Apple Replacing Google Maps On iOS With Its Own Solution Later This Year

[MaSx]

I don't see how Apple can do better than Google Map but if they can pull it off, by any means, I'm totally okay with it since it will bring more competition to the table. Mind you, I'd hate to lose Google Map on my iPhone if their Map turns out to be lame, which is unlikely!

 

[Risco]

Mapping on is overrated, so long as it is functional, accurate and intergrates well with third party apps along with a little Apple customisation, then I see no reason why losing Google will be an issue.

 

[vvswarup]

Because petty politics don't belong in good business operations. Competition is friendly. Play to your strengths. Google's is online services, Apple's is systems. It makes sense to combine both. There's going to be overlap for sure at some point, but don't let that get into a game of "us vs them".

Let the people on Internet forums fight the "us vs them" fight.

Many players in other industries compete and yet collaborate. The car industry is rife with collaborations amongst competitors. They exchange parts/designs all the time. The computer industry is the same. HP has their own OS, yet they also offer the competition's OS products for their hardware, and their storage solutions can plug into Dell/Oracle/IBM hardware without any problems.

Competition doesn't have to mean cutting out all collaboration.

Your examples don't apply at all. The examples you provide relate to interoperability. HP makes their own OS but make their products compatible with competing products. That's not the case with maps. Apple relies on Google's backend to provide maps, which is lining a competitor's pockets with cash. This has nothing to do with collaboration.
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These 2 statements are contradictory.

Let's wait and see what Apple and Google both have to offer, if they even have something to offer, before we judge if this move was made out of spite or out of real technical/design merit.

I was responding to a claim that Apple has an NIH attitude, which they don't. Apple contracts with others for things they don't do well, like manufacturing. Apple isn't good at doing manufacturing so they contract it out. Apple is, however, good at designing the hardware so they do that rather than license out the OS.

 

[danahn17]

Hum... odd that my TomTom doesn't ask me for any personal info for data mining to get me to places.

Maybe so... but when you go to your favorite online or brick&mortar store to buy your TomTom, you can be sure that they are keeping track of your purchases and buying habits and potentially mailing you customized ads. Those keyfobs to give you discounts at your grocery? Again, tracking your purchases (you don't even need one for them to track your purchases though). And your credit/debit cards you used? You bet Amex, Visa, MasterCard, etc are all peeking at it.

Don't believe me? Check out this Forbes article.

 

[jcpb]

Call me when it has offline maps capability, otherwise I don't care.

 

[aristotle]

What does my personal contacts have to be used to find locations? 😕
I guess you do as you are told and not question the personal info retrieved that has nothing to do with map locating services.

Apple only needs to know my phones location to assist in finding what I ask, not other personal info. It seems you are blind to allowing apple get whatever they ask of you without justification on the true intent of use of the info retrieved.

If you have an iPhone 4S and want to use the geo-fence feature of the Reminders app, then Apple would have not know the "address" of a particular contact. For example, I have my "work" and "home" addresses listed in my contacts so I can ask Siri to remind me to do something when I leave work, arrive at work or arrive home. I could also siri how to get to a contacts house if I was in the US at the time or if searching for locations worked in Canada.

Nobody is forcing you to use those features if you are so paranoid.

Listen pal, if the CIA or NSA wanted to know where you were, they would not need to ask Apple for help.

 

[John.B]

Google also allows people to edit their ad profile, or opt out partially or totally. Use Google Dashboard and Google Ad Preferences or download a Google Ad Opt Out plugin for your browser.

Interestingly, only if you log in to Google. At which point, you're left to trust they'll do what they say they will. Knowing the games they've been playing recently in bypassing browser security settings, I'll pass. I'd rather put my trust in my favorite ad blocker subscription, thank you very much.

Because petty politics don't belong in good business operations. Competition is friendly. Play to your strengths. Google's is online services, Apple's is systems.

These 2 statements are contradictory. 😛

Or did you miss the Google acquisition of Motorola Mobility?

 

[KnightWRX]

Your examples don't apply at all. The examples you provide relate to interoperability. HP makes their own OS but make their products compatible with competing products. That's not the case with maps. Apple relies on Google's backend to provide maps, which is lining a competitor's pockets with cash. This has nothing to do with collaboration.

How does GM buying engines from Honda for what was the Saturn Vue V6 (when GM does have V6 engines of its own design) relate to interoperability ? 😕

How does HP providing Windows for the Proliant server line relate to interoperability when they have their own OS for their Integrity server line ?

How doesn't those examples "line competitor's pockets with cash" through collaboration that wasn't necessary ?

The simple fact is : Google is good at back-end stuff, Apple is good at front end stuff. This seems to be a move made out of spite rather than actual technical merit for now. There is nothing wrong with competitors collaborating.

