Nokia announces Drive 3.0 going live soon on Windows Phone [Now Live]

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

Update - Version 3.0 is now live in the Marketplace as we just got the notification! Link after the break...

Although we’re still seeing version 2.0 for Nokia Drive on our Lumia, Nokia has finally pulled the covers of their highly anticipated version 3.0 which should be hitting the Marketplace in the next 24-48 hours. It has us so excited, we’re almost yearning to get lost just so we can use it.

Version 3.0, in our opinion, finally makes Drive the app we all wanted and expected from Nokia—sure the other versions were nice, especially for free, but they paled to the pay apps of Garmin, etc.

With Version 3.0, you get the newly added features listed below:

  • My Commute learns your driving preferences and uses information about the latest traffic conditions to get you there faster. According to Nokia “This revolutionary feature is so new that we are going to roll it out selectively based on the available traffic data. We are then going to collect experiences that we can learn from and that will help us improving the service. The first country where My Commute is going to be available is the United States.”
  • Automatic day/night mode for optimum visibility – self explanatory
  • Pin to start: find your way with a tap – you can pin your favorite destinations and routes right to your start screen

Head to Nokia Conversations to read more and we’ll update this post as soon as we see it live on our end. In the mean, you can check here in the Marketplace.

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been here covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics and ran the projectors at movie theaters, which has done absolutely nothing for his career.

