In June 2012, Microsoft promised that all Windows Phone 8 users, no matter which branded handset is in use, will get the option to use Nokia Drive. Finally, that promise has been delivered and those who didn't go the path of Nokia, can still experience Nokia's ecosystem.

The application is called Nokia Drive+ and it's currently in beta and, therefore, not available to everyone just yet (it appears to be quite buggy at the moment). From what Microsoft outlined in a blog post, the app will only be available to users in the U.S., Canada, and the UK. When the Nokia Drive+ Beta will see the light of day outside of these markets is currently unknown. However, if we were to hazard a guess, it could be after the Beta tag has been lifted.

"The app remains in beta as the team fine tunes the customer experience. In the meantime, you can access full turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation, offline maps, speed limit warnings, and conveniences such as day and night modes. With today's release, the team is looking forward to hearing from even more Windows Phone customers through the app's "feedback" tab, to help make it even better," notes the Windows Phone blog post.

Key Features

- Full offline support for 89 countries across the world.

- Turn-by-turn, voice guided navigation with spoken street names.

- Local speed limit information with audible speed limit warnings.

- 60+ different voice guidance packs available for FREE download.

- Automatic Day/Night mode to provide you with optimum visibility.

- Route settings such as avoiding toll roads, highways, and others.

- 2D & 3D landmarks on map help you orient yourself during navigation.

- Turns off GPS after the app is sent to background, except in guidance mode.

- Get one-tap access to your current position and see the distance from your current position while exploring/panning the map.

- Create, personalize, and save your favorite places on your phone.

- Advanced dashboard with your speed, distance covered, estimated time of arrival, and the time left to your destination.

- Pin your favorite destinations to the Start screen of your phone to create a Live Tile for one-tap access to directions and navigation.

Seems feature-rich, non-Lumia Windows Phone 8 device owners should definitely be excited about this. You can download the app here.