6 ms·

Google Preps Maps App for Apple iPhones

57 points by mikek 14y ago

joonix 14y ago
Why? Shouldn't this be a benefit to using Android? I just ditched my iPhone for an Android phone and Apple Maps was a major reason why I didn't go for the iPhone 5. Now that I've owned an Android phone, I couldn't be happier and more impressed with the device.
- pdenya 14y ago
  I think Google is more focused on getting as many people using Google Maps as possible than it is on giving a small benefit to Android sales.
- hnriot 14y ago
  Google benefit the most when the most number of people use their software services, so making their maps multi-platform is in their best business interest.
- myko 14y ago
  Google makes money whether a user is on Android or iOS - as long as they're using Google services. Android team may not be pleased but it is in Google's best interest to serve as many platforms/users as possible.
- alwaysinshade 14y ago
  > Why? Shouldn't this be a benefit to using Android? Google makes its money from data/advertising - Android is a hedge to prevent a single dominant player from controlling the flow of data. In itself, Android isn't necessarily profitable for Google - but it opens the door to their services ecosystem which is profitable. Not taking advantage of Apple's Maps gaffe would be ignoring a massive chunk of the data pie. And with Nokia hitting the scene with their map services, Google needs to act fast.
- arrrg 14y ago
  Because Google wants you to use their services (and see their ads). Google’s goal with Android is to prevent losing control over mobile platforms. Imagine a world in which Apple and Microsoft are the only two mobile OS vendors and then both decide to make the default search engine in their browsers Bing or something. Google wants to prevent that. At the moment there is about zero danger of Apple gaining any kind of significant control over mobile platforms that would allow them to do anything like that. It’s not going to happen – and there isn’t even any indication that Apple wants to make it happen. (Even if it were to happen it’s easy enough for Google to pull all their apps.) Maybe Google’s Android division also has plans to more directly make some money with Android, but I doubt it. Even if they had, though, I doubt that is in any sense a company-wide policy. Their goal is to get the most users to use their services. The maps people want everyone to use their maps, no matter which device they own. If it is possible to easily grab a few million users on Apple devices Google will obviously jump for that.
  - cageface 14y ago
    Because Google wants you to use their services (and see their ads). Sure, but they also want to increase Android's share of the high end of the market and they could also have just let the inferior maps in iOS6 continue to drive prospective iPhone 5 buyers to Android. But obviously they've weighed their options here and decided that having a presence on iOS is worth more than letting Apple continue to piss off users by hobbling along on its own.
    - fpgeek 14y ago
      I don't think it's obvious whether or not having Google apps on iOS helps or hurts Android market share overall. On the one hand, you have people who might otherwise switch to Android to get particular features of the Google ecosystem they want. On the other, you have iOS users who gradually become more invested in the Google ecosystem over time and eventually decide to switch to Android to get "the real thing".
      - cageface 14y ago
        Sure I think you can make a strong argument either way. But clearly Google thinks it's a net gain to be on iOS and they have a lot more insight into the details of this deal than we do.
- timfrietas 14y ago
  Amazon sells a lot of Kindle books on the iOS application I am sure. This is a similar strategy.
  - fpgeek 14y ago
    Amazon sells a lot of Kindle books that are read with the iOS application. Amazon hasn't sold any books on the iOS application for over a year (and, arguably, never has because even before the IAP controversy the Kindle app buy button sent you to Amazon's website in Safari).
  - hboon 14y ago
    Amazon doesn't sell Kindles in their iOS app to avoid the in-app purchase cut to Apple. The app doesn't even have a link to Amazon's site since that's forbidden by Apple's terms. But yes, they make money indirectly from customers like me who visit their website to buy books so we can read on our iOS devices.
wmeredith 14y ago
Good. Apples map data is OK, but their search sucks.
- cageface 14y ago
  Their map data is useless here in Vietnam. Even in downtown Saigon there's hardly any detail.
  - andybak 14y ago
    Google Maps saved my hide several times when I was staying in Saigon. The cab drivers can't find their way around District 7 even when they aren't trying to take the long route.
nachteilig 14y ago
Fantastic. This might finally allow iOS 5 hold-outs to upgrade to iOS 6.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- alexqgb 14y ago
  It will be fascinating to see how many iOS5 devices upgrade to iOS6 the moment Google Maps becomes available. Does anyone know how or where this information could be found by those outside of Apple?
- prof_hobart 14y ago
  Unless you rely on an app that uses MapKit for an embedded app. They will still use the Apple one.
  - coob 14y ago
    Google could be well be working on a drop in MapKit replacement as well. As least I would if I were them.
    - prof_hobart 14y ago
      That would require the developer to rebuild their app with the Google map in there instead of (or as well as) MapKit which, will possible, seems unlikely for most apps.
  - nachteilig 14y ago
    That's true, although it seems like a lot of those apps might not use MapKit in a way where its use is a problem, right? Apple's maps probably works okay if you already know where you're trying to go. It's location and directions and such that are the problem.
- junto 14y ago
  I am one of those people. I refuse to upgrade to iOS6 presently on my iPad2. This was initially because of the maps degradation, but now I also don't see any reason to actually undertake the upgrade, apart from removing the little notification counter on the setting icon that for some reason I find annoying.
hcarvalhoalves 14y ago
If that's true, the decision to remove the stagnant Google powered Maps was the best decision. Now, if Google releases a mapping app, it will have to include turn-by-turn navigation and better overall experience.
- joenathan 14y ago
  But since it can never be set as the default mapping app it will always be a sub-par experience. What happens when you open your contacts and want to map your contacts address? Or when you are using any other app and want to map an included address?
  - joshschreuder 14y ago
    I know this always comes up, but jailbreak your phone! It lets you set different defaults and do so much more (not piracy!) that I couldn't possibly mention it all.
  - guelo 14y ago
    Once the users that have been clamoring for Google Maps realize this problem there will probably be some pressure on Apple to come out with customizable defaults for something like Maps. I kind of doubt they would ever copy a fully flexible system like Android's Intents, but I could see them allowing some limited choices for a few tasks. Though probably not for mapping since they seem to think that is strategic for them.
  - hcarvalhoalves 14y ago
    Twitter and Facebook where 3rd party apps once. Now they have hooks to integrate into the system (for the "share" buttons). There's no reason this can't be done with maps too.
- chrismsnz 14y ago
  AFAIK it was Apple that held back features from Google Maps. The previous Maps app was written by them (using Google's data).
sjm 14y ago
What's with the iPhone photo they used? Did they go out of their way to find the dirtiest smudged-with-fingerprints picture they could find?
- veidr 14y ago
  True, it doesn't look like an Apple marketing photo; it looks like every iPhone I've ever seen in the real world. Instead of using Apple PR imagery, they took a picture of an actual iPhone in its natural state.

