4 ms·

Leaked screenshots of native Google Maps (Alpha) for iOS 6

24 points by bound008 14y ago

chovy 14y ago
not much to go on there. i am holding off on iPhone5 until I can see google maps on the device. If I can't get turn-by-turn directions while I'm driving, then I will not get an iPhone.
- Devilboy 14y ago
  The iPhone 5 does have turn by turn navigation.
  - jonknee 14y ago
    As does the iPhone 4... It's a feature of iOS 6.
    - drifkin 14y ago
      iPhone 4 doesn't have turn by turn, only iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 has that feature
      - ooobo 14y ago
        iPhone 4 is missing the 3D flyover, but it most definitely has turn-by-turn.
        Firehed 14y ago
        No. Source: http://www.apple.com/ios/maps/ http://www.apple.com/ios/maps/ (also, the iPhone 4 sitting two feet from me). Maps has had driving directions since 1.0, but only the latest and greatest maps app on the 4S and 5 (and the latest two iPads) do turn by turn.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
Gring 14y ago
I feel that "two-finger rotation to any angle" is bad idea, if it can't be turned off. The Google Earth iOS app has this feature and I hate the fact that every time I zoom in or out, I move slightly away from the up=north orientation. After a few minutes, my map view is upside down and I can't orient myself anymore. I hope they make it optional and turn it off by default.
- ghiculescu 14y ago
  The iOS 6 Maps has this too, and I haven't found a way to turn it off. You can also inadvertently "rotate" to 3D mode, which is again very annoying.
- jonknee 14y ago
  Completely agree, this drives me nuts in the new Apple maps. Unless I'm in 3d mode I never want to be off north being the top, it makes things very confusing otherwise.
  - sillysaurus 14y ago
    I've already made up my mind to never upgrade from iOS 5. We'll see how long "never" lasts, but I'd predict "at least a year".
- sjmulder 14y ago
  If it’s anything like Google Maps on Android, there’s a small threshold before it snaps out of North/up alignment. And even then, you can tap the compass and it’ll reset the rotation.
  - pooriaazimi 14y ago
    Actually iOS 6's Maps app behaves exactly like that. The threshold is even larger than Android's (at least that's how it behaves on iPad, I haven't upgraded my iPhone 4 yet).
- skeletonjelly 14y ago
  Android has it. No problems with usability here. Once you commence a zoom action you can't rotate at the same time.
miahi 14y ago
Will Apple accept it? As I remember (not being an app store developer I don't really know), apps that duplicate built-in functionality are not allowed.
- pilif 14y ago
  This rule has been removed quite a while ago. How else would you think that we would see Google Chrome on iOS. Or Sparrow (duplicates Mail.app) In fact, in their apology for the maps disaster, apple specifically recommended downloading map apps from other vendors (and they even feature a alternative maps category on the AppStore ATM). As such I would believe it's highly likely that they would accept a Google Maps app.
  - jakejake 14y ago
    There is still a rule in the guidelines that mentions "Apps that duplicate Apps already in the App Store" though it doesn't specify whether those apps are Apple's own, or any other developer (in fact, comically, the rule lists "fart apps" as an example). They don't really say how many apps of a certain type will be accepted into the app store before this rule goes into affect. They also have rules against "Apps that look similar to Apps bundled on the iPhone", "user interfaces that mimic any iPod interface" and "Apps which appear confusingly similar to an existing Apple product" I think basically the guidelines are written to allow Apple to reject apps with it's own discretion when it doesn't want them in the store. Whether that be for business reasons or otherwise. In the case of map apps, they seem to be rather lenient. I wonder if that's more of a grandfather type situation because they didn't have their own map app before iOS6.
- jakejake 14y ago
  The rules that Apple applies are sometimes mysterious and seem to evolve over time. They seem to have certain areas that they block competition, but others where they seemingly don't care. Map apps seem to be ok, but apps that step on the toes of other iOS features get rejected. If you read the app store review guidelines, it is actually written in a very casual, comical tone where they try to explain the personal nature and gray area of app guidelines. However I'm sure it's not funny for those developers who's apps are rejected. https://developer.apple.com/appstore/resources/approval/guidelines.html https://developer.apple.com/appstore/resources/approval/guid...
aed 14y ago
Maybe I'm dumb, but I can't tell if this is a joke or not. These blurry, zoomed-in photos look like they could be anything. This is either really lame or proof that I'm an idiot.
- codeka 14y ago
  For all I can see, it could be the Android app with an iOS status bar photo-shopped in at the top...
- citricsquid 14y ago
  Pretty sure it's some guy fucking with the world to advertise his own app. He doesn't even HINT at where the photos came from!
  - benguild 14y ago
    I threw a link up to get some extra feedback/downloads on the App. — This isn't a hoax.
drivebyacct2 14y ago
Wow this is uh, sure exciting.
jgrahamc 14y ago
Yet again today Apple Maps was a horrible experience for me (Chiswick Park Tube station does not exist!); every time something like this happens to me the amount I'm willing to pay Google for an iOS maps app increases. Would happily pay £10.
radicaldreamer 14y ago
Why is this at the top of hacker news? It makes me sad that some more useful story was knocked off the front page for this pointless, unsubstantiated post.

