AppleInsider Staff
A set of images released on Sunday reveal what is claimed to be Google's anticipated Google Maps app for iOS, suggesting the internet search giant is well into the process of developing standalone software after Apple ditched its mapping services with iOS 6.
As noted by Forbes, Developer Ben Guild posted what are apparently photographs of an iDevice running a native version of Google Maps, which he says is currently in the alpha testing phase.
It is unclear how Guild acquired the photographs, or if they are legitimate, however the developer claims to have further inside knowledge on the supposed app, writing:
- It’s vector-based.
- It’s got two-finger rotation to any angle.
- It’s super fast.
- 4-inch height of the iPhone 5 is supported!
Google is expected to offer its mapping service on iOS sometime soon, though an exact timeline remains nebulous and the recent news of alpha testing hint that the software is months away.
Apple replaced the Google Maps-powered Maps app in iOS 6 with a proprietary solution that has been criticized for a lack of features and incorrect data, among other operating issues. The iOS Maps fiasco prompted Apple CEO Tim Cook to offer an apology to users, saying the service will get better over time.
Subsequent reports revealed the Cupertino-based company had a year left on its contract with Google Maps, but decided to move to its own mapping service despite warnings from developers that the product was fraught with problems. Some speculated the move was driven by disagreements over free turn-by-turn directions, a long-standing feature of Google Maps for Android that was never seen on the iOS iteration.
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77 Comments
This is huge! So huge that it’s impossible to stand back far enough to photograph the entire screen. I’ll be glad to have it for the occasional Street View check, and for transit (Google’s site already does all this on iPhone, but an app would be nicer). But I don’t expect to use it much... people seem to be figuring out that iOS 6 Maps is actually pretty good in daily use. (Even if they have forgotten [URL=http://vore.cc/post/32503374905/old-maps-vs-new-maps]all the errors[/URL] they still run into with Google Maps. Google seems to get a free pass on errors that cause a furor when it’s Apple! Funny how people loved TomTom and Waze, but now that data’s suddenly not good enough with Apple in the picture...)
I can see Bigfoot in these hinty photos. Why not post complete screenshots instead of these teasers? Unless it's not real.
I don't need Google Maps anymore thank you.
And this will be as useful to most users as Chrome is on iOS.
It'll be good to have as an option but I'll probably use Apple maps unless it can't find something.