Google Maps lets google have full branding on the iphone and can gather all the data they want from users. And they can have all the branding on the Maps that they want.
If I remember right, some of the reasons Apple and Google didn't agree on maps is that Google wanted more branding and to gather more data. And I also believe Apple wasn't too happy about paid advertisements appearing for map search results.
Google really seems as the winner here.
Never underestimate the power of "default" and Apple can tighten the screws on Google Maps to make iOS maps look even better. Bottom line is that Apple is working on their own maps and that's a major loss for Google.
Curious where are there paid advertisements anywhere on google maps browser or mobile ?
Do you think it'll hurt them? After all the released an iPhone that didn't work if you held it wrong. Did that hurt them?
In exchange, they got Google to release their own maps app, which included features that Google refused to license to Apple previously, and gave Google a platform to sell ads and make money. So users get good maps + transit + turn by turn navigation at no cost.
Yup, sound likes an Apple win.
Your choice of wording here is rather misleading. Apple wrote the old Maps app. Google refused to allow Apple to add turn-by-turn to the old maps app. We will never know the true reasons, but it was likely due to Apple refusing to relinquish control of what was displayed to the user.
[1] http://allthingsd.com/20120926/apple-google-maps-talks-crash...
There is no win here for Google! Less users (not everyone is going to install it), less data coming in, more money spent, having to hire more dedicated iOS coders inhouse at Google...
People have a weird definition of "win".
Now they have a mapping application, which means now they have users.
I still have a standalone GPS in the car which we will definitely not need once we all upgrade to phones with turn-by-turn directions. I have relatives that pride themselves in not needing smartphones, but seeing turn-by-turn was very compelling.
My question which I haven't seen a definitive answer on is if Google had the ability pre-iOS 6 to do turn-by-turn? They already had it on Android. Were they slow on iOS, or were key APIs missing?
The original Maps app was written by Apple and consumed data licensed from (and presumably hosted by?) Google. Apple wanted turn-by-turn on iOS, but the data required was not part of their original deal with Google. Google was willing to license it, provided that Apple give Google additional data: presumably anonymized data about where users were for Google to use to provide better AI. Although it's quite possible Google wanted better hooks to serve ads as well. They couldn't reach a deal, so Apple went their own way.
Apple and Google were certainly technically capable of building Google-backed turn-by-turn into iOS 6, if not much earlier.
The move to smartphones gave us powerful, handheld computers. Apple proved to be awesome in that space. Now, however, these phones are becoming small glass windows to cloud services that crunch large datasets to give you quick, meaningful, and accurate answers. With Maps and Siri, I think Apple is showing that they don't yet have the competency here that they've enjoyed with hardware and interface. I'm not ruling them out, but it feels like the game has moved to play more to Google's advantage.
I would imagine that Gmail, Calendar, Search and Maps are used on almost every single device that they sell and they have no control over those services.
If Google would introduce a new feature in Maps, let's say indoor navigation, then Apple would be completely in the hands of Google for when that feature would be available to their users.
You could easily see a future where more and more Google services become popular on Apple devices. If that's the case Apple essentially becomes just another OEM like Samsung or HTC.
Yes it's far fetched, but not beyond possible.
Let's say Apple tried. They didn't know how hard it would be, so they bought all the companies they could. They realized, "shit--this still won't be good enough, but we can't give in to mountain view." Their only move? Release 98% done maps anyway and hope Google misses the iOS map spying ad traffic. iOS maps is perfectly usable, but it's not perfect for every situation (park layouts, transit, inside building directions, more sane turn-by-turn routing).
Google has been doing massive data collection for years (mapping individual internal building layouts? street view gps trails by bike? insane on a world scale.) How can anybody possibly get close to the polish of Google's mapping data (varying wildly by country though)? Apple should have made every Apple Store a base of mapping operations. They should have sent people out with gps loggers to run, bike, walk, drive everywhere they could. Someday a company will buy google just for its mapping capability and toss the rest in the bitbucket.
Sounds like you're exaggerating for effect but still ...
wat?
What company is at a scale to buy Google and kill its cash cow of search advertising? And why would they?
It seems absurd now, but on those timelines you could be right. If nothing else, a lot can change in 10-50 years.
Oh yeah, and iTunes. It's better-looking now, but it remains a monster. To call it sub-par would still be kind.
No one really won here, but if I really would have to pick up a winner, it would be Google.
Google doesn't care about iphone vs android. Google only cares that you are using the internet. An iphone/ipad is an expensive device for well off people. Androids don't have to be and less expensive products broadens the market. A market which when broader, is going to be owned by Google.
Making google maps a iOS product only encourages more people to use the internet and thus google.
Google also cares about its earning reports and stock price. "Using the internet" doesn't pay the bills. Google is far from a charity. Its a multinational corporation beholden to its stock holders.
Google made a strategic decision to piss on its mobile division to help its maps division. This may not have been the wisest move and considering how google stock prices have been falling lately, well, wise moves is something it needs to focus on.
I just hope google knows what its doing. Apple is ruthless against Android, yet google seems to be pretty easy going with iOS.
Larry, Sergei, and Eric own almost all Class B shares which have 10 votes each. They control about 65% of the voting shares. So really the rest of the stockholders are just along for the ride. Google is really in this for the long game.