I was responding to a claim that Apple has an NIH attitude, which they don't. Apple contracts with others for things they don't do well, like manufacturing. Apple isn't good at doing manufacturing so they contract it out. Apple is, however, good at designing the hardware so they do that rather than license out the OS.

But Apple has not been good at doing Cloud services up to now, maybe they should contract with others with expertise in the field. 😉

Apple does tend to have a NIH attitude about many things (DLNA vs Airplay, ALAC vs FLAC, mDP vs DP, etc..).

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These 2 statements are contradictory. 😛

They are ? 1 statement was about Google's strength, the other was about Apple's strength. How does Google being good at online services contradict Apple being good at systems ?

If I get your line of thinking here, you're saying that if Apple can be good at systems, Google can't be good at online services and vice versa ?

I'm not getting the contradiction here... care to explain what you meant if you even meant something ?

Or did you miss the Google acquisition of Motorola Mobility?

No, I didn't miss Google's massive patent acquisition after they failed at the Nortel patent bid. Or did you think Google primary interest in Motorola was devices ? Look at the price per patent in both the Nortel acquisition vs the Motorola Mobility acquisition, you'll find that Google got the device business essentially for free. 😉

 

[The Phazer]

And this could end up better for everyone...Google may be allowed to implement their own GMaps standalone app, which means we get more than a yearly update. Plus it means more new features all around because of the increased competition.

But a standalone application has massive disadvantages because of iOS restricting competition. There's no way to set it as a default for the rest of the OS, so links will constantly take you to the crappy Apple maps application.

 

[bawbac]

Maybe so... but when you go to your favorite online or brick&mortar store to buy your TomTom, you can be sure that they are keeping track of your purchases and buying habits and potentially mailing you customized ads. Those keyfobs to give you discounts at your grocery? Again, tracking your purchases (you don't even need one for them to track your purchases though). And your credit/debit cards you used? You bet Amex, Visa, MasterCard, etc are all peeking at it.

Don't believe me? Check out this Forbes article.

Since when did Target, Walmart or other B&M stores start asking for personal info when I make a purchase?😕
I've never received any customized coupons from any store in the mail. They usually provide these at check out IF I use a keyfob at their store.

You don't have to provide a name or real phone # to use one of those discount keyfobs. I should know, I have plenty with an alias name+phone#. 🙂

Debit cards. I guess you got me there but the bank already has my personal info and they send me privacy info about once every 6 months to let me know what they do with the data.
Unlike apple where they silently reach in to your personal data and gather it for their use or sharing with their partners. Viewing map data does not require downloading personal contacts, friends or other non related items off your device. This is a bold attemp at covert data mining.

Apple counts on their user base to not read the privacy disclosure in which on page 28 of a 30 page document they state their intent, which most people don't even get past the first sentence.

 

[KnightWRX]

Since when did Target, Walmart or other B&M stores start asking for personal info when I make a purchase?😕

Started around 10 years ago as far as I've noticed. Started small, "What's your postal code" and then more and more information. These days, I show them the proverbial middle finger, pay and get out.

 

[bawbac]

If you have an iPhone 4S and want to use the geo-fence feature of the Reminders app, then Apple would have not know the "address" of a particular contact. For example, I have my "work" and "home" addresses listed in my contacts so I can ask Siri to remind me to do something when I leave work, arrive at work or arrive home. I could also siri how to get to a contacts house if I was in the US at the time or if searching for locations worked in Canada.

Nobody is forcing you to use those features if you are so paranoid.

Listen pal, if the CIA or NSA wanted to know where you were, they would not need to ask Apple for help.

The issue is not the government agencies asking PRIVATE corps for personal info.
It's Apple using it to profile a consumer & gather information for the sole purpose of capitalizing on selling it or solicite people in your contacts, which you agreed to in their privacy disclosure without even knowing it because of the creative statements they write to not expose their true intent with your personal info.

 

[Fizzoid]

Agreed, I think one of the best features in Google Maps is its street view functionality. That and the fact that they have a huge database of places/businesses, which make finding restaurants, bars etc. much faster and easier.

I also hope that Apple considers the rest of the world. Siri's limitations to finding places in the US only has many Europeans (and the rest of the world) frustrated. So building up a truly international mapping service is a big challenge. I hope they can find some kind of open solution, like open maps, which can improve the service through users.

I know having "open" and "Apple" in the same sentence is a bit shocking or wishful thinking, but one can always dream!

Indeed, Apple's slow uptake on the fact there's a world outside the US may mean limited service for "the rest of the world" 🙄

 

[danahn17]

Since when did Target, Walmart or other B&M stores start asking for personal info when I make a purchase?😕
I've never received any customized coupons from any store in the mail.

