In June 2012, Apple announced that it was launching its own maps app using licensed data and its own software. But soon after its launch, the complaints began.
Apple controversially replaced the Google's mapping service with its own when it released its latest handset, the iPhone 5. It was a good start for Apple to create its own service, but users, however, had encountered many incorrect location and labels. Satellite images were sometimes blurry and showed cloud cover. And the much-vaunted Flyover facility had created surreal views of landmarks.
Apple has promised its new iPhone Maps app will improve and admitted it was "just getting started" after customers criticized major omissions and errors. The new Maps app was introduced as part of iOS6 and ousts Google Maps as the iPhone's default mapping software.
The Reasons Apple Ditched Google Maps
In the year 2005, and throughout 2006, when Apple was planning the software for its forthcoming iPhone, Google was a neutral provider of map data that seeks to expand into the fast-growing mobile sector. The only alternative mapping provider would have been Navteq. Since Nokia had bid for it in 2006 (the deal was closed in 2007), Apple should find another alternative. Furthermore, at that time Apple and Google had aims that were at least parallel: Apple wanted to move into the mobile industry and create a profitable space there; Google wanted to get more mobile users; both wanted to prevent Microsoft's Windows Mobile from getting a consumer foothold, and both were strong consumer brands.
Apple was frustrated by Google's refusal to allow it access to its voice-directed turn-by-turn navigation and vector graphics for mapping; Google kept that for its own Android to give it an edge. Google, meanwhile, was frustrated that Apple would not let it offers its Latitude service, which in effect tracks users over the maps. Apple could point to Google refusing to give it the functionality it wanted to give users the best experience; Google could say it was treating Apple equally with every licensee (none of whom can get turn-by-turn or vector graphics via API). At that time, Apple didn't renew its license with Google; that still had some months to run when iOS 6 was introduced.
Since Apple didn't renew its license, Google loses access to the location and driving data of hundreds of millions of iOS users; it also loses the chance to sell location-based adverts against map searches that iOS 6 users carry out. Given that Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, said in mid-October that 200 million devices had been updated – compared to an estimated 450 million active iOS devices, and about 500 million Android devices - a significant slice of data that Google has lost, especially since many of those users will be in the U.S., one of its major markets.
Without Google Maps, Apple had been criticized over its Maps product that is new and without any reputation, making it a aim of jokes by many of its users. Customers are displeased at losing functionality such as Google's Street View.
The arrangement became more intense as soon as Google became a direct competitor to Apple in the smartphone space through Android.
Facing growing criticism, Tim Cook penned an apology acknowledging users' frustration. Although Apple's move with its own mapping service didn't dampen early iPhones sales, but the affair was linked to the high-profile ousting of iOS software chief Scott Forstall, who had reportedly refused to sign the apology himself.
Cook recently acknowledged that Apple had made its mistake, but promised to the public that the company had a "huge plan" to improve the app.
The Return of Google Maps to iPhone
On Wednesday, December 12, 2012, the Google Maps app appeared in the App Store late that evening, providing joy and comfort to the displeased Apple Maps users everywhere. Google Maps for iOS looks and functions more similarly to its Android counterpart than it does to the version that used to be bundled with iOS.
The new Google Maps for iOS didn't take long to capture the top spot among free iPhone apps. The app had already reached first place after the first several hours. Within moments of its release, Apple's servers met high traffic and some users finding it difficult to download the app.
The new app offers all of the features that made it an iOS standard in the past with additional adjustments. The impressions of the new Google Maps for iOS:
- Cleaner interface.
- Ability to designate a home and work address within user's profile.
- Working voice-guided turn-by-turn directions.
- Ability for users to opt and view public transit as an overlay on the map itself.
- More intergrated Google Places.
- 360-degree view panorama of different locations.
Google Maps
In 2005, Google launched its mapping service. Initially was relied on location data from others. Within three years it used this to extend the service to 22 countries, but the engineers running the project had become frustrated with its scope.
Google then started a project called Ground Truth, and it was a project to build its own maps from scratch. Google started with licensed data and find whatever it couldcould get full rights to the data and improve it. This involved mashing together existing third-party mapping data with Google's own analysis of satellite images and information taken from its new Street View service.
The firm sent cars fitted with special nine-lens cameras along roads recording panoramic photos as they went. The images the cars took are posted online allowing users to spin around a 360-degree view of the area, zoom in and out, and click on the pictures to travel from one place to another.
