Windows Phone is still evolving just like the relationship between its parents – Microsoft and Nokia. Windows Phone 8 will have Nokia maps rather than the Bing Maps as the mapping system. As Nokia Maps is having 3D mapping capability which is now the hottest demand of the market. In past week, Google and Apple released the 3D capable mapping system which is why this deal came so quick about the WP8 phones.
With iOS 6, Apple will deliver Apple Maps as their default mapping system and will kick out Google Maps from that position. Apple Maps is getting mapping data from TomTom, OpenStreetMap and other sources, and even few people thought that Apple is also taking data from Bing as part of some secret deal or partnership to kick-out Google from Apple devices. But that rumor was just a rumor as there is no deal between Apple and Microsoft in this regard.
Nokia Maps will also be a part of Windows Phone 8 devices from other vendors. That means the deal between Nokia and Microsoft about the mapping system is not limited to only Nokia Phones.
Not just 3D navigation, Nokia Maps will also use the hardware acceleration to serve better maps quickly on Windows Phone devices.
We will have to wait till June 20 as Microsoft has scheduled to show the sneak peek of next generation Windows Phone at Dev Summit. I am sure that folks at Apple and Google have already set their calendar for that event.
