Apple's Split with Google Over iOS Maps Driven by Turn-by-Turn Navigation Dispute

[Rodimus Prime]

apple doesn't need a web version of maps. only reason google did it was google maps started before smartphones

apple already has diagnostic software in the iphone along with the wifi location mapping database to automatically improve their maps

I would argue that they do. Limiting it to iOS devices can make it annoying if you always have to go threw an Apple device to look at maps. Google maps for example I can find and look for places threw the web on my laptop. Then turn around and push that same information to my phone. It makes getting direction really simple as lets face it computers have much bigger screens and it is easier to type on it.

 

[liorbk]

Improvements require user feedback. If google maps stayed the folks would never opt to use apple maps. It was a necessary evil.

It's called QA. It's a behavior usually reserved for Microsoft to treat their paying users as beta testers. I understand your need to justify your gods, but seriously...

 

[Oletros]

apple doesn't need a web version of maps. only reason google did it was google maps started before smartphones

Them find my Mac or find my iPhone what have to use? Google Maps?

 

[MacinDoc]

I think they should have gone the OS X way personally. Keep the current Google Maps around for the Map Kit framework and 3rd party apps, ship the iOS 5 maps app as a default with the OS but provide the "Apple Maps Preview" in the app store as an optional download and market the crap out of it, pimp it at WWDC and the iPhone keynote, etc..

They would have gotten a lot of willing users that were ready to face an incomplete dataset and eager to report and fix things with Apple. People would have looked at it as a "work in progress with potential" rather than a "downgrade to the current experience for pretty graphics ?".

Perspective would have been completely different, crowd sourcing still there with the enthusiastic user base that wants to help and negative PR eliminated.

Then as you say, make it default in iOS 7.

In hindsight, this would have had much better optics for Apple. I don't think the company anticipated how much of a firestorm would surround the new Maps app, and just wanted to maximize adoption to get the crowd sourcing and error reporting advanced as quickly as possible.

There may also be some merit to the speculation that Apple wanted to get Maps crowd sourcing before Google was ready with its own standalone app, which many users may have chosen to use over Apple's Maps.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

In hindsight, this would have had much better optics for Apple. I don't think the company anticipated how much of a firestorm would surround the new Maps app, and just wanted to maximize adoption to get the crowd sourcing and error reporting advanced as quickly as possible.

There may also be some merit to the speculation that Apple wanted to get Maps crowd sourcing before Google was ready with its own standalone app, which many users may have chosen to use over Apple's Maps.

You would think Apple would learn from watching the mess MS dealt with when they released Vista. Vista had a lot of problems but Windows 7 people really like and really it was mostly pretty minor changes and improvements.

 

[Jimrobo]

best case scenario for everyone is google to put full maps in the app store inc turn by turn for a small fee.

Apple gets to develop their own maps and have the fact they booted google off their OS, google gets some cash and android fans get to mock us iOS users for having to buy something they get free. its a win win for both companies!

 

[Sagittaeri]

To be honest, I understand why Apple did it. The transitioning period will be painful for everyone, for sure. But it will be worth it. If Google actually intentionally kept iOS Maps inferior to their Android counterparts, then I'm sorry, it had to go.

 

[Winni]

It's amazing how the "most valuable" company on the planet screwed this up. While Apple does not even get a Maps app right, Google is SUCCESSFULLY applying this technology in its driverless car and thus inventing the future:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_driverless_car

An interesting video about it:

http://youtu.be/J17Qgc4a8xY

 

[Dusky600]

It's amazing how the "most valuable" company on the planet screwed this up. While Apple does not even get a Maps app right, Google is SUCCESSFULLY applying this technology in its driverless car and thus inventing the future:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_driverless_car

An interesting video about it:

http://youtu.be/J17Qgc4a8xY

that's bull[] hype. i doubt that technology is in anyway usable in the next 2 decades or more. it's like those kids in college making robotic arms back in the day. it's fun in controlled situations

 

[dv8r]

i doubt that technology is in anyway usable in the next 2 decades or more.

Yet legal in two states - it's happening...

 

[Renzatic]

i doubt that technology is in anyway usable in the next 2 decades or more. it's like those kids in college making robotic arms back in the day. it's fun in controlled situations

Google already had it driving out on public roads. It was doing pretty good until some guy ran a red light and t-boned it at an intersection.

Can't get much more uncontrolled situation than that.

 

[derek4484]

I think when iOS6 was announced, they should have provided Apple Maps as an app (maybe 4s only?) so users could kick the snot out of it for a few months. Then a majority of the wavy brooklyn bridges would be sorted out for the release last week.

