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Google Maps makes its way back to the iPhone

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Well all my iphone toting friends are all happy as pigs in mud again, the ios6 hold outs have finally moved up. now they just wish they could delete the apple maps from their devices - being such a waste of space.

iPhone had just one flaw - the Maps -.......and haters..... What is laughable is that Fandroids

Just one flaw? Ok I see. I do enjoy you balanced impartial and fair posts. They are amusing.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Only people like you expect perfection from Apple, just to get red of anger when they commit some mistake. Ping was not popular, and so what? Orkut too, was opted out in favor of Facebook. Choices people do. MobileMe just became part of iCloud, and it's one of the best services Apple offers. My business is deeply dependent on iCloud, to connect iPads, iPhones and Macbooks we use to communincate. So, it's succesfull. Skype, of course everybody has it, for one single reason: Facetime works only among iDevices, which we use a lot. Skype is left for iPhone-Android communications. But even there me and friends prefere Whatsapp or Viber.

http://www.thebvispa.com/

0 ( +1 / -1 )

2020hindsightsDec. 17, 2012 - 10:28AM JST

True. But I think we are a whole lot further down the road with browsers. They are a tool to view the web. Nothing more, nothing less.

EU seems to think otherwise.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

If they truly think iOS is as safe as OSX, then they should have nothing to worry about.

Actually, iOS needs to be a whole lot safer than OS X.

Think of this another way: if Microsoft had done this during the old browser wars, all hell would had broken loose that Microsoft was even more monopolizing and stifling browser innovation.

True. But I think we are a whole lot further down the road with browsers. They are a tool to view the web. Nothing more, nothing less.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Before we begin, we have to touch on one key fact that makes iOS unlike any other popular operating system today: the strict walled garden. You see, Apple mandates that any third-party Web browser sold in the App Store must use the stock WebKit rendering and JavaScript engines.

True. Actually this is a good thing. It helps ensure safety on your phone.

Apple doesn't allow it on iOS but allows it on OSX.

If they truly think iOS is as safe as OSX, then they should have nothing to worry about.

Think of this another way: if Microsoft had done this during the old browser wars, all hell would had broken loose that Microsoft was even more monopolizing and stifling browser innovation.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Before we begin, we have to touch on one key fact that makes iOS unlike any other popular operating system today: the strict walled garden. You see, Apple mandates that any third-party Web browser sold in the App Store must use the stock WebKit rendering and JavaScript engines.

True. Actually this is a good thing. It helps ensure safety on your phone.

Plenty of front-ends, ZERO actual browsers.

Really, the front end is what distinguishes browsers from each other.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

2020hindsightsDec. 16, 2012 - 12:56PM JST

What do you mean? Plenty of other browsers are available for iOS, including Google Chrome.

Plenty of front-ends, ZERO actual browsers. Don't blame the developers, it's all apple's fault.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

But competition is good. Now, if Apple would just let the other web browsers do their own thing too............

What do you mean? Plenty of other browsers are available for iOS, including Google Chrome.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ios-web-browser-safari,3326.html

All quote-unquote:

Before we begin, we have to touch on one key fact that makes iOS unlike any other popular operating system today: the strict walled garden. You see, Apple mandates that any third-party Web browser sold in the App Store must use the stock WebKit rendering and JavaScript engines.

That's right folks, they're all WebKit browsers. And not just different WebKit browsers like Chrome and Safari on the desktop, either, but complete mobile Safari clones. Think of third-party iOS-based Web browsers as Safari wearing different clothes. Sure, some of them have totally different syncing features, bookmark mechanisms, on-screen keyboards, and even user interfaces. But when it comes to a Web browser's primary function of rendering Web pages, they are all just re-spins of Apple's stock, default mobile Safari.

So all iOS Web browsers are going to be the same then, right? Not entirely.

While Apple demands that third-party browsers use the stock engines, Safari has access to the newer Nitro JavaScript engine, while the rest are left with Safari's old JS engine. Apple's mandate doesn't even the playing field; it stacks the deck in Safari's favor.

As recently as this August, Opera aired its opinion regarding the App Store rules to The Times of India:

"Opera believes the Web is best when consumers can freely choose the browser they use. We wish that the rules are changed in the future to allow Opera Mobile (our full-fledged mobile browser) in iOS store, just as it is possible on other platforms like Android."

"Right now we offer Opera Mini on the iOS platform. The way Opera Mini gets around this issue is that all the processing is actually done on a proxy server and not on the iOS device. If we had not used a proxy-based solution in Opera Mini, then we would have been required to use the native browser engine."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

But competition is good. Now, if Apple would just let the other web browsers do their own thing too............

What do you mean? Plenty of other browsers are available for iOS, including Google Chrome.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Eh, it's version 1.0

Good that it has StreetView though - that's much more helpful when trying to find a place.

And voice navigation even on good ol' iPhone 4 (though MapQuest is still better for that). Don't like it when Apple intentionally cripples their iMaps for that to force people to upgrade (their version of "planned obsolescence"). Didn't like it when the previous Google Maps was crippled neither.

But competition is good. Now, if Apple would just let the other web browsers do their own thing too............

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Ping, MobileMe, and removal of Youtube. Did you know that the top app for iOS6 (before Google Maps) was Youtube?

MobileMe is now called iCloud and is free. YouTube was removed, so it's obvious that it's popular although I prefer the Jasmine app.

And forget facetime, people love Microsoft's Skype more, which is why it's #3 on the top downloads (after Youtube and Angry Birds).

