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

[Swift]

What it's really about:

"No! Apple is dictatorially, just for profit, making a hypocritical move for its sheeple to accept an inferior app! Google is the friend of Democracy and always will be. Won't you fanbois learn? The script is, Google can do no wrong, because it's open and free!"

There you go. Feel better?

Apple should have undersold it. Sell it as a Beta. And by making it harder, they can improve the mapping quickly. It's great in China! (It's also pretty good in L.A.)

Anybody think that Google was withholding turn-by-turn, and setting some pretty high prices for mapping? If you don't think they have sharp elbows... you're naive.

 

[aerok]

How can anyone in their right mind love or even like Android?

I do have a right mind, yet I like Android but I also like iOS. Call me weird but I also enjoy using BB6.

I really feel that you have an issue, do you realise that you're praising for long life for an operating system? Doesn't that seem odd... silly? I really think you should drop the Kool-Aid, for your sanity.

 

[Swift]

Slowly we are entering a new era in tech...each company is saying to themselves, "I can do everything all by myself, it's my way or no way at all!"

The next few years will show if that's a good thing or a bad thing

Good? Bad? Don't know. But that's where the competition is.

Apple couldn't continue not having turn-to-turn. Google's terms, since they are now a competitor not an ally, just got a lot more complicated. Did they try to jack Apple up? You don't put baby in a corner.

 

[Dusky600]

apple need's a icloud.com version of apple maps to compete fully with google maps.

if this feature existed id stop using google maps altogether , i have faith apple will get it's maps solution working perfectly in an acceptable time frame.

on the under hand this might be the beginning of the end...

we shall see.

P.S: iBooks for macs would be welcome has well.

 

[tshrimp]

This is the best explanation yet for how Apple got in to this mess. It seems like a good reason for Apple to break ties with Google, and I have faith that very soon... weeks or months, Apple's map app will be very good, even superior to what Google offers. Thanks for the article

Maybe your are right, but Google has many years worth of a head start, so don't see this getting up to Google quality any time soon. They fight and we get stuck in the middle.

 

[lwapps]

I do have a right mind, yet I like Android but I also like iOS. Call me weird but I also enjoy using BB6.

I really feel that you have an issue, do you realise that you're praising for long life for an operating system? Doesn't that seem odd... silly? I really think you should drop the Kool-Aid, for your sanity.

I can cope with you liking Android but come on, don't be ridiculous. No one actually likes blackberry!

 

[tshrimp]

I do have a right mind, yet I like Android but I also like iOS. Call me weird but I also enjoy using BB6.

I really feel that you have an issue, do you realise that you're praising for long life for an operating system? Doesn't that seem odd... silly? I really think you should drop the Kool-Aid, for your sanity.

I agree with you. They all make good stuff these days. If you don't marry yourself to one company you end up with more choices. This includes Phones, Cars, TVs, etc.

 

[GuitarDTO]

And finally, the obvious/truth is getting out. Lack of turn by turn has been an Android advantage from the beginning, and both Google and Apple knew/know it. Apple made the right choice here.

 

[uberzephyr]

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

Doesn't that statement say that people were actually happy with the Google maps, if they never would have tried Apple's maps? Forcing us to use something crappier so they can get user data in the form of complaints doesn't seem very "user friendly" to me!

 

[tshrimp]

I can cope with you liking Android but come on, don't be ridiculous. No one actually likes blackberry!

In the business world there is nothing better than BB....nothing even close. But for personal give me iPhone and Android.

 

[Cap'n Dave]

Last weekend I used Maps to navigate from Fort Worh to San Antonio (about 300 miles) and it worked great. I also have the Navigon app and I find Maps superior to it in every way except one: Navigon displays speed limits and will say "Caution" when I exceed the speed limit by a user set amount.

I especially liked Map's "Overview" function that smoothly zooms out and rotates to show the complete route with a single touch. This is important to me, and although the overview functionality exists in Navigon it is clunky at best.

I'll keep Navigon since it has built-in maps (so does not need a connection to work) but I am very pleased with Apple's Maps and will use it as my primary navigation system.

As far as accuracy goes, I have had numerous problems with Google Maps, especially with business addresses.

 

[deannnnn]

This is the best explanation yet for how Apple got in to this mess. It seems like a good reason for Apple to break ties with Google, and I have faith that very soon... weeks or months, Apple's map app will be very good, even superior to what Google offers. Thanks for the article

A good reason to break ties? Google wanted control over the experience on iOS, something they should have had from day one.

Google was seeking greater control over the mapping experience on the iPhone, such as Google branding and Google Latitude integration, concessions Apple was unwilling to make.

Google deserved branding and the ability to add new features to the app. Just think about how terrible the Apple designed YouTube app was. When YouTube switched from a star-rating system to a thumbs up/thumbs down system, the star system remained on the Apple app for years. If Google had control over that app, it would have changed immediately.

It is for this reason that we haven't had voice navigation on our iPhones before, and it is for this reason that we've now lost Google Maps all together, because rather than give us a better experience, Apple wanted to make sure they didn't lose control of us -- their loyal customers.

It's infuriating.