Made a shortcut to google maps, still haven't needed to use it yet. Though I bought TomTom back in 2009 and rarely use it either. Guess I just know my way around.

All these developers that have been running iOS on their developer phones for months, didnt they notice Apple Maps data sucks? Or was Apple Maps not available in the developer versions?

I think the app itself is good, just the maps data sucks.

 

[Scrub175]

It's called QA. It's a behavior usually reserved for Microsoft to treat their paying users as beta testers. I understand your need to justify your gods, but seriously...

No I just have realistic expectations of an undertaking of this magnitude. Just like when google maps/Nav gave me bum directions on my droid x. Or when video games need patch repairs after release. So I assume since your the conscientious shopper you do expect or accept firmware, patch, or OS updates because it should have been right upon release then right?

Y'all god complex folks feel so entitled. A I won't use your service until it works perfect attitude... Why don't you take your ball and go home. Cept you might get lost using maps right.

 

[3282868]

Turn-by-turn directions don't really help when you're driving yourself off a non-existent road, Apple.

 

[dontwalkhand]

Google already had it driving out on public roads. It was doing pretty good until some guy ran a red light and t-boned it at an intersection.

Can't get much more uncontrolled situation than that.

I knew it something like this would happen. All it takes is a guy running a red light or a drunk driver to smash the driverless car :-(

 

[KnightWRX]

It's a patent on ornamental design for an electronic device, "substantially as shown and described".

Rounded corners are part of this description, but rounded corners in and of themselves are not a violation.

Apple does not have a patent on rounded corners. If they did, the patent would be much shorter.

The patent is 1 line of text long and 4 pictures. How much shorter can it get ?

The original claim is also not "rounded corners", it's "rectangle with rounded corners" btw

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In hindsight, this would have had much better optics for Apple. I don't think the company anticipated how much of a firestorm would surround the new Maps app, and just wanted to maximize adoption to get the crowd sourcing and error reporting advanced as quickly as possible.

I think the problem is that Apple just didn't realise there would be a firestorm to begin with. Prior to WWDC, I'm pretty darn sure they didn't even know what they had was even bad, much less at this level of bad.

This guy explains why Apple probably thought what they had was good enough :

blog.telemapics.com/?p=399

And that makes plenty of sense. They went forward thinking it was good. Otherwise, I don't see why they wouldn't have gone the optional release route, they did it with OS X. You can still disable Siri and revert to old voice controls too if you don't find Siri useful or it breaks in unfortunate ways.

Apple isn't always about removing options. So really, this Maps thing ? They just didn't know and when they found out, it was too late. That's what makes the most sense to me.

There may also be some merit to the speculation that Apple wanted to get Maps crowd sourcing before Google was ready with its own standalone app, which many users may have chosen to use over Apple's Maps.

Yes, but the problem is that you don't get crowd-sourcing and willing participants from a pool of customers you just burnt.

 

[Renzatic]

I knew it something like this would happen. All it takes is a guy running a red light or a drunk driver to smash the driverless car :-(

Yeah, that does kinda suck, but it's bound to happen. If you want a good laugh though, think about the whole situation from the guy's perspective. He's just driving along, probably eating a burrito and talking on his cell phone, when...OH SHI! SMACK!

After checking his nuts to see if they were still attached, he probably got out of his car to check the damage and see if everyone's alright, only to discover...

...no one was driving the car he just ran face first into.

I imagine the ensuing freak out would've been an epic thing to behold.

 

[SilenceBe]

You can hardly blame Google for not wanting to give away a key feature that provides an advantage for Android over IOS, if Apple were not willing to make it very worthwhile for Google in return.

While it is more sexy to make it a "Google versus Apple" thing, the reality is that a lot of companies have dropped Google maps for openstreet maps. Even within the Android community... .

OSM gives you more freedom to change (and imho look at some tilemill examples http://mapbox.com/tilemill/gallery/) the look of feel of the maps, you can generate & serve the tiles yourself and you don't have to work with a company that changes the rules when they feel like it. If they change something visually you can only accept it.

And while the maps have it faults, the nice thing is that any improvements any of those companies make should be released to the public. And it improves rapidly.

From a developers & other companies (and that even mean Android developers) pov, the popularity of OSM over Google maps is a good thing.

Seems to me that Google wanted inside the walled garden and Apple weren't prepared to go there. Too much that Google could find out about IOS?

I really don't see (as a app developer) what Google would need that is hidden from app developers. They have access to API's for sound, GPS, graphics (with acceleration) what would you need more for a Voice based turn-by-turn app ?

Even as a map service provider they only need to serve maps which is nothing more then serving images tiles. For that they don't need fancy hidden stuff in iOS.

