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Apple Moving to In-House Mapping Service with 3D Views in iOS 6?

The best thing about the iPhone map app is google search integration. Who gives a crap about 3D? I want the best search integration, and an app that shows me where I need to go.
Turn by turn would be nice, I suppose, but I have it already in other apps that hardly get used.
 
nickhutson said:
This worries me, because - as we've seen with Siri - Apple will forget that there is a world outside the US, and will probably not update it to be a world map until 2046.

I am sure it will be "US Only".
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With Asia now Apple's largest market, would be quite silly not to have it worldwide.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
Read the story again, but maybe more carefully. It's not OSM. Apple now owns its own mapping companies. I agree using OSM would be a disaster. The Apple brain trust is smart enough to know that too, I'm positive.
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Plus it would totally defeat the objective. It's not that Apple want to get away from Google (though I'm sure that's part of it) it's that they don't want to be dependent on ANYONE for their data and that would include OSM.

One other thing, if 3D is done properly (and from what I've seen of C3's work they've done just that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSmunh6NIQI for an example) it has potentially huge benefits to the end user. Certainly it can make navigating an unknown area much, much easier especially for people who struggle with 2D maps. The trick for me is a 3D map must be true 3D and allow you to look at a scene from any angle and to a reasonable degree of detail. If Apple can manage that they'll have something that (IMO of course) will really appeal to the general public and, it must be said, look stunning in TV ads.
 
GoGa said:
One of the mapping company's that apple bought had street veiw type data.
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Not outside of the US they don't.

Heck, some European territories require such data collection to be licenced by the state, following Street View.

And the maps in iPhoto were meant to look vintage and old because that was the style of the whole journal theme, it was not meant for a detailed map.
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Oh, I see! The fact they were crappily presented, out of date maps was a feature!
 
Kilamite said:
They used to. But I've been using them a lot when abroad (you can save the maps on your iPhone using 3rd party apps), and found them to be on par with Google in most areas.

Google is cleaner, but Open Street Maps certainly don't suck anymore.
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OpenStreetMaps is two things: the data about streets, roads, highways, etc and then there's the tiles you see generated from that data that can be customized. Hopefully Apple won't use the same tiles as iPhoto as those were ugly and a clear step back from Google Maps.
 
I hope Apple surprises us at the WWDC with maps. Google maps is hard to beat. Miss it.
 
spiderman0616 said:
I want a built in maps app that will allow me to play music, but will interrupt the music to give me my next direction. On a long road trip if I need directions, I can't listen to music if I'm running MapQuest. Please, Apple, please build this. It's the one thing that makes me jealous of Android users.
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uh, why? the GPS apps for iOS do this perfectly (MotionX Drive, Garmin). listen to music, mutes for directions. MotionX even has music controls.

really, what have you been waiting for all these years?

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Konrad9 said:
The google maps navigation is really the primary reason I haven't switched to an iPhone yet.
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i know im a broken record, but you do realize there are excellent third-party iOS turn-by-turn GPS apps, right?
 
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AustinIllini said:
I'm sure to start it would be "US Only" if it's not worldwide, but not because of market size, but ease of implementation in Apple's home country.
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The problem with this is that it makes the Maps application completely and utterly useless for non-US users, which is terrible given that it worked perfectly fine for them before...unless you mean the other markets will still use Google Maps and Apple will simply flip a switch on their server when the time comes.
 
androiphone said:
I fully understand that getting map data takes time but Apple have to be careful about removing services that people already have and that fully work.

if they implemented a solution that didn't have the same level of service as Google Maps provides then Apple could be in some pretty hot water, as customers who could easily zoom into their house one day the next (after the update) are left high and dry. (ie one day fully functional the next worthless)

Not to mention that there are laws (at least here in the UK) preventing a company selling you a product then issuing firmware updates that remove working features.
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Again. Read the part about this being transitional. The Google Maps app doesn't have to go away for Apple to start implementing its own service, same as the Kindle App didn't go away when iBooks was released.

I suspect Apple will roll out their own map app in each country as available, and 100% optional d/l (iOS 6 required, and probably iPhone 4 or better). It will be considered beta, just like Siri is now. Google Maps will remain the standard app included w/ each iPhone at least until iOS7.
 
harveyhanson said:
I just want maps built in, so if I run out of signal I don't lose my maps.
E.g. when abroad, use my GPS and pre-installed maps, otherwise it costs a fortune turning on data and using maps...
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you dont need "built in" to get that functionality. third-party iOS GPS already have options for downloading your route to the device. ex, the Garmin USA app downloads everything. from what i recall MotionX could download your route.
 
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I hope they incorporate good, fast, reliable turn by turn navigation as well. As a previous Android owner, Google navigation is still one area which destroys the iPhone navigation options. The google native app on Android is seamlessly integrated into the phone and I loved it. MotionX does ok, but I had to pay for it and it's still not as good.
 
Is there any advantage to the 3D maps other than it looking nice? As long as solid turn-by-turn accompanies a visual update then there is no problem, but form without function is worthless for maps. We need true turn-by-turn done right.
 
Hopefully Google will bring Google Maps to the App Store if it gets dropped. I like the current Maps app, it just needs a couple of new features (turn by turn, voice navigation etc.) and UI changes, not an entire remake.
 
nickhutson said:
This worries me, because - as we've seen with Siri - Apple will forget that there is a world outside the US, and will probably not update it to be a world map until 2046.

I am sure it will be "US Only".
Click to expand...

Exactly my fear. I hope free maps/navigation is available worldwide, but I highly doubt it. I live in the Netherlands, but if Apple doesn't offer this, it will be a dealbreaker for me. I am waiting for the next iPhone, but navigation if a must have for me. Otherwise, I'll be forced to use another HTC smartphone (not that they are bad by the way.. :D)
 
..."mockup of Apple's 3-D mapping mode"

HUH? when will these geek wannabe designers stop with this foolishness? They have no idea what Apple is planning and their "mockup" is just a ridiculous photo of the city with no "mapping".

Why, why, why, do you insist on posting these side-by-side "comparison" photos that are completely irrelevant? It is a comparison of an existing tool with some monkey's (poor) hypothesis of what would be cool.

I'm sure Apple is working on something. It just won't look anything like that fantasy "mockup".
 
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