
Google Maps becomes the App Store’s most popular free app in 7 hours - petrel
http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/12/13/google-maps-becomes-the-app-stores-most-popular-free-app-just-7-hours-after-launch/?utm_source=HackerNews&utm_medium=share%2Bbutton&utm_content=Google%20Maps%20becomes%20the%20App%20Store%E2%80%99s%20most%20popular%20free%20app%2C%20just%207%20hours%20after%20launch&utm_campaign=social%2Bmedia
======
tharris0101
Sort of off-topic and I've harped on this before, but when I search "google
maps" in the app store, it's the fifth search result!

As a developer in the App Store, I really hope they do something to fix the
abysmal searches in it.

~~~
wes-exp
Agreed! This happens with my own app as well! Apparently the app _title_ ,
even when an _exact match_ to your search query, is no longer considered
important.

If there is one thing Apple truly fails at, it is search.

~~~
eco
The Android Market had this same problem in the early days. It was frustrating
but pretty amusing how terrible Google, of all companies, was at getting
search right in their app store.

~~~
zrgiu_
still does. Try searching for something relevant, see where an app with that
exact name is placed.

    
    
        Example: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=child+books&c=apps  

The app named "Child Books" comes after coloring book, Nook, WebMD and many
others. It's just that popularity matters MUCH much more than what you
actually search for, and it takes days from the moment of getting popular
(Google Maps style) to the moment when the algorithms start noticing.

~~~
css771
A better way to search for an app called "child books" would be to use quotes
around it.[1]

But I agree, Google Play's search can still be improved. Currently a search
for GTA vice city [2] places the actual game in third place behind other
related apps. These apps are The important thing to note is that both these
apps have 100,000+ downloads while the game is <50,000 right now. So the
number of downloads is given a higher weight than name (as it should be.) But
the actual game should get a better rank than other things. As time goes on
and more sites link to the game and more people download it, this will
improve.

[1]:
[https://play.google.com/store/search?q=%22child+books%22&...](https://play.google.com/store/search?q=%22child+books%22&c=apps)
[2]:
[https://play.google.com/store/search?q=gta+vice+city&c=a...](https://play.google.com/store/search?q=gta+vice+city&c=apps)

~~~
yohui
> Currently a search for GTA vice city [2] places the actual game in third
> place behind other related apps.

Looks like that's already changed in the last 3 hours. Now shows up in first
place for me.

Third place is currently some ripoff scam app, which is another problem. (Is
there any way to report clear ripoff/spam apps from the web storefront? Had to
into Google Play to report "objectionable content", which was the closest I
could find to a fraud report.)

------
kjackson2012
Frankly, Tim Cook should shut down the entire Apple Maps division. Who in
their right mind is going to use Apple Maps at this point?

Try searching "Pier 39 San Francisco". The query can't be any more specific,
and it's the most iconic location for tourists, and Apple Maps will bring you
to a pretty shady area of town, only a mile or two away from Hunter's Point,
one of the more violent areas of SF.

~~~
Alaskan005
No wonder he is the CEO and you aren't. Think LOOOOONG term, in a few years
Apple will catch Google for the most part (hello AAPL bank accounts and
increase of usage!) and Apple will not depend on a major competitor for a
crucial aspect of the mobile world. Google is the loser, despite Apple having
a few growing pains.

~~~
kjackson2012
A good CEO knows when to stop throwing good money after bad. Apple will NEVER
reach the search domain expertise of Google, and Maps is too valuable to let
turn into a complete debacle, as Apple has learned.

We have given Apple so much money THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH IT. They
have $120B in the bank, more cash than any other company has ever had. They
can buy very famous companies for cash, like Cisco, Dell, Facebook, etc, and
even banks like Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, etc. This is a crazy amount of cash,
and they are clueless as what to do with it.

I know what I would do, I would throw some of that money to improve the
quality of my product for the sake of my hundreds of millions of customers. I
would admit defeat, and I would pay Google for a license in perpetuity for
Google Maps to be on iPhone. I would engage in some sort of rev/data share
with the Maps app and throw them a few billion. Win-Win-Win for everyone.

Sure, maybe Apple doesn't extract every single red cent from the deal, but
money is of secondary or tertiary importance here. Their money is already
relatively useless sitting in a bank account making 0% interest. And sure,
maybe they left money on the table, and maybe Apple overpays and gets the
short end of the stick for once, but it's called taking one for the team.
Customers get the very best maps technology and a permanent agreement to
always have access to it, and Apple can stop being distracted by one of the
most important aspects of a smartphone experience, which is location services.
They can continue innovating in things that will make them money, like newer
designs, etc.

