KimberMedia

Lost Without My iPhone’s Google Maps App? Not Really. You?

Posted by
in Google, Technology
September 20, 2012

While everyone else continues the drool-fest and pre-order frenzy over the iPhone 5, I updated my iPhone 4S this morning to iOS 6.

The rumors were right. Google Maps is gone. We hardly knew ye.

The masses do not like the Apple Maps app, which relies on data from a variety of sources like TomTom, Waze, and Yelp. It’s already earned the moniker “crap Map app” for losing train stations and creating new airports. Street View is gone. And turn-by-turn directions aren’t available unless you have a 4s.

With all of the features that are missing, some are saying it’s like Apple is forcing us back in time. We’re all seven years younger! Yeah, right.

According to Waze CEO Noam Bardin, maps are the number two product (after mail) used on mobile devices.

So many are criticizing Apple for making a business decision that creates an advantage for Apple while putting Apple customers at a disadvantage.

Unlike me, some are choosing to stick with iOS 5. They may upgrade to iOS 6 later, when they expect a Google Maps app to be out.

The prospect of a future non-native Google Maps has many calling for Google to delay such an offering. The negative PR will be Apple’s just punishment, they say.

Is there any silver lining for Apple?

It’s Siri, of course. Some love her, myself included, whispering in our ears telling us when to turn. Finally.

Change is constant. It never ends.

While I’m waiting to be as enlightened as the great Heraclitus, I’m trying out other mapping apps. They’re there.

But I really like this solution: launch google.com in Safari and go from there.

What about you? Do you like it? Or hate it? What are you doing about it?

Kevin is a blogger and account manager with KimberMedia. And he’s a no slouch with WordPress. So he’s in on our website maintenance projects, too. Kevin has a long history as a project manager. He schemes, then gets things done. He’s a small business owner, an association executive, a registered lobbyist, a yoga teacher, a biologist and a word nerd. He likes to sing in the choir at church, travel, and laugh a lot. Google