Nokia Drive, Maps and Music to become available as paid Windows Phone apps for other devices?

By Tom Warren, on 23rd Nov 11 10:58 am with 15 Comments

Nokia appears to be preparing to make its Nokia Drive, Maps and Music applications available to other Windows Phone users.

The Finnish handset maker had previously revealed the Nokia Maps application would make its way to other Windows Phone devices. Many believed the Music and Drive applications would remain as exclusive “differentiators” for Nokia’s Lumia Windows Phones. It appears that Nokia may be preparing to offer these out to all Windows Phone devices. Nokia held an event in Bangalore on Wednesday where speakers reportedly revealed Nokia Drive and Maps will be free for Lumia users but paid for other Windows Phone customers. Two separate tweets from those present at the event have been discovered by the WPXBOX site. The tweets were both retweeted by Nokia’s official Indian Twitter account, adding authenticity and confirmation of their contents.

Nokia’s Music, Maps and Drive applications have all been ripped from their Lumia devices and ported over to non-Nokia devices. The applications are all available for Windows Phone devices, providing you’re using an unlocked device via Microsoft’s official developer registration or the ChevronWP7 labs tool. The current state of the Windows Phone Marketplace allows users to download XAP application packages direct from Microsoft’s servers and sideload them providing their device is developer unlocked. Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” includes support for a new type of application encryption that prevents the piracy seen today. Microsoft is reportedly waiting to ensure that the majority of Windows Phone users have upgraded to Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” before enabling the encryption support. The support will wrap XAP packages in a new layer of protection, preventing them from being sideloaded after they are published and downloaded from the Marketplace.

If the reports are genuine then it would make sense for Nokia to offer these applications out to other Windows Phone users and create more awareness for its Lumia devices and an additional revenue stream. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has previously promised that the company plans to differentiate with services and software unique to Windows Phone alongside the design and hardware aspects. “We have strengths in design, in hardware mechanics. We continue to build on the Windows Phone platform, you will see unique Nokia capabilities in the form of applications and services available from us,” said Elop during Nokia’s recent earnings call in October. Elop also promised that differentiation will become more clear in the future as Nokia can “directly impact” the software release cycles of Windows Phone with Microsoft.

WinRumors has reached out to Nokia for comment and we’ll update the story accordingly.

http://techin5.com Jubbin Grewal @Techin5.com

As long as it’s priced fairly and updates come often, I’m in for Drive.
- GP007
  
  I’m with you, if Nokia prices these things well then people will buy them, I’d snag Nokia Drive for around $20 seeing as how the Navigon app is $60 or something.
- Anonymous
  
  The app in its current form isn’t even worth $20 imop
Anonymous

Interesting if this is a direct reaction to it being ripped onto other phones. I’d imagine quite a few of those people who’ve ripped it to their HTC would happily pay for a proper version if that route (hoho) became available.
Guest

Doesn’t makes sense. Nokia is stupid.
- https://profiles.google.com/christopher.gull/ CG
  
  It makes a lot of sense actually. Nothing comes free in this world, but if you buy a Lumia, you pay for the service that way.
- Anonymous
  
  don’t mind stupid troll, notice he always post as a guest.
- GP007
  
  It makes perfect sense, Nokia can’t change the UI so it’s down to hardware and apps/services which is what drive, maps and music are. You buy a Nokia phone you get those free, everyone else can get them (legally) for a price, sounds good.
  
  If Nokia does the right thing they’ll price these low enough that people will just buy them and thus Nokia makes a bit extra on the side from people who don’t own a Nokia phone. It’s win win for the users if you ask me.
- Anonymous
  
  Not only that, but those that buy the Nokia App will most likely buy a Nokia Phone or at least have it on their mind. I mean think about it, if i had a phone where i bought a app i liked and then find out that app is free in a Nokia phone, chances are that i will get the Nokia Phone.
- Anonymous
  
  you are rather not making sense.. you want a nokia app get a nokia device or pay for it
- J A
  
  The main difference between an integrated app like Bing Maps and an installed/third party app is that the user experiences are very different. Ok, so I have the Nokia Drive app installed on my Samsung Focus, while it works fine as a dedicated GOS app, it just does not deliver the integrated experience as Bing Maps does. The main issue is that when I have Zune playing music and Bing Maps is routing me to my destination it pauses Zune to give voice directions. However, with Nokia Drive, none of this happens, it just stays mute while Zune plays music all thorugh. In other words, all you hear is Zune, you never hear Nokia pausing Zune to give voice directions. It sucks. Another thing it lacks is an ETA as to one’s arrival to one’s destination.
- Tony
  
  Yes, very true. It is behind, as indicated in this comparison. http://www.ic-mobile.com/blogs/97-nokia-in-2011-a-royal-wedding-without-belle-and-whistles.
  
  However, time will tell if and when Nokia will start developing Drive to be as good as the one that already exist on the other platform.
Anonymous

Makes sense to me. now all windows phone users benifit. Nokia buyers still get it preloaded for free and I dont have to feal bad about wanting nokia maps with out the nokia harware.
http://voguishtech.com Wemberg Carlo Estil

Nokia should go for expensive, they have to be very confident in order to Gain a strong brand awareness, American are stupid most of them think expensive is better, it is sad but it is the only way Nokia could use this strategy in it’s advantage.
Anonymous

ANYWAY, I’m getting a NOKIA PHONE again.