But why would they do that? If they do release an app, Apple maps will be mostly on par someday, and Google will lose those Google Maps users. If they never release a Google Maps app, that'll make iOS a subpar platform when it comes to maps for some time, and will be an additional incentive for some people to switch to Android.
It could be Google's sweet revenge to the pain that Apple inflicts on the Android ecosystem. Google probably has some patents in that area is well...
Maybe, but recognize that that's the kind of hardball that got Apple in trouble here. Maps are just maps. A few people might switch to Android because of it, but not all that many.
The real value here is marketing: "Google has the best maps" is the message the public is getting. And the bit that Apple gift-wrapped is "iPhones have bad maps, use the Google ones".
You can't buy that kind of spin. In the space of a week the public perception on this issue went from "iOS is the best at everything" to "Android has better maps". It's not in Google's interests to rock that boat by picking a fight and making themselves look like the bad guy to existing iOS users.
Highly disagree. Maps are not just maps. It's one of the core solutions of the platform and I would argue one of the main reasons people buy smartphones over "dumb" phones.
Have you ever listened to someone complain about Blackberry's? For me, that conversation usually starts with "I can't use google maps on my Blackberry".
I have a blackberry, had a curve for many years, waiting to see what this year yields in the way of a replacement, but one of things that you can't criticize the blackberry for is maps. Google maps works just fine, showing directions, traffic and all the other good stuff. Even streetview works.
You can criticize the blackberry for its browser, but maps, keyboard, camera are still as good or superior to the competitors. The camera has fewer megapixels, but takes great photos, the keyboard is rock solid and better than any on-screen keyboard, but browsing sucks big time for sure.
Interesting. I've never heard this from someone with a Blackberry before. Whenever I ask someone with a Blackberry to give me directions (like when I'm driving for example) they usually just ask me to use my iPhone because it's easier. My understanding is that it largely has to do with the poor scrolling on a Blackberry as compared to the iPhone/Android app.
I had a trackball blackberry (Tour) for two years, and I was fairly satisfied with google's native Maps app [1]. While it doesn't include 3d navigation, it has routing, layers, transit, traffic, street view, and places -- just about everything the webapp provides. At the time (2010-2011) Google updated it every month or so with new features -- in that sense it was vastly superior to the iOS Maps app which google didn't control.
Exactly. I spent $50 just for a car dock for my phone because I could then use it for nav just like my old Nuvi (only waaay better). If the maps/nav sucked I never would have done that.
> Google probably has some patents in that area as well...
If Google wants to play hardball, then they will engage in a constant low-level of harassment against the 3rd party transit app providers, ensuring that urban populations will experience a lot of pain on iOS 6. In the meantime, there will be Android.
I wonder if Google hasn't already been implementing a Maps based strategy? I still have my original iPhone, and Google Maps is much better on iOS 3.1 than it is on iOS 5.1. For one thing, iOS 3 Maps never loses a set of directions in the middle of a trip. iOS 5.1 does that all the time. The iOS 3 maps is also more responsive on EDGE than the iOS 5 maps is on 3G.
Why would they do that? Presumably to attempt to prevent or delay Apple maps as a valid competitor. The Apple maps fiasco is high profile enough that I believe a Google Maps iOS app would take a noticeable share of iOS 6 users away from Apple maps. Also, Google presumably has traditionals ways of generating revenue from their maps (sponsored POIs, subtle ads in search results, etc.).
It could be Google's sweet revenge to the pain that Apple inflicts on the Android ecosystem. Google probably has some patents in that area is well...