142 Comments
  • Nice
  • Can you save locations? Like a favorites list?
    Edit:  After looking at the screen shots I'm going to say yes.
  • You can even pin them to start!
  • That was one of the features I was missing the most...
  • man i i wish that the lumia 800 was available in the us i feel i would have liked it better in the hand sigh
  • well... it is, except that it's a bit hard to get (there aren't that many ms store around) on the other hand you could drive to Canada to buy one :P
  • If you want it unlocked, Amazon is your friend.  The price is around $375 with free shipping, and at one point, the orders were being fulfilled by Amazon.
  • Craigslist, buddy! I see a Nokia Lumia 800 for $180, but with no box or accessories. Almost pulled the trigger but for what? WP8 will be in in less than 3 months :)
  • I wonder if it'll sync your favorites with your Nokia account like Nokia Maps does...that would be nice!
  • Hi this is Pino from Nokia. Favorites synching is not a feature of this Nokia Drive release, but we are working on it too.
  • Can we also have the option to switch freeway "on" and "off"?
  • Wohoo!!!
    Well done.  I've dispensed of my Garmin.  Nokia Drive is great.  The only thing I still want is the ability to pick up my Nokia Maps favorites in drive.
    Well done Nokia - Drive rocks!!!!
    Even my wife loves it
  • All I've wanted is the ability to have a favorites/address book :-)
  • All we ever wanted was everything
    All we ever got was cold
    Get up, eat jelly, sandwich bars and barbed wire
    And squash every week into a day
  • I hope it announces street names! That to me was/is the current versions biggest fault.
  • I believe, it's still not there. Coming in future versions.
  • Agreed, I always switch back to Bing Maps because of this. Would much rather tap the screen and get the street name than guess..
  • Yeah its incredibly frustrating to hear "in 50 feet turn left."
  • Agreed. I still use Bing maps because of this. I'm looking forward to when they get TTS, because I'd love to use these extra features 3.0 is bringing. It would be awesome to have a "take me home" tile for navigation.
  • Hi, this is Pino from Nokia.
    As hary536 correctly reports, TTS is not a feature of Nokia Drive for Nokia Lumia just yet.
    If for this reason you prefer to read instructions by Bing Maps, I'm not going to stop you, although I would be concerned about how much you are going to be distracted.
    Anyway, the "drive me home" button is one of the feature of this Nokia Drive update. Just pin to start your home address ;-)
  • Pino, 
    You should also have one more option "Drive to work" like "Drive to home"
    And TTS is very important. This is where Google can beat you in terms of user perception. 
    (Since lot of users give more importance to TTS than other features like offline nav)
    So, the faster you get it, the better. Specially before WP8 goes live.
    (Just my opinion).
  • There is a Take me home tile app in the marketplace, it uses bing maps currently in WP7 through the WP tasks available to developers. In WP8 I assume this will go right into Nokia Maps, which will hopefully have the ability to switch right into Nokia Drive as well...  
    http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/take-me-home-tile/2667e755-2079-41a0-a02d-a8ca2053b226
  • I use Navigon because Nokia Drive is missing street names for voice. Doesn't feel like a complete navigation app without this feature.
  • I've used sat nav since Tom Tom Navigator 2 on HP Jornada and I'd say announcing street names is relatively recent. The option was present on Drive/Maps on my 5800 and N8. I used it for awhile but went back to not announced. Probably used to not having, plus some street names being hard to see. On the 5800 there used to be a Nokia app, Own Voice, it was good you could download voice packs or record your own.
  • So, is this baked into the phone as in if I find an address in the browser, that it brings up dirrections in Drive instead of Maps?  Is there a choice?  Do I just have to copy and paste the address (that would be a couple steps back)...  I know the app has been around for a while and I might find the answer in Drive 1.0's writeup, but that Commute feature is just incredible (if it works well)!
  • Its an APP its not baked into the rom  maybe in W8P its in the rom!
  • I cant use any of that since Nokia decided not to support Israel in thier maps.
  • Noticed that too (although I do most of my driving in the US). Strange, since Nokia has a large presence in Israel. I wonder if WP8, which will have full Hebrew support and Nokia Drive included for all devices, will still not have the Israel map
  • SAWEEEET!
  • Wonder if it will take/access the favourites from Nokia maps so they are shared.
  • Hi, this is Pino from Nokia.
    Unfortunately Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive favourite places are currently not shared but we are working on it ;-)
  • It would be awsome if it had the option to Walk or Ride a Bike instead of only Driving (like Navigon). And it would also be great if they changed the portuguese name from "Nokia Conduzir" to "Nokia Drive". Nokia Conduzir sounds a bit stupid...
  • The same as in Spanish... Nokia conducir sounds bad too
  • I just want it to worm on my gen1 focus. ;)
  • Will be nice they add a the skip highways feature, as TomTom ;)
  • I just want to open up Nokia drive and when I select set destination, instead of just address or place there is one more option,"" contacts."" and i would like the app lowers the volume of the music playing just before it tells me to make my next move..it does not do that now.
  • The not lowering music playing on my phone coupled with lack of street names are 2 reasons why I continue to pay OnStar.
  • I will be keeping MS Sync services for the same reason.
  • Hey, I wanna know what that in-car dash-mounted holder for the Lumia the guy is using in the video? I haven't seen that one, and it's pretty sweet.
  • Yeah no kidding, I want it too.
  • Ditto
  • Its the Nokia CR-123, I found Pino's response to this in YouTube.
  • Can I choose to avoid highways/freeways if I want? I couldn't figure out how to do this in Nokia Drive 2.0.
  • This plus an option to take/avoid toll highways would be nice
  • Yes! ^ might have to download Garmin when my buds don't wanna take the toll (thruway)
  • Standard time option not 24hr
  • An option to avoid motorway or toll road would be nice
  • Recently I found out motorway and highway are the something. The more you know...
  • That was random... :-)
  • BONUS!
  • Wish it would say the streets name.
  • WHY, OH WHY can't this be available for all WP devices?! I've desperately need a GPS Nav app that is free and actually works! Bing Maps is ok, but it won't let you select alternative routes and when you literally live 15 feet away from a toll road it tells you to get on it even if you're looking for the closest Starbucks. *ACK!*
     
     
  • Well it will be integrated in all WP8 devices. One can only hope the same is the case with WP 7.8.
  • Every where I look Nokia is coming out with so many apps for their Lumia line. I wish I had one. (looking at you Verizon) Soon..
  • The only drive app I use Nokia drive
  • Hi everyone, this is Pino from Nokia.
    Lot of suggestions here! Wow, I'm going to take them all back to the team ;-) And then we will start working on them. Some are ebing already developed, others should be investigated a bit more deeply, but all are going to be considered.
    If you have specific questions, feel free to contact me on Twitter: @haikus
  • As always, thank you for chiming in, Pino!   I have a N8 now, but I am looking forward to the added functionality you state will be implemented in WP when I purchase my Nokia WP later this year.
     
