over 110 countries worldwide.

It could considered a little naive of Nokia to offer one of the unique draws of the Lumia 900, 800 and 710 to other competitors just before the market blows up with new Windows Phone 8 devices, but from a consumer point of view gadget fans who want their directions in the palm of their hand (or safely housed on the dashboard, or course) will be spoilt for choice.

Nokia has kept some aces up its sleeve and will be awarding Lumia owners with a range of new apps which we’ve covered in a recent article.

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