What’s the holdup on a new Google Maps app for Apple iOS 6?
It’s no secret that the biggest failure of iOS 6 has been Apple’s decision to replace Google Maps with its own app.
The app, which came with the new operating software, has a cool 3-D Flyover feature, but in general it’s much worse than its Google predecessor.
The new app provides inaccurate maps that sometimes place businesses in the middle of rivers, poor-quality satellite images that are not helpful and less information than Google Maps. On top of that, the 3-D Flyover feature barely works and often provides horrible results (look at what it does to the Hoover dam).
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On top of all this, the new Maps app doesn’t provide users with public transit information, so it’s no surprise that people have begun calling for Google to step forward and offer an app they can download.
But so far, Google isn’t saying whether it will release a new map app for iOS 6.
Why not? Well, there are various reports floating around the Web speculating on why that might be.
The Guardian says Google is enjoying the bad press that Apple is getting on the new app and is waiting to release its own version, according to the report, which cited an unnamed source.
TechCrunch is reporting something similar. Also citing an unnamed source, it says that Google plans to release an app by Christmas.
Contradicting those two reports is 9 to 5 Mac, which says it has heard that Google has already submitted an app but is awaiting Apple’s approval.
Regardless, the fact that a day has gone by without an iPhone Google Maps app is surprising considering that Maps wasn’t the only Google service to get booted from iOS.
Apple also dropped the pre-installed YouTube app, which had been a part of the iPhone since it launched in 2007. But almost no one was affected by that since Google addressed the issue quickly and offered a new YouTube app last week.
So why didn’t the same happen with Maps? We tried contacting Google, but the company didn’t mention anything about a new iOS app in its response.
“We believe Google Maps are the most comprehensive, accurate and easy-to-use maps in the world,” Google said in a statement. “Our goal is to make Google Maps available to everyone who wants to use it, regardless of device, browser, or operating system.”
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