Report: Apple, Google maps debacle sparked by voice navigation disagreement

Apple

(CBS News) Turn-by-turn voice navigation may be at the heart of Apple's decision to leave Google Maps out of its latest iOS update.

Apple released iOS 6 on Sept. 19. The new mobile operating system dropped the Google Maps app, which had been included in the iPhone since its initial release in 2007, opting for its own Apple Maps app instead.

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The move was controversial because immediately following the update, users complained of getting lost, not seeing landmarks and the lack of public transit directions.

According to AllThingsD, "multiple sources familiar with Apple" say that Apple's hand was forced because it wanted voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation - a feature that is already available in Google Maps for Android mobile phones. But the sources posit that Google invested tremendous resources into bringing the feature to Android and it didn't want to give a competitor its precious data.

Although there were several issues that exacerbated the negotiations, AllThingsD's source said that voice navigation was the "deal-breaker."

The heated negotiations may be why Apple rushed to launch Apple Maps. The Verge reported that Apple had another year left on its contract with Google, but decided to ditch the app a year early.

Google Maps has been a default app on the iPhone since its introduction in 2007. Google launched its mobile operating system Android in 2008, heating up the competition between the two companies. Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs famously said to his biographer, "I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this."

Apple responded to critics last week. In a statement the company said it is just getting started and is working to improve Apple Maps.

Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt recently said that the search giant is not working on a Google Maps app for iOS 6, but rumors have circulated that contradict his comments. Citing "roundabout sources," The Guardian reported last week that a Google Maps app will appear in time, but there is no official timeline.

[mingmavey]

I'm a big fan of the iPhone, but I'll neither buy the new one or upgrade the OS on my 4 until they get the maps app worked out. Stunningly stupid blunder on Apple's part. 95% of what I use my iPhone for is map-based... subway, address book, traveling, Yelp, everything I do has a map element to it. And Google Maps/Earth is so far ahead that I'm afraid Apple will never catch up.

I want the best and, sadly, Apple no longer offers that.

Am I going to have to actually buy a non-iPhone cell phone? Never though I'd consider it, but now I am...

[IPonUall2]

If you like being spoon fed....go apple
That silver spoon costs...
If you're independent go Samsung.

[tmittelstaed]

This is insane. On my Smartphone (Android) the 3 most commonly used data apps are 1) MS Exchange client 2) wifi tethering for root users 3) navigation.

Why do people buy this junk?

[kj0277]

Tens of thousands of jobs in China.

[hypnotoad72]

There's not much incentive to train Americans, and Americans are less inclined to spend tons of money, especially if they have to train their own replacements...

http://hubpages.com/hub/HowH1BVisaFRAUDiskillingAmerica

The gutting of our country, paid for by our tax dollars, seems to have gone on for some time.

Those who lost their jobs shouldn't have to pay back any student loans. There is no level playing field, especially given the tactics I've mentioned above, and others, and I've gone into much more detail in the past and provided links... I'm not obligated to post every link every time to people (I'm not suggesting you are in that group) who haven't bothered and still continue to troll and belittle people in this country who work and study hard to improve themselves... it's pathetic how Americans, on many levels and classes despite our supposedly being a class-free society (until those same people started using "class warfare" after offshoring the first job at our expense...) but I digress... it's horrible how many good people are being berated by all sides, while the worst garbage is being elevated and deified - from entertainment to almost every other industry...

[leharper]

You know, I would have forgiven Apple if they were honest about what was going on. I would just download a better/different map. Apple's map isn't usable yet, and I can't wait for them. Besides, I respect the effort that Google has put into mapping. I'm going to support them.

What I don't forgive is this statement that Apple put out:
"We launched this new map service knowing that it is a major initiative and we are just getting started with it. We are continuously improving it, and as Maps is a cloud-based solution, the more people use it, the better it will get."

I'm Apple's paying customer. I had data stored on my map. I have put time into making my maps work for me. What Apple(and other cloud-based companies) are saying with statements like these is that it's okay to put out bad product.

They actually expect me to be totally fine waking up, turning on my computer, and finding out that they've taken away my tools and replaced them with bad tools that I am then supposed to waste my time paying to beta test and spend a few years making better, so then they can go make it suck again because they want to make something new. Customers deserve better. End of story.

Apple lost me as a customer for good. There are a LOT of lazy cloud companies out there right now and a LOT of lazy people (and corporations) giving up their data to companies who do not care about the consumer and can change their software on whim anytime they want.
It's a productivity nightmare, a money drain, and couldn't be more anti-consumer. Big problem. People should be writing about it. A lot.