The linked article said "Target assigns every customer a Guest ID number, tied to their credit card, name, or email address that becomes a bucket that stores a history of everything they’ve bought and any demographic information Target has collected from them or bought from other sources."

You might have gotten customized coupons but just didn't notice it! The article also said that the customized coupons are now designed not to freak out customers who think the company may be spying on them: “Then we started mixing in all these ads for things we knew pregnant women would never buy, so the baby ads looked random. We’d put an ad for a lawn mower next to diapers. We’d put a coupon for wineglasses next to infant clothes. That way, it looked like all the products were chosen by chance."

I suppose you are right though.... if you take the right steps, you can probably avoid getting mined for data from stores. But unfortunately, it's getting more and more difficult to do so it seems. 🙁

 

[DougB541]

I'd assume Google Maps would have a separate app in the App Store.

I'd say a first goal would be to match Bing Maps, which i think is strong, if not the strongest competitor in mapping right now (though apparently international is its biggest weakness, but they are getting new data from Nokia).

Google Maps is really tough to beat though.

 

[Winter Charm]

Don't see how Apple can think to beat Google who has been doing this very well for years already

C3 is apparently also really good at maps. That's why apple bought them. Because, yes, without C3, they had no hope of being able to compete with Google in maps.

Now, the tables have turned.

Also, Apple needs to give us a Siri-Enabled Turn by Turn GPS as part of the maps app. It's a crying shame we don't have those features already.

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The linked article said "Target assigns every customer a Guest ID number, tied to their credit card, name, or email address that becomes a bucket that stores a history of everything they’ve bought and any demographic information Target has collected from them or bought from other sources."

You might have gotten customized coupons but just didn't notice it! The article also said that the customized coupons are now designed not to freak out customers who think the company may be spying on them: “Then we started mixing in all these ads for things we knew pregnant women would never buy, so the baby ads looked random. We’d put an ad for a lawn mower next to diapers. We’d put a coupon for wineglasses next to infant clothes. That way, it looked like all the products were chosen by chance."

I suppose you are right though.... if you take the right steps, you can probably avoid getting mined for data from stores. But unfortunately, it's getting more and more difficult to do so it seems. 🙁

Data mining by businesses isn't a bad thing. It saves us money. The "bad" part is if the data isn't stored securely, or handed to the government.

 

[kdarling]

But a standalone application has massive disadvantages because of iOS restricting competition. There's no way to set it as a default for the rest of the OS, so links will constantly take you to the crappy Apple maps application.

This is also exactly why people should not directly compare Android and iOS update frequency.

Android devices get constant Google Maps updates, and because such apps are allowed to register themselves as info sources and targets, they are automatically integrated with all other apps that call for any map functionality.

OTOH, iOS requires an OS update for any new integrated functionality. Just updating a standalone app won't do it.

It's Apple using it to profile a consumer & gather information for the sole purpose of capitalizing on selling it or solicite people in your contacts, which you agreed to in their privacy disclosure without even knowing it because of the creative statements they write to not expose their true intent with your personal info.

I think it's interesting that Google and Apple make money off our info, yet do not always give us a quid pro quo. (A free app in exchange for ads does count as payment.)

With only a bit of tongue in cheek, I think Apple and Google should pay us each time we contribute to the crowd sourcing of of their WiFi and Cell databases... from which they make money via Location Based Services.

It's like when car dealers try to stick their name on the back of your new/used car. No sir, not without paying me for the advertising!

😉

 

[Piggie]

Just as Google are announcing all their new mapping tech. 😀

 

[kjs862]

Why would you think that a third party map app would be more integrated than Apple's own map app that they have been working on for years?

Because if you go to google.com and search a place a map will come up in Google's search results. Is Apple's map going to do that, I don't think so.

 

[the read]

It's not Google maps that's a competitor. It's Google as a whole. Why should Apple line a competitor's pockets with cash?

Hi vvswarup,

Can I ask a favour. It might be best if you don't read my posts. Your obviously to narrow minded to understand what progression and callaboration can achieve.
I,m wandering, do you have an Apple logo tattooed on your forehead?

 

[macbookflasher]

it will not work and apple can not beat Google

 

[\-V-/]

it will not work and apple can not beat Google

What won't work? Their maps? Seriously?

 

[MappingPro]

Of course they will include turn-by-turn. Apple always wanted turn-by-turn apart of maps app, but google refused to let them have it. I think that's one of the main reasons Apple decided to build their own.

Google claims that is is Apple that will not allow them to add features like turn by turn to Maps. I am hoping that by dropping Google Maps we will be able to get the same features that Android gets from Google. Even if it costs I will gladly pay. I have been in the mapping game for more than 40 years and I say it is not so easy to just make a Google Maps or Earth. Google maps predate mobil by many years, Apple has a big hill to climb.

 

[IBradMac]

I'll be mad if it sucks.