Google's computers also analyze the images to identify street signs, speed limits, addresses, business names, rights of way at road junctions and other information. Human operators then check over each area to correct mistakes before the data is incorporated into the maps.
The firm is motivated in part by a desire to gather data automatically generated by handsets using its respective software, as well as users' own feedback.
"The benefits of having Street View can't be underestimated," said Brian McClendon, the man in charge of Google Maps. "We have over 20 petabytes (21.5 billion megabytes) of imagery and have driven and published over five million miles of Street View roads."
The Ground Truth project covers more than 30 nations - places where there was already decent data Google could license to use as the foundations for its process. It is now embarking on what it calls Ground Truth 2.0, extending the system to "more difficult" regions: the world's fastest growing population, and Asia with Street View in India as its first and Street View in Indonesia as its biggest project in Asia.
Google also aims to improve its service by mapping the interiors of more buildings, with its desktop version of Google Indoor Maps rolling out. Looking further ahead, McClendon adds that his ambition is to go beyond offering a pixel-perfect 3D version of public places.
"We want to have a presence on every device," he said. "Whether it's a web based map or anything else we will have, the users will be able to decide."
Apple's Maps
Apple's Maps was featured on the iPhone OS system since the release of the first-generation iPhone on June 29, 2007. It was first powered by Google Maps. A new version was announced by Scott Forstall at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2012 keynote on June 11, 2012. Maps was no longer powered by Google Maps, and instead uses Apple's own mapping system with data provided by TomTom, a Dutch manufacturer of navigation systems, and AutoNavi, a Chinese mapping company, for the China version.
Despite the criticisms it took, Apple's own software still has an edge is its integration of Flyover which offers interactive photo-realistic views of selected cities using 3D-rendered graphics within its maps app. Although Google offers a similar facility with Google Earth, it involves users to switch into a separate program. Apple Maps integrates with Siri, which means asking for suggestions for stops on a road trip is extremely easy and, crucially for drivers, hands free. Apple's Maps also automatically highlights certain businesses, such as gas stations, restaurants, and cafes, on its app to enable users to quickly navigate to a nearby business without having to do a search. Although zooming in a bit further on Google Maps surfaces more detailed descriptions of buildings, businesses, subway stops, but the information is not visible as immediately from a bird's eye view as what's offered up with Apple's icons. Maps also had several advantages over the previous version of the iPhone's Google-powered maps app: Apple Maps boasted vector graphics, which load more quickly and smoothly, allow for offline navigation and use less data than Google Maps' raster-graphics based app. Apple's Maps also offered iPhone users turn-by-turn directions, a feature absent from the previous version of Google Maps for iOS.
However, for many users the key feature will be the level of accuracy that Google offers.
Apple's move with its Maps app is its effort to compete with Google's Android operating system in mapping. Upon the release of the new version on September 19, 2012, many users and commentators were critical of the app for a variety of reasons.
The app was criticized for its lack of certain features contained in Google Maps, including Street View and transit directions. Users also complained about the errors it contained. This includes showing the wrong location of a Sydney, Australia Apple store, marking an entire city as a hospital, labeling a nursery as an airport, and identifying the nearest gas station to be as far as 76 miles away from the user's location. 3D views appearing in Maps are also completely distorted in some cases, with iconic constructions like the Brooklyn Bridge looking collapsed. Some parts of the globe have their satellite view completely covered by clouds.
In response to the criticism, Apple issued a statement, saying the company is "continuously improving" Maps and they "appreciate all of the customer feedback."
Google Maps was then restored to the iOS platform following a letter posted by CEO Tim Cook on Apple's website apologizing for Maps. Cook also suggests iOS 6 users to use third-party map apps or websites while Apple works to improve Maps.
Apple's Maps is the default mapping service for the iPhone, which means users are likely to continue using it whether they like to or not.
In October 2012, Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iOS software and the executive responsible for Maps, was removed from his position. Forstall sealed his fate when he refused to sign the apology for Maps.
Since iPhone sales are at the heart of Apple's fortunes, it may have felt it had more to lose than gain by allowing rival Android handsets to offer a popular app it lacked.
Google Maps, Apple's Maps, as much as any other map application, lives from the data that they receive. This information is supplemented by the public filing their own reports.