Google Maps now available for iPhone with everything and an SDK
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The app is everything that you’d expect from a Google Maps app. It includes the full range of places, and Street View imagery. It includes voice guided turn-by-turn navigation, vector drawn maps for faster loading and 3D modeling, live traffic info, and public transit directions. It’s a full featured Google Maps app.
The real game-changer though is the inclusion of an SDK which will allow iOS developers to completely bypass Apple Maps, and hook directly into Google Maps. This is a bold move by Google. It should be interesting to see not only if developers take advantage of it, but if Apple allows it to happen.
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47 Comments
40. Mxyzptlk posted on 13 Dec 2012, 07:03 1 0
Apple Maps worked just enough. Here you all thought Apple wouldn't accept it.
3. zibbyzib2000 posted on 12 Dec 2012, 23:22 13 0
Fun Fact: The app uses "Google Voice Assitants" voice for turn by turn navigation.
I love Siri but when you compare the turn by turn navs on Apple Maps and Google Maps... Googles voice sounds so much more realistic and Siri sounds really robotic.
5. MichaelHeller posted on 12 Dec 2012, 23:23 7 0
That same voice is part of the Google Now stuff in the iOS Google Search app too, right?
47. LionStone posted on 14 Dec 2012, 15:48 0 0
Yep! That's Majel, and she sounds waay better than siri.
13. CellieCell posted on 13 Dec 2012, 00:16 1 2
wow, I'm really surprised Google allowed voice navigation on iOS. Google had a major advantage with they're devices but now with voice navigation on iOS. I don't know.
I guess the reason why I'm so upset is because I don't want people to say. I have that on iOS too. because apple is known for paid premium services.
28. tedkord posted on 13 Dec 2012, 02:42 0 1
Google never blocked voice turn by turn on iOS. Apple did, by not allowing access to the Siri APIs. Probably they wanted iOS utters to pay for an expensive gps app so they could get their 30% cut.
38. MichaelHeller posted on 13 Dec 2012, 06:31 1 0
Actually, Google did block Apple from using turn by turn and vector graphics
25. Peter98 posted on 13 Dec 2012, 02:00 0 0
Much details too. And hope they will release iPad version very soon too.
6. snail3 posted on 12 Dec 2012, 23:26 5 0
Turn-by-turn navigation with gmap on iPhone, this changes everything again
11. XPERIA-KNIGHT posted on 12 Dec 2012, 23:57 4 1
welp its good to see who wears the "pants" in this relationship.....good job Google :)
15. XPERIA-KNIGHT posted on 13 Dec 2012, 00:34 3 0
haha if he wasn't working "with" them or even "on" them, wouldn't have the nexus 4 (yes i know some of us still don't have it lol) .......and also apple wouldn't have this!
:)
21. JeffdaBeat posted on 13 Dec 2012, 01:25 1 2
I lowercased god for the reason that god doesn't exist :-)
16. Droid_X_Doug posted on 13 Dec 2012, 00:44 0 4
Things at iMaps must be worse than Apple is letting on. First there are the rumors that Apple is going to acquire TomTom. Now gMaps gets approved for App Store, when almost everyone (Google included) was betting on it being denied.
At least Apple seems to be giving its customers the option to make their own choice. Props to Apple.
17. wendygarett posted on 13 Dec 2012, 00:49 2 1
Yeah I really need to say thank you so much to Google fir doing this :)
20. Droid_X_Doug posted on 13 Dec 2012, 01:24 2 0
One thing that is different between gMaps and Navigation app on JB - no integration with contacts in gMaps.... It is really handy to be able to access contacts to find the address for Navigation to search for.
44. zibbyzib2000 posted on 13 Dec 2012, 17:43 0 0
I agree. Apple is changing little by little. The update to the Bump app now allows music, documents in iBooks, and video transfers. Before it only allowed you to send contacts and pictures.
45. stealthd posted on 13 Dec 2012, 20:40 0 0
If Google was "betting on it being denied", they would not have wasted time and money paying employees to make it.
18. thelegend6657 posted on 13 Dec 2012, 00:54 0 0
Turn by turn Nav by Google maps isnt available in my country .
Hey even apple and Nokia supports turn by turn nav
36. thelegend6657 posted on 13 Dec 2012, 05:01 0 0
If I can I would do it long ago . I hate Malaysia
23. neutralguy posted on 13 Dec 2012, 01:44 0 2
"hey a google maps.. great! apple is so cool, android sucks"
24. rcrider4 posted on 13 Dec 2012, 01:55 2 2
I just tested this against the built in Apple Maps, and I have to say I was surprised that Apple's maps app worked much faster and gave more results for my searches. I haven't tested navigation yet, as I am not going anywhere right now, but for now, I see no reason to switch over other than the inclusion of street view, which I don't really use often, and I can easily open the app if it was needed.
(And now it's time for the Android fanboys to vote me down because I gave an unbiased test between two maps services and Google didn't win...)
31. rcrider4 posted on 13 Dec 2012, 02:46 0 0
Oh and I forgot that fact that it doesn't integrate with your contacts, so getting directions to a friend's house takes much longer than necessary.
33. Droid_X_Doug posted on 13 Dec 2012, 03:29 1 2
OTOH if you need directions to a contact's address, iMaps could steer you wrong. Ask some users in Australia. On a serious note, a friend was in my car and we were going to a FedEx office in Menlo Park, CA to pick up a package. Friend had iMaps on their iP5 and I had Navigation on my GS III. iMaps was off by 1,000 feet while Navigation was spot on. Seriously.
35. rcrider4 posted on 13 Dec 2012, 03:39 0 0
I know that Apple's Maps has some problems in a lot of areas, but my area seems to be blessed with wonderful accuracy. I use its navigation quite often, as do quite a few people I know, and neither they nor I have been sent the wrong way yet. I even went looking in the app for local places that it got the wrong location of, and I couldn't find any. So it all depends on location I guess.
34. ap1989 posted on 13 Dec 2012, 03:29 0 2
google should have let apple suffer with apple maps
41. bojan posted on 13 Dec 2012, 07:35 0 0
google my brother has an iphone and he say you the best he loves you. but you need to make youtube in HD he is waiting for it. as for me i love my andriod.
43. hkendrick3 posted on 13 Dec 2012, 08:42 0 0
Oh how the might have falling I knew Apple would have to cave people just admit it Google has a better product.
46. tubrad posted on 14 Dec 2012, 10:15 0 0
Does anyone know whether the new google maps app carries over your saved bookmarks from the previous version of ios google maps? Do these get lost? I haven't upgraded my iPhone to ios 6 yet before I realize what functionality gets removed.
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