

Petition Google for iOS Maps - jasondayton
http://www.change.org/petitions/google-maps-for-ios-release-an-updated-google-maps-for-ios#
Apple just released their "revolutionary" maps application. I love my iPhone, my iPad and my Mac but this a serious step backwards. I've started a change.org petition to hopefully get Google to quickly release a native maps application onto the iOS app store.<p>Please sign here: http://www.change.org/petitions/google-maps-for-ios-release-an-updated-google-maps-for-ios#
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css771
I dont see much incentive for Google to release an app right away. The people
who are going to install a native app from the app store will use the web
version anyway. And Google can still get to serve location based ads on the
browser for places.

I wouldn't be surprised if they just improve the web version some more and
call it a day. If you want good Maps, they might want to make you switch to
Android.

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gtufano
This. To be completely honest, I have to say that outside US (for sure in
Rome), the "new" Apple maps are not significantly worse than the previous
(Google) ones.

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erikpukinskis
The old Maps lacks bicycle directions. I grit my teeth and use it anyway,
since bicycle directions are only, say, 20% of what I need maps for, and I can
usually kind of guess about bike routes.

But the new Maps lacks both bicycle AND transit directions, which means it
only does, maybe 50% of what I need it for. It's basically only good for
seeing where things are and where I am. It's basically useless for me for
routing. No way I'm "upgrading".

Man, I miss the Maps app on Android. It even told me when I had to leave the
house to make a specific bus.

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LaGrange
Actually, in many places in Europe Google transit directions were non-existent
or useless, and apps providing similar or better functionality are very
common.

* Netherlands -> 9292

* Poland -> JakDojadę + Bilkom

* Zurich -> Wemlin + SBB Mobile

* In Germany I only know the trains one, which would be DB Navigator (for some reason separate from DB Tickets).

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nicholassmith
I won't sign, because petitioning Google for something they're probably
already working on is fairly redundant. If you don't like the iOS Maps app,
use Google Maps web application front end until it drops in the App Store.

Or until Google decides "nah, screw 'em" and doesn't bother releasing one.
Both are possible I guess.

~~~
alimoeeny
the web version (google map in mobile safari), is far less useful compared to
native app.

~~~
nicholassmith
I don't think it's too bad actually, has much better search query recognition
than the native app did.

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meiji
Pretty sure Google have already announced they'll release an iOS version of
maps. That said it can't come soon enough. I've no idea how they've defined
POIs on Apple's maps but they need to go back to the drawing board. Where I
live there's a pedestrian zone which Apple say has a gas station in it. Worse
is the gas station they say is in the middle of a heavily wooded park (neither
of these are there obviously). Whilst I appreciate things can't be perfect,
this is so far from perfect and has been since beta phases that I just think
Apple is continuing their beta testing using all of us as testers.

The Google Maps app can't come soon enough; I'm only glad that I have TomTom
and my car's built-in navigation to fall back on because I have no faith in
the software Apple built.

~~~
trackofalljades
If they have made any such announcement, their search engine sure can't seem
to find it for me...

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erikpukinskis
<http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/06/google-maps-ios-app/>

The trick was to narrow the date range to exclude recent chatter surrounding
the actual launch of iPhone 5:
[https://www.google.com/search?q=google+standalone+maps+ios&#...</a>

~~~
nileshk
Google executive Jeff Huber says: "We look forward to providing amazing Google
Maps experiences on iOS.﻿"

While this more than likely means that they are going to create an app, it
leaves it open enough that it could just mean that they're going to improve
their mobile web app version of maps.

~~~
nchlswu
They essentially issued a "no comment" recently but wishy washily commited to
supporting multiple operating systems.

I'd imagine they're hedging their bets. Working on an iOS version while
improving the web app version because you never know what will happen in
Apple's App review process.

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redbad
Four glaring apostrophe errors, and at least two grammatical errors, on the
first reading. I appreciate and agree with the sentiment, but there's no way
I'm putting my name on something that amateur.

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kevinflo
Am I the only one that finds the new maps to be functionally superior? To me
it seems like basically the same thing but with yelp reviews baked in, turn-
by-turn added, and a much better bookmarking interface. It is a bit ugly and
it lacks public transit directions, but I don't really understand the fuss.