~~~
technoslut
>Apple will NEVER reach the search domain expertise of Google, and Maps is too
valuable to let turn into a complete debacle, as Apple has learned.

How can you possibly say that? How was Android 1.0 compared to what it is
today? Or Windows 1.0? In your view no one should start anything if they
aren't immediately good at it.

What should be questioned is Apple's dedication to Mpas. If they're not
interested in creating a high-quality mapping solution then they should give
up.

What Apple should do is buy a company to provide the mapping solution for
them. The same goes for Nuance. Core technologies of your OS should not be
left to a third party.

~~~
cookiecaper
The point is that you don't push an irrevocable update to a critical service,
one of the few things that is somewhat likely involve real-life, actual
physical safety, out to millions of millions of users. Yes, maybe when it was
brand new, called "experimental", and people hadn't come to trust it,
GPS/location stuff could be spotty, but the bar is raised now. While we can
all respect that development takes iteration, you just don't force people to
use your stuff until it's up to expectation, even if those expectations have
been made much higher than they were a few years ago.

A few bugs here and there is understandable, of course. Any honest person
looking at the situation knows that Apple's Maps app was not just a matter of
a couple semi-serious bugs; it was practically unusable for a large portion of
people, and it's an application where unusability could create real safety
issues. Completely unacceptable handling on Apple's part. They could have
pushed it as a "beta" or "preview release" or other "help us work out the
bugs" thing, but they decided to force all users to engage it as their only
maps experience. Apple is responsible for this severe oversight in judgment.

~~~
technoslut
This wasn't the issue I replied to otherwise I would agree with you.

------
bstar77
Edit: somehow I screwed up my response, should be a response to @kjackson2012.

Apple's main issues are with their location information from TomTom. If apple
is able to partner with a company with better data, these types of problems
should not be nearly as bad.

Here's where Apple's maps product is better... The maps are vector based so
there is not such a huge dependence on a data connection. I live near the pine
barrens in NJ and google maps is mostly worthless when I venture into that
abyss. Apple maps has worked flawlessly for me there. Locations where data
connections are poor, apple maps will probably be a better solution. Plus,
Apple maps look nicer, but that is hardly a critical feature.

To say apple should just give up is silly. I've used google navigation since
the first day the alpha was leaked. It has only been in the last year that nav
has gotten so good (used to have maddening ui problems with the zoom going
crazy). Apple's initial maps release is much better and more refined than what
google initially release. Fortunately for apple, I think they'll get their
data issues mostly fix in 2013 and have a very nice alternative to google
maps.

~~~
kjackson2012
No, you're wrong. It's not with the data. It's with Apple's ability to search.
Like I said below, look up "Pier 39 San Francisco". This is a dead simple
query, extremely specific, and they point you to a really bad area of SF. This
isn't Tom Tom data, it's how Apple resolves this query to something useful.

Search is Google's domain expertise. Apple needs to basically start from
scratch and figure out how to create a search engine that will return relevant
data based on queries.

It's the same thing with Apple's App store search, it's also terrible. But
because we have no choice, we are forced to use it, and hopefully it will
improve. But because Google's is so nearly perfect and getting better all the
time, why would someone go ahead and use Apple's terrible search engine to
help them improve their search?

