Google Maps available for iPhone

quietstorms

No thanks.

http://twitter.com/Moeskido Moeskido

Good to have choices.

tylernol

rumor has it that it is an HTML5 app and not a true native app, just like their disappointing mail app. Facebook seems to be more on the ball about ditching HTML5 for native than Google.

TomV

The rumor is wrong. It’s true native and it gets rendered in OpenGL, just like Apple Maps or Android. It works very nice too. Apple Maps has already moved to a secondary screen on my iPhone and the one of my wife. Good riddance.
- tylernol
  
  I downloaded it and tried. When I go to get the 3D view, it kicks me out to my Google Earth app, which does use OpenGL. So…still seems like an HTML5 wrapper. Definitely stutters compared to Apple maps. If I did not have a heavy workload right now I might pull up xcode and poke around the system calls to figure out what was going on, but I am sure this will be cleared up quite soon by others. I do like the fact that Google went to vector based maps. But.. the search results are the same old “promoted” results. I search for “coffee” on Apple maps, it gives me the coffee shops within half a mile of my house. I search for “coffee” on Google maps, it gives me a coffee shop 3 miles away that is highlighted. No thanks on the forced ads and tracking. Perhaps when I am in the outback down under, I’ll use it though..
  - tylernol
    
    …and both still fail to find my family’s house in NY.

Doctor FUD

So much for the FUD Google were spreading that Apple would never approve it

Kelake

What a relief. Plentiful and accurate data. No more days of Apple maps telling me I am driving in the middle of a field when I’m on the highway.

http://www.tumblr.com/blog/his-divine-shadow His Shadow

Because Google NEVER did that…

http://twitter.com/deceze David Zentgraf

Say what you will about Apple Maps, I find both it and the new Google Maps to be impressive improvements over the stagnation that we had just a few months ago. Competition really is good for costumers.

iPadCary

I sure as sh** didn’t want it ….

No STREETVIEW=NO SALE!!!!

gjgustav

It has Streetview, it is just really hard to find.
http://twitter.com/jgpmolloy John Molloy

Also it is free, no sale involved.

Domicinator

It is definitely good to have the option. Honestly, I have been using Apple Maps since release day of the iPhone 5 and it has been 100% accurate so far. I have gotten everywhere I need to go both by asking Siri for directions and by just looking up directions manually. It has found all addresses and points of interest I have asked it to find. And let’s not forget the best part–it’s integrated into iOS.

But you can’t argue that Google Maps is more robust and complete. I will continue to use Apple Maps just because it’s working fine for me, but it’s good to be able to fall back on Google Maps for transit info and for that situation here and there when I’m missing data that I need. It does seem like the Chicago area is pretty well mapped out in Apple Maps though.

Tvaddic

It is the number 1 free app, I know Apple doesn’t want Google Apps preloaded on an iPhone. But is it any better to have them dominate their charts?

http://twitter.com/deceze David Zentgraf

Who says Apple really cares? Another good app in the App Store, yay! People buy iPhones to run good apps on, yay! They’d be stupid to block Google “just because”.
- Tvaddic
  
  Personally I think they care, because they allegedly broke their contract. And decided to spend money, when Google could of gave them some.
  - Guest
    
    Either way, Apple sells more hardware.
  - http://twitter.com/deceze David Zentgraf
    
    I have not heard that either party broke their contract. They still very much have a contract, since Google maps are still active in old iOS versions. They simply could not come to an understanding about renewing/extending the contract so stopped doing business with each other.
    
    Sure, Apple may pout over this, but it makes no business sense to deny Google apps on iOS nor does it harm Apple. On the contrary, the more good apps the better.
  - Devin
    
    The rumormill, fwiw, has it that the contract was expiring and apple decide to not renew it. Very different from “breaking a contract”
http://twitter.com/jgpmolloy John Molloy

Honestly the important thing from Apple’s point of view is how long it occupies that spot. Every man and his dog have just downloaded it of course it is going to be at number one… for now.

gjgustav

It has vector maps, transit directions, streetview – stuff Google wouldn’t give to Apple. But it has a horrible user Interface. It looks good, but features are really hard to find.

It’s good to have choice, but in the end, Apple made the right choice in dumping them.

tylernol

exactly. No one seems to remember that Google was nerfing maps (no turn by turn,etc) to make iOS less competitive. And Google maps still has the horrid promoted interests/ads. Just look up a coffee shop in google maps.

Techpm

Meanwhile the famous NORAD Santa tracker changed to Bing maps: http://searchengineland.com/this-year-norad-tracks-santa-with-microsoft-bing-not-google-142313

http://www.tumblr.com/blog/his-divine-shadow His Shadow

Oh, Man! I ran right out and gave not a shit as soon as I heard the news!

Devin

I for one am happy to have google maps again and get turn-by-turn on my iPhone 4.