A friend posted on Facebook today that Apple Maps had gotten her lost and she ended up missing her train. This was no surprise to me. I’d been using a pinned shortcut to maps.google.com.au that worked in Safari quite nicely, but today I got even better news.

Two says ago, Google released Google Maps to the Apple App Store which since has had over 10 million downloads. Doesn’t that speak to the “quality” of Apple’s own map application?

How to Get Google Maps On My iPhone

As always, it’s very easy. Jump into the App Store:

 

Tap Search, type in “google maps” without the quotes and tap Done. You’ll see quite a few search results and Google Maps may not yet be the first result (scroll across until you find it) like I’ve done below:

Tap Free and Install App when prompted to start downloading. Don’t forget you may been to login to the App Store to continue. Then you’re done!

Tap the newly installed Google Maps application and start searching!

My Thoughts

iOS 6 was released to iDevices on the 19 September 2012 when Apple forcible removed a perfectly fine and working Google Maps application and served up their replacement. I visualise this as a dogs breakfast being forced down people’s throat. Apple later did something else unbelievable and apologised for their massive screw-up. An extremely nobel step and the right thing to do – but it didn’t really fix the problem did it?

Source: Apple Maps-gate: London’s Hackney Wick Station staff see the funny side

 

Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt was quoted saying, “We think it would have been better if they had kept ours. But what do I know? What were we going to do, force them not to change their mind? It’s their call.”

When asked if Google was working on a mapping app for the Apple App Store, to save the millions of iDevice users now stranded, he is also quoted saying “We have not done anything yet.”

I’d take a guess and suggest a game of “pride and punishment” is at play here. Nearly three months later… That’s a long time for a company as big as Google. They could have turned around something if they wanted to, but they didn’t even try. Seems like a bit of feet dragging which allowed the spot light to stay on Apple’s appalling maps. How convenient?

Apple on the other hand has it’s pride to consider. Though offering an apology is a big deal, it was more appropriate to simply give the people what they wanted. They could have stopped the hate by caving, dropping to their knees, re-signing contracts and working with Google to mend the hurt feelings. Of course this type of display is inappropriate for big corporations (can you imagine the news headlines?) and again pride is more important.