     
  • You guys are getting it done.  Any chance on getting street names mentioned?  I just setup My Commute. I'll see whats up Monday morning.  Good job Nokia.
  • Hi Pino, thanks for following this tread. Just upgraded my titan to a 900. Please no one tell it can't run wp8 or 9 for that matter. Don't care, it cost $50. Anyway this is why I switched so close to a new generation of phones. My time is valuable and HTC wasted it. As far as drive copy the nice features of navigon (their menu system is not a nice feature). When driving in an unfamiliar area the lane guidance is outstanding.
  • Pinos. One feature that binds me to bing is direct input of gps coordinates. I have various campsites that are shared to me from friends via text or email and the app cannot find search results for them. You try the same thing on bing and it finds them fine. Try it! Also a share my location to another user would be sweet as well...
  • Hi Pino... This nav app is by far the best I've ever used... Keep up the great work
  • Yet more features in a Nokia app that don't work in UK. Shocked
  • It's now live
  • Update is alive
  • Updated, and thank you Pino for being so actively involved in this thread!!!!
  • Just downloaded 3.0
  • Updated. It's got the feature I wanted. Save current location and save to favourites. Thanks. Now I have some suggestions to improve what they have right now and what they could add. 1. It would be great if I just tab or press and hold on an area on the map and get the option to drive to that location. 2. The ability to assign locations to contacts so that you can drive to Janette, Bob or whoever. 3. Please improve the location search. It often doesn't find some places especially if they are not well known.
  • Agreed, on top of that, they should improve:
    1. The zooming to an area while driving inside the same window without removing the top/bottom or side area and which is really slow to switch between those 2 screens.
    2.  The navigation rendering, it's too glitchy for me. I like when the movement of the arrow and the map feel smooth.
  • My Commute evidently doesn't work in Canada. I had no idea that feature was regionally available. Quite disappointing.
  • Really? Nokia explicitly notes that this is still new and they are *testing* it in the US first. This should not be a surprise if you read the changelog notes from Nokia...I mean, it's written in the post above.
  • So essentially the only update for the rest of the world is automatic day/night and favorites. Seems kinda lacking for a full version jump. I am disappoint.
  • Some people just can't read.
  • Yeah it doesn't work for me in Canada.  I don't see traffic data either.  It doesn't make sense that most of the streets in Waterloo have traffic data in bing maps (traffic data comes from nokia now) and I don't have the same data in Nokia Drive. And I'm still waiting for the ability to set route settings such as, no toll routes (the 407 can go to hell), fastest route, shortest route, no major highways, etc.
  • TURN RIGHT THATS YOUR RIGHT NOT MY RIGHT DUDE
  • My Commute sounds almost exactly like what Waze does.
  • Not sure where Nokia gets their traffic info from. The idea with waze it that it knows how fast other drivers are going ahead of you and can figure out there's a traffic jam (plus the incident reports from other users). This means traffic data in waze is much more up-to-date then any other service.
  • Hey Dan did Motorola get band ?
  • My commute not available for Rogers customers =(
  • read the post, it's only available in the US right now and will be rolled out to other counrties later.
  • Does anyone know why English US only offers a male voice, but English UK gives the option of male or female voice?
  • Maybe Nokia assumed we would all pick the English UK voices instead because everything sounds smarter and sexier in a British accent. ;)
  • @dandrayan I disagree, Latina accents are definitely sexier.
  • Because the EU is better on women's rights than the US.
  • Ya that's right , women don't have rights in the USA. Fucking moron.
  • Word
  • Wow, are you really that lost? Equal rights here by friend.
  • Women are still underpaid in the same jobs as men
  • that's just not true
  • Yes it is you idiot, I'm a sociology major so how you gonna tell me?
  • Dam yo I hate those Google Fanboys I'll never used anything google just because I hate them so much they are a bunch of uneducated hypocrites assholes