[hypnotoad72]

"customer", not "consumer". We're not leeches and we demand something in return for the hard-earned money...

And if companies were honest, they might risk losing profits. A company exists to profit for itself first and foremost. Regulations exist to keep a balanced and ethical playing field and those are the regulations that are being masked as "detrimental". Those who spout how regulations are bad almost never look at details, and there ARE some regulations I know are bad too.... at least I'm more inclined to look than they are... as far as I care to anymore...

Still, with data privacy and other laws, the future of the cloud will be interesting. Just wait until the anti-regulation twips get their way, and then they will find a way to blame government for that. Since that's all they're good for; blaming government regardless of what it does, or does not do, especially the latter since their own "free market" means government is supposed to stay out and never once interfere (not even with subsidy or bailouts...)

[easyrunning]

The emperor has no clothes.

[hypnotoad72]

We saw them at the clothing boutique a couple years ago... :)

[AmazingGrce]

Certainly any reasonable person can understand, assuming the facts of the article are true, why Apple wanted to move to their mapping program.

Just one small problem - In reality Apple doesn't have a mapping program. Anyone familiar with software development would know that releasing a program as badly flawed as Apple mapping wannabe program is either downright stupid or the height of arrogance. Unfortunately given Apples behavior over the years the latter would be the most likely reason.

Apple is and has never had perfect software or hardware but this move with the mapping program = the behavior the sort of behavior expected of a couple of kids not market savvy people.

But to their credit, Apple has been fooling millions of people for years convincing them that their less capable hardware and software is worth the money so to the appleholics enjoy but when you ask for directions from folks using the 'other' software - don't be surprised when we laugh in your face.

By the way Great New Advertisment by Samsung in response to the iphony 5 release.

[JRambo996]

I dont think there is a human being alive who could have typed a better response... AWESOME

[John-Maclane]

From my 90 degree angle I see it differently JRAMBO. Even tho this comment has many valid and sane statements — seems to be necessary to say this these days — I find it to be very biased which therefore damages it's purpose. At least to me, right?!

As was done before, and is still constantly forgotten, Apple has the habit of turning such bad news into good news — at least for them — in very short periods of time.

Virtually nobody has a perfect hardware or software. If indeed that was possible, wouldn't change over the years. What you could have is the best software or hardware. But since computers are multi-use machines, that is very subjective, thus "better" is to excel at what most people find to be relevant and use frequently. Kinda exploiting the major part of a democracy if you will.

I find the idiotic simple solutions Apple choose to adopt to be very easy going on the user in a daily basis. I myself was, am, and will ever be a unix user, fan and supporter, but I do enjoy Apple's easiness as well. It never really matter who invented, or who does it better. I think that should be clear by now.

Although their hardware is not topnotch, it's software can squeeze very much 100% of it's capacity, in contrast to other proprietary competitors that have topnotch gear, but can't squeeze as much juice. The user interface of their hardware, or as some say the design, it's just idiotically beautiful, and escapes me why other companies can't see it. Or won't admit it!

Take laptop keyboard for instance. Do you see a tendency in the last 4 to 8 years of all major "manufacturers" of laptops following "Apple's" design and ideas?

The thing is, if you want to cite the evilness of the empire — and it is one — start by telling people the amount of control the empire will have over them once their product becomes the standard, and tell them how they will be forced into uncomfortable decisions. Just give them a few years...

[LSWIGER]

Can't we all just get along! I have an iphone 4 and the new maps dont give voice directions or are they as good as Google was. I just use waze and Google on the browser!

[tsigili]

Just more of the tech wars. Everyone is trying to keep a leg up, and in the end, no one wins.

[hypnotoad72]

They keep up the legs for the sole function of peeing on everyone else...

[markt1964100]

If turn by turn navigation was such a big deal, them why did they not make it work with the iPhone 4? Ios6 maps is nothing but a downgrade for owners of phones older than the 4s. If they were going to exclude old hardware from what was supposedly the defining new feature of the updated application, then the update should not have even been available for those devices in the first place.

[ralphing]

Why is this surprising? Apple is well known of the practice of holding back features so they can add them later to a new phone model. There was no reason to release the 4s, other then an excuse to bring out Siri. Anyone of modest intelligence could see Siri would have worked on the iPhone 4 or 3Gs. That tiny extension of the screen wasn't worth bringing out the iPhone 5, but the Apple faithful will swallow anything you put in front of their face.

[vansk8er7]

did you read the article?

"Apple's hand was forced because it wanted voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation - a feature that is already available in Google Maps for Android mobile phones. But the sources posit that Google invested tremendous resources into bringing the feature to Android and it didn't want to give a competitor its precious data."

4th paragraph