Microsoft's Skype? Well I guess you can say that, but Microsoft only provided the cash long after it was developed. FaceTime works better between iPhones.

While Google Maps finally means people won't have to chose another phone just to get basic services like maps that don't make you swim to Antarctica or show shops that went under half a decade ago, it hasn't helped Apple's decline. Hell, they lost $180 billion in market cap in just three months, and at this rate they will be the #2 company by Feb.

Change in market cap != decline. And, really talking about such two days after it was released hardly factors in market sentiment.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Ping, MobileMe, and removal of Youtube. Did you know that the top app for iOS6 (before Google Maps) was Youtube?

And forget facetime, people love Microsoft's Skype more, which is why it's #3 on the top downloads (after Youtube and Angry Birds).

While Google Maps finally means people won't have to chose another phone just to get basic services like maps that don't make you swim to Antarctica or show shops that went under half a decade ago, it hasn't helped Apple's decline. Hell, they lost $180 billion in market cap in just three months, and at this rate they will be the #2 company by Feb.

Only people like you expect perfection from Apple, just to get red of anger when they commit some mistake. Ping was not popular, and so what? Orkut too, was opted out in favor of Facebook. Choices people do. MobileMe just became part of iCloud, and it's one of the best services Apple offers. My business is deeply dependent on iCloud, to connect iPads, iPhones and Macbooks we use to communincate. So, it's succesfull. Skype, of course everybody has it, for one single reason: Facetime works only among iDevices, which we use a lot. Skype is left for iPhone-Android communications. But even there me and friends prefere Whatsapp or Viber.

And what's the point of Apple being the company #2?? Still it's one of the most valuable ones, it sells things that are non-essentical, like gasoline or kitchen gas, and yet it's more valuable than Shell or BP. A testimony to Apple's superb marketing. Also, the value of Apple is solely based on WS speculation, nothing to do with the quality of its devices.

Stop overreacting, it's ridiculous.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

LostinNagoyaDec. 14, 2012 - 11:41PM JST

Call it a overreaction. iPhone had just one flaw - the Maps

Ping, MobileMe, and removal of Youtube. Did you know that the top app for iOS6 (before Google Maps) was Youtube?

And forget facetime, people love Microsoft's Skype more, which is why it's #3 on the top downloads (after Youtube and Angry Birds).

While Google Maps finally means people won't have to chose another phone just to get basic services like maps that don't make you swim to Antarctica or show shops that went under half a decade ago, it hasn't helped Apple's decline. Hell, they lost $180 billion in market cap in just three months, and at this rate they will be the #2 company by Feb.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Call it a overreaction. iPhone had just one flaw - the Maps - and haters made a blockbuster out of it. Apple makes use of ONE Google service and they call it a victory. They just forget that Apple makes use of hundreds of several third-party services. What is laughable is that Fandroids never saw that most iPhone users don't care about that. Google Maps on iPhone is like Google Search engine on my Mac: it's invisible, it does not make Google look good to the point of something thinking of swapping iOS for Android - as they daydream. Quite the contrary, just yesterday PJ released an US survey showing that 53% of people who wishes a smartphone this Xmas do want an iPhone 5, only 35% want an Android, the rest 12% Windows or Blackberry.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

"It just works"

Then we had to use the competition's product.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Wrong. iOS had "Maps" which was only powered by Google Maps service, not Google Maps app. Apple has always made the front-end, so if you had issues with the app itself, that's all Apple's fault.

Wrong. Google wrote the front end as well.

Not quite Android level, but some of that might actually just be OS level limitations.

In what respect?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

2020hindsightsDec. 14, 2012 - 10:19AM JST

But Google Maps on iOS 5 and before were tired and old. Android phones got new features, but iOS didn't.

Wrong. iOS had "Maps" which was only powered by Google Maps service, not Google Maps app. Apple has always made the front-end, so if you had issues with the app itself, that's all Apple's fault.

Look at the latest Google Maps and it's ten times better than the old one.

iOS never had one, so you can't, but the Google front-end is much better than the Apple one. Not quite Android level, but some of that might actually just be OS level limitations.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Much more interesting is the fact that Google also released a maps SDK for icrap. As long as google maps is installed, other apps can use the SDK to further make apple irrelevant in the maps game.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

There's a Google Maps ap now, as it says in the article. You don't have to go through Safari per se. Apple Maps had the potential to be pretty amazing but as it stands right now it stinks.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

What a pie in the face. Apple should never have removed the successful maps ap in the first place.

Actually Apple introducing Apple Maps was a good thing. And I'm not saying Apple Maps are good. They are not. At least for now. But Google Maps on iOS 5 and before were tired and old. Android phones got new features, but iOS didn't.

Look at the latest Google Maps and it's ten times better than the old one. Google still want your anonymous data, so if you use their maps you will improve their data and not Apple's, so they have an incentive to give you the best features now; unlike before.

Competition is great for the consumer.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

At least Apple were big enough to admit their mistake, and were promptly recommending users to utilise Google Maps via Safari.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

While Apple maps will be good eventually, right now it's not ready for prime time, as they say. Try searching for 渋谷シティーホテル and it will try to send you to India.

Google, thank you! Nice to have a choice, and competition.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Style over substance doesn't always win.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

" What a pie in the face."

Make that an Apple pie.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

What a pie in the face. Apple should never have removed the successful maps ap in the first place.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Ha! All those complaints made a difference.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ebisen: Says a lot about the quality of Apple.

There, that looks better.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

It immediately became the most downloaded app on the iTunes... Says a lot about the quality of Apple's maps.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

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