I'm not seeing a lot of comments about how good for Apple this is.
Yes Apple want to own maps on iOS but given how their own launch went the ship has sailed on that for a while at least. But given the position they found themselves in this goes a long way to undermining the criticisms of mapping on iOS because if you think Apple maps sucks you just go and get Google maps for free.
One of Apple's big gripes supposedly was that they couldn't get Google maps turn by turn navigation on the iPhone and here it is (and without them paying for it it seems) plus they get to work on Apple maps with some of the pressure off which protects them some if Google start messing around.
I'm not in any way saying that this was Apple's plan all along - that plan went badly wrong in the summer - but as of this morning iOS, for regular users at least, just got more attractive.
Yes it's a win for Google, but it's a win for Apple too.
"One of Apple's big gripes supposedly was that they couldn't get Google maps turn by turn navigation on the iPhone"
I thought it was because when Apple asked for turn-by-turn, Google said "okay, but we want larger Google branding, and also want to hook it up to Google Latitude" and Apple said no way?
So when Apple decides drop Google Maps as their default, they probably thought that it'll bring more value to their iOS platform. But obviously that didn't happen.
Now that Google Maps is back on iOS, I agree that it's a win for Apple as well. But someone please explain it to me how it could have been a win for Apple to drop Google Maps in the first place?
Relations between the two companies were hardly cordial. I suspect Apple didn't want to be beholden to a rival over what was becoming an increasingly core service.
Remember Apple already give Samsung, another competitor, a shed load of each money for components. Why enrich someone you're competing with?
Yes Apple want to own maps on iOS but given how their own launch went the ship has sailed on that for a while at least. But given the position they found themselves in this goes a long way to undermining the criticisms of mapping on iOS because if you think Apple maps sucks you just go and get Google maps for free.
One of Apple's big gripes supposedly was that they couldn't get Google maps turn by turn navigation on the iPhone and here it is (and without them paying for it it seems) plus they get to work on Apple maps with some of the pressure off which protects them some if Google start messing around.
I'm not in any way saying that this was Apple's plan all along - that plan went badly wrong in the summer - but as of this morning iOS, for regular users at least, just got more attractive.
Yes it's a win for Google, but it's a win for Apple too.