Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Google Maps for iOS Receives First Update Since Launch with Google Contacts Integration, Local Business Search

Yelmurc said:
Since I don't think I've ever seen Apple update a built in app through a App store update, this is an advantage for Google. It seems that Apple has to update the entire OS in order to do a maps upgrade. People are more willing to just update a app than they are their entire OS. Even though Apple does have very high adoption rates of its new OS releases.
Click to expand...

You do realize most of the built-in apps are accessed from servers that can be updated any time, eg. iTunes, App Store, Weather, Stocks, Maps. The UI and rest of the apps can be updated by a simple 6.x update if need be.
 
I've noticed that no commenters have stated they've been able to get the contacts integration to work. I haven't. Tried logging out then back in.

I have a Google Apps (free) account.
 
Yelmurc said:
Since I don't think I've ever seen Apple update a built in app through a App store update, this is an advantage for Google. It seems that Apple has to update the entire OS in order to do a maps upgrade. People are more willing to just update a app than they are their entire OS. Even though Apple does have very high adoption rates of its new OS releases.
Click to expand...

Most of Apples problems with it's Maps App is just the actual Map Data. All that information can be updated server side. Apple doesn't have to release an OS Update or App Update to update that.

Though yes if their was something that couldn't be updated server side then yes an OS update would be required but most of everyones problems with the Maps App is the data its self and all that should be updated server side.
 
8281 said:
The audio is always really quiet for voice nav relative to the sound output on the phone when I'm playing music in the car. Anyone else have this issue? Wish I had an option to manually adjust the nav audio output.
Click to expand...

Mine is plenty loud. Over bluetooth, it dims down my music to speak the directions (plenty loud) and then disconnects immediately after...
 
iGrip said:
The entire Apple community should come together to thank Google for this.

A different sort of company would do everything they could to kill the iPhone. But instead, Google helps out the entire Apple community by releasing great new software for Apple's platform.

Hey - do you see Nokia writing great software that makes iOS and iPhones more valuable? How about RIM?

But Google has always been there for Apple. They were the ones that made the iPhone a great mapping tool in the first place. And now they continue on.

Thanks, Google!
Click to expand...

Agreed. If Microsoft felt the same way, we would have long had an iOS-based MS Office running on our devices.
 
Is this an automatic update? I updated four or five apps on my iphone this morning but didn't look to see what they were (agreed: I should have).

Anyway, if it's the new version i've got, it's not working right. It finds my location, but the spinning gear to the right of the wi-fi icon at top of the screen is stuttering, for want of a better word. And when i try to search it says "server can't be found". If I'm doing something wrong, will someone straighten me out? Thanks.

BTW, no problems with picking up data with Navigon or Apple Maps and the activity gear quickly disappears on both, no stuttering. And yes, location services is turned on for Google Maps.

NOTE: BOTH problems resolved themselves after several hours. Server problem, no doubt.
 
Last edited:
lukasz74nj said:
Apple's Maps application simply suck. Why don't Apple give us an option to choose the default map application, i.e. Google Maps? Either voluntarily, or by court order.:confused:
Click to expand...

For exactly the same reason that installable browsers on iOS are merely shells around Apple's core browser: Apple don't want their Technical Support swamped by users accessing core features that are outside of Apple's control. And I can't say I blame them. With the tight coupling of components like Contacts, Maps, Siri, Apple would be crazy to let users pick their own map provider.

I'm not defending Apple's implementation of maps, but they do have the right idea when defining what can and cannot be done with the guts of the phone.
 
ben428 said:
I was excited to see this -- contact search was the biggest piece missing from Google Maps (although it should also search iPhone contacts as others have pointed out). Anyway, I do have my contacts in Google, and I successfully searched for a couple of them, but them it seemed to stop working. When I search for my friend John Doe, I just get lots of listings for John Doe Garden Center, etc. Is anyone using this feature successfully? I tried signing out and back in.
Click to expand...

Contact search is working again for me.
 
If you're jailbroken, Google Maps works perfectly full screen on the ipad using FullForce
 
Mad Mac Maniac said:
It remembers recent searches for me.... maybe because I'm logged in? Are you?

Yeah, I agree no search in phone contacts is ANNOYING... I don't know if I want to switch over to google contacts... Anyone know if that is difficult to do?
Click to expand...

Not difficult at all, but do you really want to change services like that just for one app?
 
Yelmurc said:
Since I don't think I've ever seen Apple update a built in app through a App store update, this is an advantage for Google. It seems that Apple has to update the entire OS in order to do a maps upgrade. People are more willing to just update a app than they are their entire OS. Even though Apple does have very high adoption rates of its new OS releases.
Click to expand...

Really? Is iBooks not a built in app? If it is, mine got an update with the Google maps. If it's not, then that is weird.
 
I use this app primarily for checking traffic. However, each day when I open it, I have to choose traffic. You'd think that it would stay on traffic until I chose to "unclick" it....is that too much to ask, Google?
 
DudeDad said:
I use this app primarily for checking traffic. However, each day when I open it, I have to choose traffic. You'd think that it would stay on traffic until I chose to "unclick" it....is that too much to ask, Google?
Click to expand...

Yes this happens to me too and it's so annoying!
 
BrianBaughn said:
Apparently, the contact integration doesn't work for Google Apps, free or paid.

That's right...you can pay $50/year and lose this feature!
Click to expand...

There's always features like this that end up not being ready to go day one for Google Apps users. Always seems really random as to what they actually are.
 
lukasz74nj said:
Apple's Maps application simply suck. Why don't Apple give us an option to choose the default map application, i.e. Google Maps? Either voluntarily, or by court order.:confused:
Click to expand...

With iOS, you cannot choose the default anything app. Not maps. Not dialer. Not keyboard. Not app launcher. Not nothing.

Deal with it like all the other iUsers do, or get a phone with a more competent OS.
 
My Places?

When will Google integrate the excellent My Places (formerly known as My Maps) service in their iPhone app?
 
What could be the reason why Google doesn´t offer an iPad version? It cannot be that hard to just increase the useable screen space, when you basically have all the code already in place. I don´t get it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back