Google may release a new Google Maps app to the iOS App Store amidst harsh criticism of Apple’s new Maps app.
Apple removed Google Maps as the basis for the iOS Maps app with the latest update, but now it seems that the Apple designed app which replaced it is getting a lot of negative press, and Google may attempt to release a new Google Maps app to the App Store. A new Google Maps app, like the new YouTube app, may include many features that were not previously available in the Google-powered-but-Apple-produced Maps app on earlier iOS versions.
Apple earlier refused to renew its YouTube licence with Google and so YouTube was removed as a standard app for the new iPhone and older iPhones updated to iOS 6. In response, Google released a new YouTube app to the App Store with extended features and advertising.
Maps a Big Source of Criticism
While the iPhone 5 has generally been received positively by tech critics and consumers, the new Maps app has been the biggest source of criticism. Engadget criticised the lack of public transportation info and the fact that trying to find such info merely redirects you to the App Store for “routing apps”, with zero results.
AllThingsD also criticised the lack of public transport info, as well as the lack of Google Street View. Gizmodo criticised the lack of markings for bus stops and train stations in the UK, as well as its identification of businesses and local services, and summed up that “compared to Google Maps it’s just poor.”
But it is with users that Apple is receiving the harshest criticism. Older iPhones have been able to update to iOS 6 since Wednesday, but the new Maps apps has been a big source of complaints.
Faulty Information
The Maps app has been accused of displaying bars, restaurants, businesses, train stations and bus stops in the wrong locations, particularly outside the US, and in the UK even some towns are not labelled or are labelled incorrectly (Stratford-Upon-Avon is labelled as “Shottery”). The 3D renderings have also received a lot of criticism for not appearing quite as well as Apple’s demonstrations a few months back.
The search function on the Maps app also appears to be largely ineffectual, mostly failing to understand simple requests. Much of the local business information provided by Yelp is years out of date, businesses like C&A and Our Price which no longer exist are displayed on maps, and many satellite images are of very low quality.
A New Google Maps App?
Google Maps on Android offered many features that were not included on the iOS version, just as many features of YouTube on Android were not available for the iPhone. Now that Google will develop its own Maps app, rather than licence its data to Apple, and due to the new features of the Apple Maps app that do not work so well, like turn-by-turn navigation, the proposed Google Maps app could offer a greatly enhanced experience over the earlier iOS Maps app.
Google has declined to comment on the speculation that a new Google Maps app has been submitted to the App Store. Meanwhile, Apple has started recruiting new developers to fix the flaws in the new Apple Maps app. Many of the job postings appear to be for developers to work on the 3D rendering of cities, which have so far resulted in a number of unsightly flaws. The 3D Flyover mode can only be used with a small selection of cities, including London. Not all of the 3D renderings have come out badly, as can be seen in the following image:
Apple’s Response
An Apple spokesperson stated yesterday that “We launched this new map service knowing it is a major initiative and that we are just getting started with it.” Due to its cloud based status, “the more people use it, the better it will get.”
Apple removed YouTube and Google Maps as part of its on-going feud with Google over Android. In this instance, Apple has been accused by many of caring more about getting one over on Google than the user experience of its customers.
The iPhone 5 is on sale today in the UK and is expected to be the biggest selling smartphone of all time.