~~~
brianpan
Surely you agree that your example is a non-standard address. The things are
more important to get right: postal addresses, searches for company names,
airports, schools, searches for intersections. Of course you want to get the
other things right like, parks (what's the pinpoint location of a park?) and
things like pier 39. But those errors don't make Apple Maps a non-starter.
I've been using it in the Bay Area with 99% success.

This isn't a pass for Apple Maps- the last 1% is the most difficult and it's
the difference between so-so and great. Apple has in the past been known to
make things with the ultimate attention to detail and things that "just work"
so if anything you could argue that they shouldn't have launched something
that was below this bar, but apparently there were other business
considerations.

BTW: From the Pier 39 website, "If you are using a GPS Navigation System,
input: 2 Beach Street, San Francisco, CA 94133"
<http://www.pier39.com/Information/index.htm>

~~~
leephillips
'Apple has in the past been known to make things with the ultimate attention
to detail and things that "just work"'

I don't know why people continue to believe this. Apple has released versions
of the Finder with amateurish bugs that delete files[1] and versions of Mail
that randomly delete messages[2]. Several versions of Mail on iPhone send
hundreds of copies of a message when emailing a link from Safari[3].

The Maps fiasco is not a departure from software excellence on the part of
Apple, but just more of what we should expect by now: shiny stuff that doesn't
work.

[1][http://tomkarpik.com/articles/massive-data-loss-bug-in-
leopa...](http://tomkarpik.com/articles/massive-data-loss-bug-in-leopard/)
[2][http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12758081&...](http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12758081&amp;tstart=0)
[3]<http://lee-phillips.org/iphoneUpgradeWarning-4-2-1/>

~~~
bennyg
"shiny stuff that doesn't work"

Give me a break. Name an international company with 100% success in user
happiness and usability with their product(s). Go ahead, try it.

Also, don't act like Android hasn't had faults and failings on their own. Or
Windows.

Things aren't ever perfect. The only time there is a real binary system is CS.
The world is gray, and Apple has been consistently better than bad. They've
been good for me for the most part, with some minor annoyances sure, but to
say that their software is "shiny stuff that doesn't work" just shows that you
aren't really well versed in the domain that the hyperbole is supposed to
explain.

~~~
leephillips
I didn't claim that others' products were perfect. That would be strange. My
point was that Apple enjoys an undeserved reputation for quality.

"Apple has been consistently better than bad"

I think my links show that this is just not true, but that might depend on
what you mean by "consistently".

Their track record shows a cynical, almost sinister pattern of choices on
their part: hoard $120 billion in cash while shipping software with a
beautiful visual design that, under the glossy surface, is unreliable,
inadequately tested, and, in some cases, demonstrably hobbled together by
inexperienced or incompetent engineers: shiny stuff that doesn't work.

This is a deliberate choice, since with all that cash they could hire the best
talent and make it policy to ensure that nothing gets out the door that would
earn a CS undergraduate a failing grade. Instead, they've chosen to invest in
maintaining the illusion that their software "just works" and is empowering,
while harboring an increasingly obvious contempt for their customers.

------
IgorPartola
How many startups just said "ah fuck it!" now that Google Maps is back on iOS?
Back when Apple removed Google maps I thought there would be four stages to
this fiasco:

1\. Apple Maps are introduced and nobody likes them. Google Maps are nixed and
some bullshit reason is given for not letting them back into the ecosystem for
a while.

2\. A bunch of people see an opportunity to create something that Apple will
buy. They drop everything and get busy.

3\. 3-6 months later Google Maps are allowed back into the ecosystem. 99% of
the newly minted startups go bust.

4\. A year later Apple actually makes Apple Maps usable in iOS 7. The rest of
the startups go bust.

~~~
jmspring
A quality maps app seems like one of those audacious undertakings given how
much there are to them. Sure, sources like OSM help quite a bit, but the
amount of data needed (be it through one's own data acquisition, partnering,
licensing, etc) is pretty massive. This is one of the main reasons the iOS
maps had problems.