 

[Tech198]

Apple and desputes

So, apples reasoning of ditching Google Maps was becase they wouldn't include "Turn-by-Turn navigation"?

Is that all? You gotta be joking?

Apple must REALLY want Turn-Turn

I think map data is much more important than a simple Siri response...

People actually want to know where their going...thats more important.

Otherwise, people woud just use altenatives... I could really never understandcall that fuss anyway

 

[notabadname]

Great reasoning. In the long run, I am confident the world's most valuable company will hammer out a solid map App. People need to give the same time they did to Google with its map development. I remember plenty of errors in their maps. I would rather suffer the growing pains than suffer Google branding all over my maps. Apple has demonstrated software competence in its OS and many a software application. It will happen.

 

[Dusky600]

So, apples reasoning of ditching Google Maps was becase they wouldn't include "Turn-by-Turn navigation"?

Is that all? You gotta be joking?

Apple must REALLY want Turn-Turn

I think map data is much more important than a simple Siri response...

People actually want to know where their going...thats more important.

Otherwise, people woud just use altenatives... I could really never understandcall that fuss anyway

3 Word's Iphone Car Integration.

Apple has some major auto dealers lining up for this feature and they probably need turn by turn now since they said within a year this option would be in a lot of great brands ?

 

[Rodimus Prime]

so sum it up what Apple wanted was navigation but was not willing to give anything in return. Sorry Apple you want stuff you have to pay for it.

And who can blame Google for not wanting greater control. The map app sucked plane and simple and it was Apple job to updated. Something they failed to do.

 

[notabadname]

The iPhone has this neat feature where you can pull up a browser and actually go to Google Maps for the same directions you had in their App. Amazing technology for those whose world is coming to an end due to the loss of the Google Map App.

Hilarious how riled some people are over this.

 

[gijoeinla]

Yawn. The app that was on it before was made and maintained by Apple. Exactly why should they put out a NEW app and also maintain one as a portal to their direct competitor and undermine their own product? Also, without crowdsourcing, exactly (and be exact) how is the accuracy supposed to be improved and what would another year without that data have actually changed?

Bless you! Lol finally someone with a frickin brain. Thank you Apple for having the guts to cut off 400 million of YOUR customers to Googles data farm operation. Finally -- I've said elsewhere. That's the story here. It's Googles LOSS not Apples... Just surprised no Walll Streeters see Apples dumping them as a neg -- at least not yet... I'm certain Apple took the gamble knowing this could initially be a PR hit piece. But in the end it's a huge blow to the google sphere -- that's a certainty

 

[glynhughes]

Where in rural bumfuk England are people using Apple Maps and getting the wrong directions?

It's been far superior where I live compared to Google Maps.

There's a li'l ol' town that goes by the name of "London". Not much to see here - just one or two places that folks might want to find. But you're plum out of luck if you use the new maps.

It's not just inferior to google maps, it's downright misleading. Literally.

But then it's just a minor backwater kind of place so I shouldn't expect any better I guess.

 

[Geckotek]

Apple should have given Google 50% of control of the company to keep Google maps on the iPhone!!!! RAWR!!

 

[nevermind50]

Apple's strategy is NOT to go it alone!

Slowly we are entering a new era in tech...each company is saying to themselves, "I can do everything all by myself, it's my way or no way at all!"

The next few years will show if that's a good thing or a bad thing

No. Apple still programs the app as before (but has totally revamped it and as you would expect, its simplicity is beautiful!), but rather than licensing Google maps data, they are using data from many sources. For a full list of partners, go to the maps app and tap the "Data by TOMTOM and others" link on the back. It is notable that Apple are very open to licensing data from third parties, rather than collecting their own. Theoretically, any of these partners can be replaced if they don't provide high-quality data, as Google has just found to its cost.

Bringing all this data together into one integrated whole is proving to be very difficult, but hopefully not impossible.

 

[Geckotek]

so sum it up what Apple wanted was navigation but was not willing to give anything in return. Sorry Apple you want stuff you have to pay for it.

And who can blame Google for not wanting greater control. The map app sucked plane and simple and it was Apple job to updated. Something they failed to do.

It's not clear what Google wanted in return. Again, everyone is making snap judgements without knowing all the details.

 

[Noctilux.95]

My dream would be to have the driverless Google Prius to run over Mr. Schmidt in a horrible, yet very satisfying accident.

 

[btcutter]

so sum it up what Apple wanted was navigation but was not willing to give anything in return. Sorry Apple you want stuff you have to pay for it.

And who can blame Google for not wanting greater control. The map app sucked plane and simple and it was Apple job to updated. Something they failed to do.

No one said Apple wasn't willing to pay up. They just didn't want to give up more control of the app. Apple been pretty consistent with that ever since Apps were born. Who knows what goes behind the doors of these negotiations. Maybe apple wanted to pay but google wanted our personal data?

It isn't just Apple or Android. Just look at Kindle and Amazon. Amazon is hijacking Android and will eventually keep search in house . Also look at Samsung. Who's is also thinking about its own OS instead of depending n Android.

 

[nevermind50]

so sum it up what Apple wanted was navigation but was not willing to give anything in return.

Link please to back up your assertion.