57 points by mikek 14y ago

Why? Shouldn't this be a benefit to using Android? I just ditched my iPhone for an Android phone and Apple Maps was a major reason why I didn't go for the iPhone 5. Now that I've owned an Android phone, I couldn't be happier and more impressed with the device.

pdenya 14y ago
I think Google is more focused on getting as many people using Google Maps as possible than it is on giving a small benefit to Android sales.
hnriot 14y ago
Google benefit the most when the most number of people use their software services, so making their maps multi-platform is in their best business interest.
myko 14y ago
Google makes money whether a user is on Android or iOS - as long as they're using Google services. Android team may not be pleased but it is in Google's best interest to serve as many platforms/users as possible.
alwaysinshade 14y ago
> Why? Shouldn't this be a benefit to using Android? Google makes its money from data/advertising - Android is a hedge to prevent a single dominant player from controlling the flow of data. In itself, Android isn't necessarily profitable for Google - but it opens the door to their services ecosystem which is profitable. Not taking advantage of Apple's Maps gaffe would be ignoring a massive chunk of the data pie. And with Nokia hitting the scene with their map services, Google needs to act fast.
arrrg 14y ago
Because Google wants you to use their services (and see their ads). Google’s goal with Android is to prevent losing control over mobile platforms. Imagine a world in which Apple and Microsoft are the only two mobile OS vendors and then both decide to make the default search engine in their browsers Bing or something. Google wants to prevent that. At the moment there is about zero danger of Apple gaining any kind of significant control over mobile platforms that would allow them to do anything like that. It’s not going to happen – and there isn’t even any indication that Apple wants to make it happen. (Even if it were to happen it’s easy enough for Google to pull all their apps.) Maybe Google’s Android division also has plans to more directly make some money with Android, but I doubt it. Even if they had, though, I doubt that is in any sense a company-wide policy. Their goal is to get the most users to use their services. The maps people want everyone to use their maps, no matter which device they own. If it is possible to easily grab a few million users on Apple devices Google will obviously jump for that.
- cageface 14y ago
  Because Google wants you to use their services (and see their ads). Sure, but they also want to increase Android's share of the high end of the market and they could also have just let the inferior maps in iOS6 continue to drive prospective iPhone 5 buyers to Android. But obviously they've weighed their options here and decided that having a presence on iOS is worth more than letting Apple continue to piss off users by hobbling along on its own.
  - fpgeek 14y ago
    I don't think it's obvious whether or not having Google apps on iOS helps or hurts Android market share overall. On the one hand, you have people who might otherwise switch to Android to get particular features of the Google ecosystem they want. On the other, you have iOS users who gradually become more invested in the Google ecosystem over time and eventually decide to switch to Android to get "the real thing".
    - cageface 14y ago
      Sure I think you can make a strong argument either way. But clearly Google thinks it's a net gain to be on iOS and they have a lot more insight into the details of this deal than we do.
timfrietas 14y ago
Amazon sells a lot of Kindle books on the iOS application I am sure. This is a similar strategy.
- fpgeek 14y ago
  Amazon sells a lot of Kindle books that are read with the iOS application. Amazon hasn't sold any books on the iOS application for over a year (and, arguably, never has because even before the IAP controversy the Kindle app buy button sent you to Amazon's website in Safari).
- hboon 14y ago
  Amazon doesn't sell Kindles in their iOS app to avoid the in-app purchase cut to Apple. The app doesn't even have a link to Amazon's site since that's forbidden by Apple's terms. But yes, they make money indirectly from customers like me who visit their website to buy books so we can read on our iOS devices.

