While Apple continues to try and save face after the fallout over its in-house made Maps app for the iPhone 5, a report today suggests we could have Google Maps back on iOS by the end of the year.
Developer Ben Guild in San Francisco posted what he claims are screenshots of the alpha version of Google's forthcoming Maps for iOS 6 app. Beyond his location (near Google) and the timing (we speculate Google is currently working on this) no one has commented on Google's mapping work for iOS.
According to Forbes, what Guild suggests about the new app makes sense: It's vector-based, has two-finger rotation to any angle, is lightning quick, and the 4-inch height of the iPhone 5 is supported.
Google's new Map app is also reported to have 3-D mapping with better data. So, the best of both worlds.
On Oct. 9 in Tokyo, Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google, said the company had made no move to submit a Google Maps app for the iPhone.
Although, if a report from BGR is accurate, Google is in fact developing a new maps application right now for Apple's iOS, that the company hopes to release by the end of 2013, according to people involved with the effort that "declined to be named because of the nature of their work," said BGR.
Apple Ignored Reports Maps Was a Failure Prior to Launch, Say Developers
If numerous reports Google currently working on a maps app for iOS are to be believed, this is certainly the version of maps we've been waiting for. Google's new app will reportedly combine the much-praised Google Earth with its native maps app for a totally new mapping experience, complete with 3-D mapping, according to a report from The New York Times.
The New York Times' report sheds further light on the Apple Maps debacle. Apparently, Google was surprised as everyone else was when Apple decided to end its partnership with the company in June - a full calendar year before its expiration. Because of this, Google had not yet begun to build new version of Google Maps, which is the reason the company does not have a new Google Maps pending with Apple now.
Apple's controversial decision to use its own in-house maps app rather than continue with Google Maps allegedly happened before Apple's 2012 Worldwide Developers Conference on June 11, when the company unveiled iOS 6 and its new Maps App.
Apple Maps Isn't the Only Problem, Analysts Weigh In
While the failure of Apple's maps has certainly been exaggerated in the media, with its copious inaccuracies, some bizarre omissions and appearances, and distorted landscapes, it's unmistakably one of the most criticized features of its new iOS.
Apple has already corrected some of these failings, CEO Tim Cook formally apologized, and the company is promising the roll out fixes for the app over time.
One reason we won't be seeing a new Google Maps for iOS anytime soon is the fractured relationship between Google and Apple. Google is now forced to cautiously navigate its business relationships with Apple, which are growing more complicated every day, according to unnamed sources.
Another complicating factor: according to a person with knowledge of Google Maps, Google would likely prefer to release a maps app that includes 3-D imagery so it is comparable to Apple's. However, Google has 3-D images in Google Earth, which is a separate app with a separate code base from Google Maps, so it will take some time to combine the two.
Apple iPhone 5 Features
Height: 4.87 inches, Width: 2.31 inches, Depth: 0.30 inch, Weight: 3.95 ounces.
4-inch (diagonal) Retina display, 1136-by-640 resolution, 326 ppi, GSM model: GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, CDMA model: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n; 802.11n on 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and GLONASS, 1GB RAM, SoC: A6 Chip, Nano-SIM, three-axis gyro, dual-mic noise suppression, assisted GPS and GLONASS.
Front and back facing cameras:
Front: 1.2MP photos, 720p HD video, Backside illumination sensor;
Back: 8 megapixel Autofocus Tap to focus, LED flash, Backside illumination sensor, Five-element lens, Face detection, Hybrid IR filter, ƒ/2.4 aperture, Panorama,
Video: 1080p HD video recording, 30 fps, Tap to focus while recording, LED light, Improved video stabilization, Take still photos while recording video, Face detection.