 

[dv8r]

I really don't see (as a app developer) what Google would need that is hidden from app developers. They have access to API's for sound, GPS, graphics (with acceleration) what would you need more for a Voice based turn-by-turn app ?

This is about Android and Ads - nothing else.

 

[samcraig]

This is about Android and Ads - nothing else.

Actually - I think this is about Apple not wanting to have anything branded google on their devices. Which is what was one of the terms of the new agreement to gain access to turn by turn navigation.

I also think that it's perfectly normal/acceptable that if Apple didn't like the terms, they venture out on their own. I just think their execution and timing was wrong.

 

[435713]

deleted.

 

[Judas1]

Of course Google would want concessions from Apple for getting such an important feature. And what they asked for wasn't unreasonable. They wanted in called Google Maps instead of just Maps, and they wanted some control over the app because it really is Google's map even if Apple was handling the front-end. And Apple's excuse that they were worried about privacy is BS. They just didn't want Google branding on their device.

 

[iBreatheApple]

Just curious... Are you surprised they released it in its current state because it's so bad in your area or are you basing that on all the negative press?

Because in my neck of the woods, the new maps is far better than the old one and I can't help but assume that this is another overblown issue due to 1) the magnitude of Apple's decision to ditch Google for competitive reasons and 2) the need for publishers to generate more clicks.

I'm basing it on the loops, wrap-arounds, and square that it takes to get me from A to B in many cases. I'm also basing it on the disgusting 3D renderings that I've been browsing in places like Chicago and NYC. Trust me, I'm all about backing Apple up, and I know it's a work in progress, but they have a long way to go.

There's only so much Apple can do by themselves in a lab. Not to mention the amount of resources they need to dedicate to an effort as ambitious as launching a brand new maps service and having it function well enough for 400 million users on DAY 1. That's a tall order for something as complex as building a mapping service.

They've probably planned this well in advance. That's why it feels like iOS 6 is more of a subtle refinement upgrade, setting the stage for the future. They've done "house cleaning" such as redesigning some of the apps that needed it, polishing a few UI elements that needed it, etc. Launch maps when they can dedicate resources in a quiet upgrade, versus launching maps in a significant update where they can't dedicate as much time and resource into it.

Apple is just one company, they have limited engineering talent just like anyone else and need to plan things wisely. Personally the maps have been fantastic for me for the past several months. I've been using exclusively since Beta 1 and have had nothing but a great experience. Some hiccups, yes, but anyone who expects something like this to be flawless on Day 1 really needs a dose of reality.

Transition pains. Just like anytime Apple throws away a certain technology. There's a vocal group who complain, while the rest of the users move on quietly.

I absolutely don't expect it to be Google Maps day one. I do feel, however, that they should have swallowed their pride and continued using Google (obligation-free, mind you) for the last year to get a bit more on track. Yeah I've heard people say they don't want to fall behind any longer in regard to TBT directions but Google's would have sufficed. It's not typical of them to release something so unperfected.

 

[MacinDoc]

The patent is 1 line of text long and 4 pictures. How much shorter can it get ?

The original claim is also not "rounded corners", it's "rectangle with rounded corners" btw

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I think the problem is that Apple just didn't realise there would be a firestorm to begin with. Prior to WWDC, I'm pretty darn sure they didn't even know what they had was even bad, much less at this level of bad.

This guy explains why Apple probably thought what they had was good enough :

blog.telemapics.com/?p=399

And that makes plenty of sense. They went forward thinking it was good. Otherwise, I don't see why they wouldn't have gone the optional release route, they did it with OS X. You can still disable Siri and revert to old voice controls too if you don't find Siri useful or it breaks in unfortunate ways.

Apple isn't always about removing options. So really, this Maps thing ? They just didn't know and when they found out, it was too late. That's what makes the most sense to me.



Yes, but the problem is that you don't get crowd-sourcing and willing participants from a pool of customers you just burnt.

No doubt about it, Apple got pretty badly burned by this mistake, and as with Microsoft's Windows Vista, it will likely take a while and a lot of effort to regain that lost trust. I suspect that Google's Maps app will now be even more popular when it is released, especially if there isn't a miraculous, almost overnight improvement in Apple's data. Which there won't be. I think Apple actually set itself back by about a year in map development with this ill-advised release.

 

[Lennholm]

Leave it to the Apple fanboys to make Google into bad guys over this even though they did what every other company would do (besides Apple of course, since they don't even offer their services to other companies). It was not part of the original deal and Google wasn't going to hand over an additional feature without getting something in return, this doesn't make sense to you?