There are already niche apps for things like public transport, though you may
need an app per city/region. Even those niche apps aren't always accurate --
the NYC transit apps (2 or 3 different once) I tried while there earlier this
year didn't pick up on station closures due to maintenance.

Maps/transit routing/etc is an interesting problem, just one that seems
difficult to do right as a startup (on the scale of ios or google maps).

~~~
dale386
An app per city would be great! Here in NYC, with boats, subways, railroad,
and buses (and all of this x2 as there are private and public services), no
one app on iOS fit the bill. Google Maps connects EVERYTHING.

------
hpagey
Actually I think Apple won here. Google was refusing to release a turn by turn
direction update to their apps. By developing an Apple Map App with turn by
turn, they kind of forced GooG to provide it on iOS platform. Also, it is very
difficult for google to ignore ios users.

~~~
kyrra
How is that a win? Apple got egg on their face from all the bad press. They
had to shell out a ton of money for 2 map companies they bought, money for all
the map data they are buying, plus all the engineering resources to create the
product.

Google Maps lets google have full branding on the iphone and can gather all
the data they want from users. And they can have all the branding on the Maps
that they want.

If I remember right, some of the reasons Apple and Google didn't agree on maps
is that Google wanted more branding and to gather more data. And I also
believe Apple wasn't too happy about paid advertisements appearing for map
search results.

Google really seems as the winner here.

~~~
mtgx
Not to mention they had to fire one of their VP's over it.

~~~
sigzero
That is an Apple win actually.

------
jgon
Between this and the gmail release recently I think that some interesting
times are ahead for apple. After I told my wife that Google Maps was available
in the app store she sent me a text with a screenshot of her phone and the
message "I'm pretty much using an Android phone!"

Her mail client is Gmail, she uses Google maps, and she browses with Chrome.
If google went all out with a Google Calendar app I bet she'd use their client
too.

What does it say for Apple when an iphone user has apps for all of their big
use cases provided by a direct competitor?

~~~
eddieroger
I think it's more interesting in what it means for Google. I very deeply live
in a Google ecosystem - GMail for personal and work, GCal, etc, but I have an
iPhone. The new GMail app isn't magical or anything, but it is good enough for
my usecases, now killing any incentive I had to go back to Android.

I'm glad they're not using their power for evil, but they seemingly aren't
doing anything to make Android even just a little more attractive.

~~~
galadriel
Android is quite more attractive now than iOS, if you are willing to forgive
consistency and quality of third party application. Most of Google's own app
are absolutely fantastic in quality, and often are better or equal to iOS
offering. Where Android actually shines is in how things get integrated to
each other. There is no concept of preferred apps as such, and you can make
any app default for any function. Share functionality is also awesome, and
leads to interesting applications (Like sharing from a Reddit app to Read-it-
later app, etc).

I would say if you are not too locked into iOS (having bought tons of iOS apps
or something), you should try Android on a Nexus for sometime. Your only
downside would be finding good, niche apps. In iOS store, even the smallest
developers pay attention to be consistent with Apple's guideline and look
good. It also helps that iOS design language has remained mostly the same
throughout 5 years. Android finally got a design language last year, but not
all developers have been keen to adopt it.

~~~
eddieroger
I came to iOS from Android since Android was on Sprint first (and let's leave
the Sprint hate behind - my plan is awesome, and service is improving). First
a Hero, then the Evo 4G, then a Nexus S 4G, ranging from Cupcake to Jelly
Bean. I liked the idea of swapping out functional apps at an OS level, and
actually ended up having to use ChompSMS because HTC's SMS app had a nasty
memory leak that bricked the Hero if left active too long.

My issue was that I was never happy. I rooted and ran custom ROMs (Fresh,
Cyanogen, MIUI very briefly) and even tried rolling my own, but I found that I
was spent too much time trying to make it something else. Analysis paralysis,
in a way. In a way, I think I prefer having iOS locked down, because it
doesn't leave me with a persistent feeling of wanderlust. That, and having
been on Macs for over a decade, I'm kind of entrenched.

I agree that Android is getting better, though. I revisit the SDK every once
in a while (and am spending a lot of time in it right now for a work project),
but even with the advancements in Jelly Bean, writing code requires supporting
so many versions with significant gaps in functionality. The compatibility
library helps, but it doesn't solve the issue. Having to pass Android from
Google to the OEMs to the carriers makes a lot of hoops to jump through. I
hate the term fragmentation, but it's really a problem. That, and the layout
structure - one per orientation per screen DPI. That's a lot to manage for a
solo developer.

------
takeda64
How come Apple allowed this app? Isn't it duplicate functionality of the
iPhone? I guess everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others...