  • +10000
  • Boo:  "The country of your SIM card is not yet supported by My Commute."
    Hopefully either Windows Phone 8 requires SIM cards for all CDMA phones or the app's SIM check is removed.  I'd hate to have this feature blocked on WP8's built-in navigation app because Verizon or Sprint didn't include a SIM card.  Assuming that the Nokia Drive code is ported as-is to WP8, that is.
  • My HTC Trophy has a SIM card. It's only used if you travel to another country. But it's in there.
  • Right now all Nokia Lumia smartphones require a SIM card, which is why we have selcted that wording.
    The reason is that even if you are from e.g. Canada and you are visiting the US, you don't get the My Commute feature. You have to have a US SIM to use My Commute.
    If we are going to introduce smartphones not based on SIM cards we are going to change the wording accordingly. Please don't take this as a sign that we will never support e.g. Verizon.
  • Got the xap from the script  kiddies...only wish I could get my hd7 unlocked from the .8107 cage.
  • One thing i livre on m'y tomtom, was the comment vérité a roundabout: "on the roundabout, take the second road TO THE RIGHT", telling us the direction. On my 6210, and on my Lumia, it's not so easy for the roundabouts :(
  • "one thing I loved on my tomtom was the comment before...."
  • You're joking, right, and I'm just making a fool of myself commenting? All the exits from a roundabout are to the right (in right hand traffic).
  • Just downloaded the 3.0 version for the San Francisco Bay Area. Pretty awesome. Love the pin to start as the live tile with traffic conditions. Oddly, the intro video shows a highway A LOT like north 101 on the way into San Francisco.
    I wonder if because Nokia has an office in Silicon Valley?  Nah!  :D        
  • Warning Rant Ahead...
    Does anyone have anything positive to say about this FREE app? Could it be because you're so overwhelmed by all the FREE sat-nav apps offered by Samsung, HTC, LG,..???. Give the guys at Nokia some credit. For a FREE app, Nokia Drive is awesome and when was the last time that you had a manufacturers rep' contributing directly within a Fanzine forums thread. If only all WP suppliers were as proactive and dedicated!
  • Bingo.
  • I'm jealous I don't have a Lumia. You guys always get the good stuff (apps). Soon Verizon will (maybe) have a wp8 Lumia. One can only hope.
  • At the end of the day, as long as the criticism is just and not just hating to be hating, there is a place for it along with the praise.
  • Dude I have an LG, they have nothing useful. Nokia is doing a fantastic job. I WILL be getting a Nokia phone once w8 is out. Everyday I fight myself on just buying a 800. I want a Nokia so bad.
  • Managed to download this from the Malaysian marketplace on my L800. Really like the ability to save locations (Finally!). Too bad 'My Commute' isn't available for my region yet but not a big deal for me. ;)
  • this sucks only nokia phones. Should be for all wp users. That's ok my teletrac is very good enough to use and it gives me real time traffic alerts and best of it is free :-P
  • But Commute service is not available for UK & THREE NETWORK :(
  • Why does this still not offer the deep linking for Bing search? When I search for a restaurant or place on Bing, I can swipe over to apps and just select "Garmin" and it will open Garmin, ready to tap "Go" - Nokia Drive needs this!
  • I'm really hoping for this in the next update.  It wouldn't be as bad if you could actually search for POIs in the app more that 20% of the time.  Actually, please improve that feature as well!
    All in all, I'm still very satisfied with the app.  It can definitely improve, but I like free. :)
  • And that's actually quite easy to implement. I added this integration to my app in a couple of hours
  • Can't wait for a good Nokia device on T-Mobile
  • Umm.. They already have one.  The 710 is a great, great phone. 
  • but it's not as sexy as the 800 with the unibody and curved glass...
  • Yeah ! I got Nokia Drive 3.0 in India.... :) but traffic data is available only in US :(
  • Does this version tell you what lane you need to be in?
  • Dark Knight Rises
  • Hopefully the My Commute will roll out quickly after all we already have traffic on Bing maps in the UK so that part is obviously covered.
     
