“Multiple sources familiar with Apple’s thinking say the company felt it had no choice but to replace Google maps with its own, because of a disagreement over a key feature: Voice-guided turn-by-turn driving directions,” John Paczkowski reports for AllThingsD.
“Spoken turn-by-turn navigation has been a free service offered through Google’s Android mobile OS for a few years now. But it was never part of the deal that brought Google’s maps to iOS. And Apple very much wanted it to be,” Paczkowski reports. “Having chosen Google as its original mapping partner, the iPhone maker was now in a position where an archrival was calling the shots on functionality important to the iOS maps feature set.”
Paczkowski reports, “And this caused Apple — which typically enjoys very tight control over its products — no end of philosophical discomfort.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Two facts stand out: In one fell swoop, Google lost 100+ million maps customers, and their data (Google’s lifeblood), and Apple is selling every iPhone 5 it can make.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “MotivDev” for the heads up.]
Related article:
Apple had more than a year left on Google Maps contract, sent Google scrambling to build iOS app – September 26, 2012
Google — supposedly full of smart people — doesn’t seem to be making many intelligent decisions the last few years. Pretty much ever since they brought in the Android team and allowed those guys to run the ship.
We know Google, despite “winning” with Android, makes two thirds of their mobile profits on iOS — and instead of cooperating with Apple they keep kicking their best client!
Really intelligent.
Money poisons intelligence with the lust for more money
Money is just an excuse. It’s like saying “the Devil made me do it.”
Well he did!
Subtract the excuse of money, then. We would then be left only with—pure evil!
Or google. Not much difference there.
All it takes is one dumb@ss at the top to veto great ideas and it does not matter how many ‘smart’ people you have in an organization.
Hmmmm. Sounds like a company that I know. It’s name begins with M and ends with soft!!!!! Lol
Good take, MDN.
In terms of business, Google felt it needed an exclusive feature on its handsets, one they could tout over the iPhone. There is nothing wrong with handicapping your opponent while you still try to partner with them to make money.
What remains to be seen is if Google loses more than it stood to to gain by adding turn-by-turn as Apple requested.
The ironic thing is that I never really heard much about turn-by-turn on Android. I heard much more about it when all of the turn-by-turn apps from TomTom, Waze and others came out on iOS.
Really?? every fandroid I know ALWAYS had tout that they had turn by turn….
Do Fandroids own cars?
Doubt it.
Seriously?
Yes, fandroids own cars. iFans own cars. Blackberry owners own cars.
I heard a lot about it, and was impressed when I saw it in action. It was basically the only tangible thing on Android that really was better than the iPhone. I’m glad Apple is addressing it.
Exactly. Apple has done this fairly often and did it fairly recently, in fact.
Fuckem. Now, get Google search off iOS altogether.
That asswipe little snitch fuck Schmidt must pay for being a liar, thief and two faced turd.
Why so polite today?
ditto! The fact is that Schmidt completed violated his duty to Apple as an Apple board member. He’s lower and low. He’s pond scum. He’s the white birdshit under the power line. Yeah…fuck him.
+1000
100% agreed. And Moleface should be immediately prosecuted for violating his fiduciary duties when a member of Apple’s board, regardless of how difficult it might be to prove- but in the least to put the heat on him, force his eventual resignation from Gaggle, and bring personal suffering and mega-stress to his daily existence.
It’s too bad that drawing and quartering is so out of style.
You do have to wonder though……
DId the “Maps” blunder hurt opening weekend sales?? My father who know very little about tech said to me..
” I heard the new maps are not very good.”
The real sales measure will be how many are sold before this friday (end of Apple’s fiscal quarter). This number will exclude the “ordered and paid for but not yet signed for” factor. For the most part.
Since they literally sold out of all their stock on the opening weekend. I don’t think it had any impact. You can’t sell more then all. Samsung might have pulled something like that, rolling a bunch of undelivered numbers in with the actual sales numbers but Apple chose to just tell the real numbers.
P.S. I like your avatar.
It’s a year until the license runs out so we have time. What’s the worst that could happen?
Apple maps in China are a huge improvement over Google. Funny the paid press doesnt bring this up. Anyway thats the end of story and why Apple is going to win this.
Unfortunately, the press love to talk about Apple, and comedians, even those who are Apple users, are all joking about Maps. Of course, I hate the media anyway. As would anyone who’s not a Kardashian or Miley Cyrus junkie.
Ps, this is the media
Hey now… I really like Miley’s new ‘do! But you’re right, for the love of gawd peeps, do NOT google it!
Go Apple!
So, Google wanted to keep iPhone’s maps without turn by turn because it didn’t want a competitor to have the same quality of maps Android has, Apple makes their own maps that provide what Google wouldn’t offer them, and now the tech media is trying to slam Apple over maps. I bet you of the maps was perfect the media would find another target. Like Siri or Passbook or wherever they could to target Apple. HEY YOU TECH GUYS! Why don’t you target the Galaxy S3 for shipping with LAST YEARS operating system! If the iPhone 5 shipped with iOS 5 you would. Who names that os anyway. Ice Cream Sandwich? Jelly Bean? Key Lime Pie?!! Give me a break.
Next Android release name: Pepto Bismal
Pepto causes relief……. The name will be “Diarrhea a la Mode”.
Thankfully Google is this stupid…and hopefully Apple makes the right business moves as it goes forward. The two will provide entertainment for years to come…
I used the new Maps app today for the first time. I have in the past used three other apps for turn by turn, but the iPhone Maps app is head and shoulders better. In particular the display is so much clearer and easier to read. Superb effort by Apple!
>> MacDailyNews Take: Two facts stand out: In one fell swoop, Google lost 100 million maps customers, and their data (Google’s lifeblood), and Apple is selling every iPhone 5 it can make.
Sweet!
In Japan, the map app is simply unusable. The only thing for it is to use Google Maps on Safari, as the Map App doesn’t know where anything is! Truely pathetic app at this point.
By the Way… Love iOS6! But hope Apple gets thing put right on the Map App in the meantime.
…gets thingS put right…
I miss ZuneTang
Kick ME off of the board will you?!?!?
That’s it, NO SOUP . . . er . . . TURN BY TURN FOR YOU!!!
The fact stands that turn by turn accurate navigation costs extra on an Apple smart phone and is included on Fandroid.
FYI- Jasmine- a free app- is a nice You Tube app. Better than Google’s.
So why did Apple decide to turn off the functionality on Iphone 4??? Don’t tel me the device can’t handle it! I have a 2003 Mio Digiwalker, a 300mhz cpu based Palm pc with 32mb ram that can run TomTom software perfectly! I had turn by turn on google maps on a now obsolete LG Optimus One running Android 2.2 2 years ago. It’s ridiculous and outrageous that Ios 6 has this feature turned off on the A4 devices.
Apple maps on the car dashboard! A win. Win !!
I, for one, am all for any steps taken by Apple to get rid of Google maps. I didn’t like Google maps app anyway. Improvements are needed with Apple maps, but they got it right for the most part. Amongst other things, I think they need to add an auto night mode feature.