Even though Apple is replacing Google’s mapping services in iOS 6 with its own, the Internet search giant said it still has plans to bring what company vice president of commerce, Jeff Huber, called an “amazing Google Maps experience” to the iPhone.
Mr. Huber shared that information in comments to a Google blog post he wrote about an Google Maps Street View exhibit at the Computer History Museum.
Google has “amazing” plans for iOS maps
“Just REALLY hope all this hard work is sill appreciable from an iOS device,” William Dowell said in the blog post comments. “I can assure you that just because some of us have iPhones and iPads doesn’t mean we don’t prefer Google Maps over the elementary stuff Apple is said to be proposing.”
Mr. Huber responded with, “We look forward to providing amazing Google Maps experiences on iOS.”
Apple confirmed rumors that it was dropping Google’s map service in favor of its own system during a preview of iOS 6 during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote presentation earlier this month. Apple said its map service will include “Apple-designed cartography,” with vector-based map elements that Apple says will look better, turn-by-turn navigation, crowd-sourced traffic information, and a flyover mode with photo-realistic 3D views.
The Apple-based map system is supposed to offer better performance on iOS devices compared to Google’s maps.
iOS 6 is scheduled for a fall release.
Mr. Huber didn’t say exactly what Google has planned for its iOS map offerings, but it seems likely the company is working on a new iPhone and iPad-native app.
[Thanks to 9to5Mac for the heads up. Some image elements courtesy Shutterstock.]
12 Comments Leave Your Own
That sounds like a real bonus for iOS users, LOL. Meanwhile, Google is rolling out services that even small businesses can affordably tap into, such as Google Maps Coordinate. Run of the mill features like managing an entire mobile workforce for $15/user per month. Turn by turn directions and real-time traffic are like so two years ago now!
Been using turn by turn nav for more than two years. On my iPhone 4 it works just fine. As for Google Maps; It won’t be missed at all. Their support on the iPhone has been lacking. No! I have no interest in a droid phone.
Nothing like a little kick in the butt to get Google off its rear end. iOS has not been treated well by that great advertiser in the sky.
Getting realtime news from any location is an amazing new map experience. I’m using “World In The Hands” on iPhone, very interesting concept intersecting Google Maps & Google News.
Re: “Google has ?Amazing? Map Plans for iPhone, iPad”
Of course they do, now that Apple has decided to give them the boot as the default maps app. Because come this Fall, unless they give iOS users a darn good reason to download and continue to use their Maps app, Google stands to lose a great deal of $$. IMO, treating iOS users as second class citizens was a pretty dumb move on the part of Google mgmt.
In contrast, it was an incredibly smart move for Apple to respond by developing its own Maps app (mostly via strategic acquisitions, of course). By forcing Google into a competition with Apple for the iOS user’s need for mapping info, all iOS users will ultimately benefit by having two great maps apps to choose from on the platform.
To be fair, haywire, the way iOS has been treated by google has been as much Apple’s fault as google’s. Apple wasn’t willing to pay for the ‘latest and greatest’ from google for their map technology. Google was making a ton in licensing fees off of Apple for each iOS device sold with google maps on it. Some have said that google makes 4 times as much off Apple than it does off android.
Great article here from early June. And I quote from the article:
I love it. Does google actually believe there will be a significant amount of people willing to still use their maps on iOS devices? So, what they have been charging Apple for use they will now have to give away for free in the hopes that iOS users will still use their map app to help support google’s advertising garbage.
Strongly suggest reading the article!!
And here’s a link to the video of the new and improved google iOS app crashing on the iPad. “Duh, this is a technology demonstration, so, hmpt, duh, what do I do to fix this? I guess just keep hitting it until it works…”
LMFAO.
All google can do is stand and watch as their revenue from Apple spirals down the toilet. But hey, maybe android tablets will someday actually sell and take share away from that ‘declining and mostly irrelevant’ iPad…
I don’t think Apple is to blame any more than Google. Much like with Facebook, Apple didn’t want to give Google access to iPhone users identifying information. Consequently, some of Google’s offerings to the iPhone were limited. For instance, turn by turn.
Apple doesn’t trust Google. It is that simple. I also haven’t read that Apple pays Google anything directly. The reverse is true. Google pays Apple for iOS based search results using Google, which Google makes money to pay through advertising.
Apple, however, was probably a victim of Google’s recent policy that is about faced on. Namely, charging large users of its maps a increased fee to use the service.
Apple using its own maps essentially puts an important part of the phone experience back in Apple’s hands. It is also nice to see Apple incorporating third parties like Yelp into its maps. Google would just copy the service and unfairly rank its own service higher in its search rankings.
And I say, for good reason!!
All good points, Terrin. I look forward to installing iOS 6.
If google maps is so advanced, why does google feel the need to vandalize others who are working on open source maps?
Evil. So evil!!
I’ll certainly miss the bus and subway routes from Maps. I have other apps that will tell me when a particular bus or train is due, but Maps is the only one I’ve seen that will give me an entire route. I hope that Google or another 3rd party will fill the gap.
I heard apple was using tom tom in some way, is that still correct? This might not apply, but i know there is no comparison between google maps on my phone and standalone tom tom device. That thing regularly directs me to a dead end street that is supposedly a restaurant, tells me to turn the wrong direction on one- way streets and contantly wants me to make illegal uturns. I often have to whip my phone out to get where i wanted to go.
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