    I am not sure I understand what all the fuss is about Street names, I would be more concerned that it announces the turn at the right moment. Also lane assistance would be something that would make a big difference. This could be a country thing I guess but I generally could not give a hoot about the street names just that I need to turn down X road.
     
    Having just completed a 1,500 marathon journey in the UK I can say that the Nokia Drive is fit for purpose. Yes I could do with some lane assistance but to be honest even the top rated Tom Tom and Garmin's SatNavs still manage to confuse me.
     
    I previously had the Navigon app for my Omnia 7 and it was nice but incredibly it did not support postcodes. This is such a major omission for the UK marketplace I cannot understand how it even got released. I returned it breaching the Microsoft returns policy which is suspect in my eyes anyway but that is another story. Incredibly even today the Navigon app still does not support postcodes yet they want almost as much for the app as for a standalone device which does!! The Nokia Drive on the otherhand does and it can with the device..
  • Looks great! Two features i would like to see added are:
    1. Commercial vehicle setting. Just having avoid highways and tolls isn't a substitute. When I P.A., a feature like this would be killer.
    2. List view. It's ineffective to scroll across the screen to see when the next turn is. On my Nexus One, it was convenient to periodically go to list view and see upcoming directions.
  • Commenters on this site really have become as bad as the worst apple and android fan sites. Always complaining, never satisfied, wanting something for free, never appreciative, just want more and more for less and less. Sad, but looking at society as a whole not really surprising.
  • Considering a representative from Nokia has been contributing here and by my view, encouraging input, the commentators are primarily helping. I've been mighty impressed by Nokia and their commitment to customers. Over and over, Nokia reinforce the decision I made when preordering the Lumia 900 in March. One thing I learned from running a message board myself is just because people aren't congratulating me, doesn't mean everyone is unhappy. Naysayers always say more. By and large, users read pretty respectful here. No?
  • theefman: When did people stop being able to take criticism?  That's how you improve, get better, move forward.  If anything, your comment illustrates that some people in this world simply cannot be told no, that's wrong or no, that's not good enough.  You want to be coddled, told "good job!" instead of trying to be the best.  Sure, if you think Nokia Drive 3.0 is good enough for you, by all means, use it and be satisfied.  But there are free apps on other platforms (see Waze on iOS) that do more than Nokia Drive, for free.  
     
    Nokia are doing a good job, but they're not the market leader in this segment.  That's what they should be trying to be, so all criticism, suggestions, and comments should be voiced by us, the users, so Nokia can take that feedback and make Nokia Drive even better.
     
    Nokia doesn't need to be coddled, they don't need you to be a White Knight and defend their honor.  Nokia needs honest, brutal feedback to help them become the best.  You go ahead and keep patting them on the head and saying "Good effort!"  I'll be continuing to offer my honest, unfiltered opinion.
     
  • @PhilR8...I can't speak for theefman, but what I gather from his comment is that, for a free app, an app that Nokia is continuing to support and improve upon, it's a great app and feature and that the app deserves more than to be criticized.  Many of the criticisms that some are stating, the functionality is already available in Symbian (i.e. TTS), so it's only a matter of time before the functionality is brought to WP.
     
    The bottom line is that Nokia is best in class when it comes to WP - they are not only offering this service to current Lumia owners, but ultimately will offer these services to other WP users.  To get some of the same functionality in Nokia Drive 3.0, one would have to purchase an app; if there are other free navigation apps, on the WP platform, that are as good or better, then I would think that others would use those apps and not bother with Nokia Drive.
     
    Waze, on iOS is an app I'm not familiar with, but it doesn't matter because the Waze app is not available on WP! 
     
    And as far as Nokia not being the market leader in this area - there are millions that would beg to differ with you...there are millions of Symbian users and current Lumia users who find Nokia Maps/Drive/Navteq to be superior than other offers, especially given that they get to utilize Nokia services at no additional cost. 
  • I just want to add this : thanx Nokia for maintaining the Lumia and the drive. On my 6210, it was not the case, so the next wp8 will be again a Nokia :)
  • The My Commute feature with traffic updates is awesome. I just cant seem to figure out one thing. Does anyone know how to avoid all toll roads?
  • Very nice app on Lumia 900, and I appreciate the new feature of being able to pin favorite destinations as a tile.  This is similar to the feature in Navigon, which is most useful when vactioning because can pin your hotel to the home screen.  However....
    When clicking on the pinned tile, the app does not show the route, instead showing an endless "finding new route" message.  What gives?
  • When will this be available for phones other than nokias?
  • Pino, 
    You should also one more option "Drive to work" like "Drive to home"
    And TTS is very important. This is where Google can beat you in terms of user perception. 
    (