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Lack of Maps Updates in iOS 8 Said to Be Caused by 'Internal Politics', Developers Leaving

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,548
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Leading up to last week's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, various reports suggested that Apple would be significantly improving its Maps application in iOS 8, enhancing the underlying infrastructure that powers the application and adding public transit directions from acquired mapping companies HopStop and Embark.

However, while last week's keynote included a lot of new information about iOS 8, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi mentioned no improvements to Maps aside from enhanced vector-based mapping maps in China.

Now, a report from TechCrunch sheds new light as to why iOS 8 does not feature significant improvements to Maps, with an inside source noting that "many developers left the company," as map improvements for iOS 8 were not finished in time. The source added that tasks were "very badly planned", with developers having to jump from "project to project".

The report also gives an account from another source at Apple:
It's a take that is both contested and corroborated by our other source. "I would say that planning, project management and internal politics issues were a much more significant contributor to the failure to complete projects than developers leaving the group," the source said.
Click to expand...
Apple originally introduced its Maps app in iOS 6 as it looked to move away from Google Maps. However, Apple's Maps drew a significant amount of criticism over inaccuracies in mapping data, errors in locating points of interest, a lack of transit information, and bizarre 3D mapping. Apple CEO Tim Cook even issued a public apology to iOS owners over the ordeal, stating the company was "extremely sorry" for the frustration it had caused and promised "non-stop" work to fix the app.

Article Link: Lack of Maps Updates in iOS 8 Said to Be Caused by 'Internal Politics', Developers Leaving
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/09/ios-8-maps-internal-politics-developers-leaving/
M

Michaelgtrusa

macrumors 604
Oct 13, 2008
7,900
1,821
I have always suspected internal issues at apple, but I wonder how bad is it. Apple is short on staff and that is leading to obvious stress.
 
M

markiv810

macrumors 6502
Sep 27, 2002
378
114
India
Firing Scott Forstall was not an intelligent move by Apple, Apple should have had more patience wrt to iOS development.
 
A

apfelmann

macrumors 6502
Jul 23, 2007
396
129
Ping, Maps, Beats

No one needs these things from APPLE!!!!

Leave it to the experts, and focus on what APPLE is good at!
Bring us a new hardware more often!
 
polterbyte

polterbyte

macrumors 6502
Sep 24, 2012
353
538
Brazil
This is bound to hurt Apple's plans to remove itself from Google's grasp, at least until the situation is mitigated.

And even if real consequences are minimal (and I'm not saying they will be), Apple detractors will have a field day (week? month? eon?) with this.
 
A

addiecool

macrumors newbie
Mar 9, 2002
15
0
New Delhi, India
With due respect, Apple has made a bad choice to move to its own maps without having it ready. Its still not ready and will take another few years "if they find the right direction".
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,483
43,408
Apple's track record for Maps is extremely poor and is very un-apple like. At this stage, they would be better off killing the project and going with another company (other then google since they don't want that).
 
ValSalva

ValSalva

macrumors 68040
Jun 26, 2009
3,783
259
Burpelson AFB
markiv810 said:
Firing Scott Forstall was not an intelligent move by Apple, Apple should have had more patience wrt to iOS development.
Click to expand...

I thought it was Forstall who was responsible for the Maps debacle in the first place. It's hard to know what the absence of Forstall really has meant to Apple.

He took the fall for Maps because he was ultimately responsible for it supposedly not being ready and then wouldn't acknowledge its shortcomings. From that perspective Apple hasn't skipped a beat since Forstall left.
 
T

teejaysplace

macrumors member
May 24, 2006
62
1
There are very few times I think it's fair to say that the company uniquely misses Steve Jobs, but every once in a while they need someone to walk into a room and go, "Then why the **** doesn't it do that?"
 
S

sadesh

macrumors newbie
Jul 18, 2008
21
0
OMG. Apple is doomed all because of maps fiasco.:p

2014-06-09_0529.png


The 1 to 7 split is not adjusted until the market opens. Google having their own fun.
 
Davmeister

Davmeister

macrumors 6502
May 7, 2009
334
87
London
What a joke. Absolute joke. "Working non-stop to fix this" – it appears this hasn't happened. Everyone knows other mapping services are superior in *most* aspects to Apple maps. Why Apple can't just swallow its damn pride and use other companies' services is beyond me.

Its the elephant in the room. I hope they completely overhaul and massively improve by iOS 9, or be done with it, and move to another provider.
 
Y

yodaxl7

macrumors 6502a
Jan 25, 2010
768
0
Apple map works fine for me. Actually, it is better than google maps in my specific area, Valdosta, ga. I have used it many times going to florida and Atlanta. Apple map does not have local transit but it will come probably ios 8.2. I am not in hurry for that. Map is the lowest priority. It is not like google map is not on iOS anyways or other transit apps. People are so picky!;)
 
C

Codestud

macrumors regular
Nov 1, 2011
125
137
Strategically, I can't help feeling that Apple should get closer to Microsoft - yes Microsoft - and pool its resources with both Maps and Search. This might be the only way to defeat the increasingly evil behemoth that is Google.
 
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markiv810

macrumors 6502
Sep 27, 2002
378
114
India
ValSalva said:
I thought it was Forstall who was responsible for the Maps debacle in the first place. It's hard to know what the absence of Forstall really has meant to Apple.

He took the fall for Maps because he was ultimately responsible for it supposedly not being ready and then wouldn't acknowledge its shortcomings. From that perspective Apple hasn't skipped a beat since Forstall left.
Click to expand...

Yes Forstall was responsible but firing the software guy for "Thinking Different" was not the answer, Forstall should have been given time and resources to rectify his mistake, Rom was not built in a day. In my opinion Forstall should have stayed and improvised on Apple Maps, Apple cannot/should not depend on Google for Maps, Google might pull the maps app nay day as iOS is in competition with Android. Just my 2 cents.
 
T

TC03

macrumors 65816
Aug 17, 2008
1,272
356
maflynn said:
Apple's track record for Maps is extremely poor and is very un-apple like. At this stage, they would be better off killing the project and going with another company (other then google since they don't want that).
Click to expand...
I don't think it's that poor. It's just that Google Maps is so good The level of detail and accuracy Google has around the world is almost impossible to catch up to. But honestly, when you compare Apple Maps to alternatives such as Bing, Nokia Here, TomTom, Garmin or MapQuest maps, you'll see that Apple Maps is not worse than all of those. So buying another company doesn't really solve anything, unless you buy Google.
 
Jambalaya

Jambalaya

macrumors 6502a
Jun 21, 2013
714
151
UK
Another voice to chime in about what a disaster Maps has been. I had to walk 45 mins extra as Apple Maps sent me to the wrong street. It's never got any better, the data is just wrong. The decision to remove GoogleMaps in favour of what was clearly a non-functional product I will not forget. GoogleMaps are back and long may it continue.
 
Z

Zxxv

macrumors 68040
Nov 13, 2011
3,558
1,104
UK
Saw a google maps car in my city again last week or week before. They've already mapped it but are still out doing it again and again. Don't see any apple cars or any other company. Google have it down. They own mapping. Apple if it wants to be number 1 needs to do what google is doing ie throw some money at the problem. Complaining about developers leaving when you have so much money makes you look incompetent and lost.
 
Fzang

Fzang

macrumors 65816
Jun 15, 2013
1,315
1,081
markiv810 said:
Google might pull the maps app nay day as iOS is in competition with Android. Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...

Can they even do that? Distribute multi-platform free software and create a huge reliance on it, and then platform lock it.
 
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