The on again, off again HERE Maps debacle on Windows mobile devices back on again, mostly. HERE Maps (HERE was once owned by Nokia but has been acquired by a consortium of German automakers) disappeared from the Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile stores, and stopped working even for those who already had the apps installed on their devices. A HERE social media lead let users know that the apps were not gone forever, and today the apps are back for Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile users.
I was able to install HERE Drive+ on my Lumia 950 XL, although when I checked earlier this morning I received a “This app is not compatible with this device” error message from the store, although the apps have indeed reappeared in the Store. Interestingly, on my Lumia 635, running the same build (10586.63) of Windows 10 Mobile, the app still is incompatible, but that may be a matter of support rolling out across devices. HERE Drive+ used to work fine on the 635.
I’ve found that HERE Drive+ provides a somewhat better experience when driving than using Microsoft’s Maps to get traffic information, etc. For one thing, every time you turn on Maps, you have to set the view, turn Traffic info on, and set your location to your current one, which is unnecessary and a little bit painful when you’re trying to find out just how big the traffic jam is in front of you.
HERE Drive+ also provides current speed info, and is generally just better suited to use while driving, although of course your preferences may vary.
If you’re looking for a new HERE Universal app for Windows 10, the wait still continues, these apps appear to be the same as the ones previously available, with whatever caused them to be pulled from the stores now fixed.
Anyway, if you’re a fan of HERE Maps, HERE Drive +, and/or HERE Transit, you should be able to download them now to your Windows Phone or Windows 10 Mobile device.