24 points by bound008 14y ago

chovy 14y ago

not much to go on there. i am holding off on iPhone5 until I can see google maps on the device. If I can't get turn-by-turn directions while I'm driving, then I will not get an iPhone.

Devilboy 14y ago
The iPhone 5 does have turn by turn navigation.
- jonknee 14y ago
  As does the iPhone 4... It's a feature of iOS 6.
  - drifkin 14y ago
    iPhone 4 doesn't have turn by turn, only iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 has that feature
    - ooobo 14y ago
      iPhone 4 is missing the 3D flyover, but it most definitely has turn-by-turn.
      - Firehed 14y ago
        No. Source: http://www.apple.com/ios/maps/ http://www.apple.com/ios/maps/ (also, the iPhone 4 sitting two feet from me). Maps has had driving directions since 1.0, but only the latest and greatest maps app on the 4S and 5 (and the latest two iPads) do turn by turn.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

Gring 14y ago

I feel that "two-finger rotation to any angle" is bad idea, if it can't be turned off. The Google Earth iOS app has this feature and I hate the fact that every time I zoom in or out, I move slightly away from the up=north orientation. After a few minutes, my map view is upside down and I can't orient myself anymore. I hope they make it optional and turn it off by default.

ghiculescu 14y ago
The iOS 6 Maps has this too, and I haven't found a way to turn it off. You can also inadvertently "rotate" to 3D mode, which is again very annoying.
jonknee 14y ago
Completely agree, this drives me nuts in the new Apple maps. Unless I'm in 3d mode I never want to be off north being the top, it makes things very confusing otherwise.
- sillysaurus 14y ago
  I've already made up my mind to never upgrade from iOS 5. We'll see how long "never" lasts, but I'd predict "at least a year".
sjmulder 14y ago
If it’s anything like Google Maps on Android, there’s a small threshold before it snaps out of North/up alignment. And even then, you can tap the compass and it’ll reset the rotation.
- pooriaazimi 14y ago
  Actually iOS 6's Maps app behaves exactly like that. The threshold is even larger than Android's (at least that's how it behaves on iPad, I haven't upgraded my iPhone 4 yet).
skeletonjelly 14y ago
Android has it. No problems with usability here. Once you commence a zoom action you can't rotate at the same time.

miahi 14y ago

Will Apple accept it? As I remember (not being an app store developer I don't really know), apps that duplicate built-in functionality are not allowed.

pilif 14y ago
This rule has been removed quite a while ago. How else would you think that we would see Google Chrome on iOS. Or Sparrow (duplicates Mail.app) In fact, in their apology for the maps disaster, apple specifically recommended downloading map apps from other vendors (and they even feature a alternative maps category on the AppStore ATM). As such I would believe it's highly likely that they would accept a Google Maps app.
- jakejake 14y ago
  There is still a rule in the guidelines that mentions "Apps that duplicate Apps already in the App Store" though it doesn't specify whether those apps are Apple's own, or any other developer (in fact, comically, the rule lists "fart apps" as an example). They don't really say how many apps of a certain type will be accepted into the app store before this rule goes into affect. They also have rules against "Apps that look similar to Apps bundled on the iPhone", "user interfaces that mimic any iPod interface" and "Apps which appear confusingly similar to an existing Apple product" I think basically the guidelines are written to allow Apple to reject apps with it's own discretion when it doesn't want them in the store. Whether that be for business reasons or otherwise. In the case of map apps, they seem to be rather lenient. I wonder if that's more of a grandfather type situation because they didn't have their own map app before iOS6.
jakejake 14y ago
The rules that Apple applies are sometimes mysterious and seem to evolve over time. They seem to have certain areas that they block competition, but others where they seemingly don't care. Map apps seem to be ok, but apps that step on the toes of other iOS features get rejected. If you read the app store review guidelines, it is actually written in a very casual, comical tone where they try to explain the personal nature and gray area of app guidelines. However I'm sure it's not funny for those developers who's apps are rejected. https://developer.apple.com/appstore/resources/approval/guidelines.html https://developer.apple.com/appstore/resources/approval/guid...

aed 14y ago

Maybe I'm dumb, but I can't tell if this is a joke or not. These blurry, zoomed-in photos look like they could be anything. This is either really lame or proof that I'm an idiot.

codeka 14y ago
For all I can see, it could be the Android app with an iOS status bar photo-shopped in at the top...
citricsquid 14y ago
Pretty sure it's some guy fucking with the world to advertise his own app. He doesn't even HINT at where the photos came from!
- benguild 14y ago
  I threw a link up to get some extra feedback/downloads on the App. — This isn't a hoax.

drivebyacct2 14y ago

Wow this is uh, sure exciting.

jgrahamc 14y ago

Yet again today Apple Maps was a horrible experience for me (Chiswick Park Tube station does not exist!); every time something like this happens to me the amount I'm willing to pay Google for an iOS maps app increases. Would happily pay £10.

radicaldreamer 14y ago

Why is this at the top of hacker news? It makes me sad that some more useful story was knocked off the front page for this pointless, unsubstantiated post.