~~~
redbad

        > it lacks public transit directions
    

I would say 50% of my phone-in-hand time is (was) spent in Maps, and 50% of
that time was spent navigating with public transit. This is a huge, huge
problem.

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joefarish
I think the big challenege will be getting Apple to approve it. It'll be like
Google Voice all over again.

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sanatgersappa
Shouldn't you be petitioning Apple instead? They're the ones who took it away.

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rimantas
How do you know that? Apple and Google had an agreement which expired this
year. Any side can be responsible.

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trackofalljades
Well more importantly, both sides will have to be "responsible" for a new app
to become available. Google has to make it, and then Apple has to allow it
into the app store. So that's going to be fun.

~~~
nicholassmith
After the last time Apple cock blocked a Google App and nearly ended up in
court, they'll play nice I imagine.

~~~
fpgeek
Are you sure? Putting Maps aside, Apple is currently dragging their feet (or
worse) over Google Voice Search:

[http://searchengineland.com/ios-users-to-get-enhanced-
google...](http://searchengineland.com/ios-users-to-get-enhanced-google-voice-
search-129995)

Note the current Google Search app on iTunes (last updated on June 21, 2012 as
of this writing, despite Google's announcement):

[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-
search/id284815942?mt=...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-
search/id284815942?mt=8)

~~~
nicholassmith
I'd forgotten that, strange that Google has mentioned anything either.

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csmatt
Google is already working on this; it's just not out yet. However, I don't
understand why Apple has begun releasing unpolished software as of late. Siri,
although more of a gimmick than anything, was not ready for prime time and now
this maps program has been rushed to market. I can give them a pass for
playing catch-up on hardware, but only if they stick to their roots when it
comes to overall UX.

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2muchcoffeeman
I upgraded and I agree that overall it's worse.

However, Apple are also using some OpenStreetMaps data. Forget Google Maps.
Let's petition Apple to spend some of their billions on contributing data back
to the OpenStreetMaps project.

~~~
chippy
I believe they are just using (old) OpenStreetMap tiles on their iPhoto
application.

Edit - in some places, it appear that they are, actually using OSM data - in
Islamabad, for example. Possibly, therefore, in places where there is no
TomTom data

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manojlds
Why can't they use Bing maps? Going to MS is not a new thing for Apple and it
would also mean fighting a common enemy for them.

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fpgeek
These days, I'd imagine Nokia would have something to say about Microsoft
sharing mapping technology with Apple.

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chrisbroadfoot
That doesn't really make sense. Nokia owns Navteq, which is essentially TomTom
data. Microsoft licences it from Nokia.

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redbad
Case in point: <http://i.imgur.com/MyWGT.jpg>

~~~
unhammer
OTOH,

Google Maps:
[https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Gaza+Strip,+Shamal+Sina%27,...](https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Gaza+Strip,+Shamal+Sina%27,+Palestinian+Territories&hl=en&ll=31.342477,34.30805&spn=0.01259,0.022724&sll=31.946336,35.302505&sspn=0.050035,0.090895&vpsrc=6&t=m&z=16)

OpenStreetMap:
[http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=31.34516&lon=34.30541&...](http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=31.34516&lon=34.30541&zoom=15&layers=M)

~~~
option_greek
May be you meant:
[https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Gaza+Strip,+Shamal+Sinai,+P...](https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Gaza+Strip,+Shamal+Sinai,+Palestinian+Territories)
?

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unhammer
Yes! Thanks for the corrected link :-)

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chippy
Try installing a native OpenStreetMap app - there's plenty to choose from:
<http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/IOS>

