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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,195
30,136



googlemaps.png
When Google released Google Maps for iOS in December, it also announced an SDK that iOS developers could use to implement Google Maps in their apps rather than Apple's mapping solution.

Tonight, Google announced an updated Maps SDK that adds ground overlay support and makes API keys available to all developers via the Google API Console. Previously, developers had to register and wait to be granted access to keys.

Now that keys are freely available, it's likely that more developers will use Google Maps in their apps. Some developers may decide to allow users to choose between Google and Apple's maps, much like the recently released Sunrise calendar app.

Google has also included a sample app in the SDK that developers can use to learn how to use Google Maps in their apps and released a video (above) demonstrating some of the SDK's features.

Article Link: Google Releases Updated Maps for iOS SDK, Opens API Keys to All Developers
 

Evmanw

macrumors regular
Aug 4, 2010
155
36
nice, but I still need my public transportation back that was lost when iOS 6 came out
 

Fatalbert

macrumors 6502
Feb 6, 2013
398
0
Nice! Choice is good, though I'll probably be using Apple Maps except for navigation (since the iPhone 4 cannot do turn-by-turn with it, only with Google Maps).

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Agreed, although... I bet Google is working on something better. More real estate better interface.

I really do not like the Google Maps interface, and lags for me. But I'm really glad they brought turn-by-turn to the iPhone 4 and earlier!
 

bozzykid

macrumors 68020
Aug 11, 2009
2,428
491
Not in every country - Australia lost it with the "upgrade" :(

What upgrade? There's been only one release of Google Maps and it has transit directions for Australia according to Google's website. Apple Maps lost built-in transit directions in the iOS 6 update not Google Maps.
 

RicoRich196

macrumors regular
Apr 28, 2011
102
39
Okay thanks Googz now can we have an update for the App itself? I wake up in the middle of the night and check the AppStore and go to sleep disappointed.

For serious:
Addresses from Contacts
Recent Searches
Massage spots with happy endings
 

lwapps

macrumors regular
Sep 3, 2012
109
0
Phew I was wondering when I could stop subjecting people to Apple Maps.

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Wow google sure works fast when they are totally cut off from stock iOS.

Goes to show that they do not have our best interest in mind.

Very true! Although I do fail to see how Google profit from making a maps application which makes their competitors phone a lot more valuable.
 

guspasho

macrumors regular
Apr 13, 2011
152
15
Wow google sure works fast when they are totally cut off from stock iOS.

Goes to show that they do not have our best interest in mind.

Google never developed the stock iOS app, nor did Apple give them any advance warning on its demise. If Apple Maps wasn't such a disaster, I doubt Apple would even have allowed apps to use competing maps services.

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Very true! Although I do fail to see how Google profit from making a maps application which makes their competitors phone a lot more valuable.

Advertising. It's Google's bread and butter. Far more valuable than Android or any of their hardware.
 

alphaod

macrumors Core
Feb 9, 2008
22,183
1,245
NYC
That's good, but I do hope it's a choice. I wouldn't want to be forced to use one map over the other. For example in the US, Google maps is great but in China, Apple maps seems to have more up to date maps and POIs.
 

mw360

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2010
2,032
2,395
Phew I was wondering when I could stop subjecting people to Apple Maps.

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Very true! Although I do fail to see how Google profit from making a maps application which makes their competitors phone a lot more valuable.

The same way they profit from giving away Android for free, or Docs, or GMail.
 

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
Google never developed the stock iOS app, nor did Apple give them any advance warning on its demise. If Apple Maps wasn't such a disaster, I doubt Apple would even have allowed apps to use competing maps services.

Since Apple was paying Google major amounts of money every year for Google Maps (high eight or low nine digits), and stopped paying a penny to Google for map data since, I doubt that Google didn't know about this.
 
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