wmeredith 14y ago

Good. Apples map data is OK, but their search sucks.

cageface 14y ago
Their map data is useless here in Vietnam. Even in downtown Saigon there's hardly any detail.
- andybak 14y ago
  Google Maps saved my hide several times when I was staying in Saigon. The cab drivers can't find their way around District 7 even when they aren't trying to take the long route.

nachteilig 14y ago

Fantastic. This might finally allow iOS 5 hold-outs to upgrade to iOS 6.

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
alexqgb 14y ago
It will be fascinating to see how many iOS5 devices upgrade to iOS6 the moment Google Maps becomes available. Does anyone know how or where this information could be found by those outside of Apple?
prof_hobart 14y ago
Unless you rely on an app that uses MapKit for an embedded app. They will still use the Apple one.
- coob 14y ago
  Google could be well be working on a drop in MapKit replacement as well. As least I would if I were them.
  - prof_hobart 14y ago
    That would require the developer to rebuild their app with the Google map in there instead of (or as well as) MapKit which, will possible, seems unlikely for most apps.
- nachteilig 14y ago
  That's true, although it seems like a lot of those apps might not use MapKit in a way where its use is a problem, right? Apple's maps probably works okay if you already know where you're trying to go. It's location and directions and such that are the problem.
junto 14y ago
I am one of those people. I refuse to upgrade to iOS6 presently on my iPad2. This was initially because of the maps degradation, but now I also don't see any reason to actually undertake the upgrade, apart from removing the little notification counter on the setting icon that for some reason I find annoying.

hcarvalhoalves 14y ago

If that's true, the decision to remove the stagnant Google powered Maps was the best decision. Now, if Google releases a mapping app, it will have to include turn-by-turn navigation and better overall experience.

joenathan 14y ago
But since it can never be set as the default mapping app it will always be a sub-par experience. What happens when you open your contacts and want to map your contacts address? Or when you are using any other app and want to map an included address?
- joshschreuder 14y ago
  I know this always comes up, but jailbreak your phone! It lets you set different defaults and do so much more (not piracy!) that I couldn't possibly mention it all.
- guelo 14y ago
  Once the users that have been clamoring for Google Maps realize this problem there will probably be some pressure on Apple to come out with customizable defaults for something like Maps. I kind of doubt they would ever copy a fully flexible system like Android's Intents, but I could see them allowing some limited choices for a few tasks. Though probably not for mapping since they seem to think that is strategic for them.
- hcarvalhoalves 14y ago
  Twitter and Facebook where 3rd party apps once. Now they have hooks to integrate into the system (for the "share" buttons). There's no reason this can't be done with maps too.
chrismsnz 14y ago
AFAIK it was Apple that held back features from Google Maps. The previous Maps app was written by them (using Google's data).

sjm 14y ago

What's with the iPhone photo they used? Did they go out of their way to find the dirtiest smudged-with-fingerprints picture they could find?

veidr 14y ago
True, it doesn't look like an Apple marketing photo; it looks like every iPhone I've ever seen in the real world. Instead of using Apple PR imagery, they took a picture of an actual iPhone in its natural state.