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Revamped Google Maps Finally Available On iOS
hcs_$reboot writes "After the disastrous Apple Maps replacement over Google Maps in September, Google has a Maps app on iOS approved and released by Apple today. The app includes turn-by-turn directions, vector-based graphics and live traffic data. It's available from the Apple Store for iPhone and iPod touch (and iPad — iPhone format)."
Adds reader snowtigger: "It's a sharper looking, vector-based map that loads quickly and provides smooth tilting and rotating of 2D and 3D views. Google also released the Google Maps SDK for iOS, and a simple URL scheme to help developers use Google Maps when building their beautiful and innovative apps. The new Google Maps app is available for the iPhone and iPod Touch (4th gen) iOS 5.1 and higher, in more than 40 countries and 29 languages."
SlashCloud points out that Apple's own maps will be forced to improve as a consequence: "Directions will become more accurate, major towns and landmarks will appear in their proper places. But now that a free, standalone Google Maps app is available for download from Apple’s App Store, will iOS users even give those improving Apple Maps a chance?"
...typical Google spin view of the world. If Google would have bothered to keep the iOS version even close to what they offered in Android, they would not have been off the platform. By kicking them off, Google lost yet another data source for their primary business, so they needed to bring a version back to iOS, and they needed to add features to at least bring it back in parity with the Apple version.
The same result was achieved in kicking youtube, where Google did nothing to improve the app for years. Now that they need people to download it so they can collect data, they have started actually putting effort into it.
I am always amazed all the Google fans here fail to realize they are just like Microsoft and Apple. Without competition, they will cease updating and driving their products forward, much like Microsoft stopped IE development effectively for years until Firefox started taking their market share. Google had largely ignored many of their applications in iOS for years because they were pre-loaded, so no need to bother trying to get people to go the app store and download them.
I am glad the Google's solution is back. I have not had the problems others have had with Apple maps, so I will probably continue to use it over Google. But now I have more choice. I hope Apple, Google, and Microsoft all continue to be competitive so that we can have more choice and better solutions.