~~~
ubercow13
They don't apply that rule any more to app approvals.

------
kyriakos
This simply shows how bad apple's decision was to switch to their own solution
before it was ready.

~~~
seiji
Or it shows the effectiveness of a giant anti-apple PR machine present in the
world.

~~~
drivebyacct2
Who is involved in these types of conspiracies anyway? Are there Android
"fanboys" that short Apple stock and then go on the Internet and... do what
exactly?

~~~
seiji
It'd like to introduce you to this crazy person (I can't tell if they are
joking or not, but they followed up with even more crazy, so I don't think
they are joking): <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4914414>

~~~
drivebyacct2
I guess I don't really buy that that rhetoric is what caused "Apple Maps
sucks" to be a meme for the last month and a half. I mean, are you saying
millions of people were conned into thinking it was inferior to Google Maps?

------
walru
App ranking is also a function of momentum.. while it's great Google Maps has
risen so quickly, let's not make this more than what it is.

~~~
mtgx
Were Bing Maps and Nokia maps #1 soon after they launched in the Apple app
store, too? (or ever?)

~~~
epmatsw
Chrome was, and no one was really asking for it beforehand.

------
isabre
Apple maps is great if you want to drive yourself into the ocean.

~~~
bigdubs
Do we really need to rehash this again?

~~~
w1ntermute
Well, people on this site don't seem to mind rehashing how great Apple is, ad
infinitum. So no, I don't see a problem with rehashing this a few times.

~~~
sbuk
Really? I submitted a story earlier about state police in Australia saying
that Google maps are dangerous and it's been completely ignored. Ok, maybe it
was a repeat of a story that had been previously submitted, but since not a
sniff of the story has appeared, I'd suggest that the pro-Google/anti-Apple
sentiment is far more pervasive here. I'd think were the opposite true, we'd
have seen much more of this story.

~~~
LnxPrgr3
I searched HN for this story and was surprised to not find it, so I submitted
it myself. It was dead within an hour.

And really, thinking about it now, it probably deserved to die, just as the
Apple story probably deserved to die. The only real lesson from these stories
is that you can't blindly follow your GPS… and everyone should've already
known that. But all that did get hashed out in the Apple thread and really
doesn't need a rehash so soon after the first story.

So… is the missing story the result of pro-Google/anti-Apple bias? It
certainly could be, but I can't say that's the only plausible explanation.

~~~
sbuk
I enjoy hiking as a hobby and while I plan route with the use of a computer,
I'd personally neverer rely soley on electronics when I'm out. The only reason
that I suggest that bias is there is that the Apple story garnered quite a lot
of attention, with much of the criticism extolling the virtues of Google maps.
This was a timely reminder that they are not the panacea of mapping either. I
wouldn't ever use Google Maps to plan a hike, they simply aren't reliable
enough. So I take and accept your point, but will reserve a healthy amount of
scepticism.

Edit: A case in point is the sub thread on search in the AppStore vs Google
Play. I use Google Nexus and iOS devices and can assure you that the Play
store on the phone is worse that the AppStore. The online version is
significantly better. Discoverability is awful in both. This maybe my opinion,
but it's based in real world use of _both_.

------
diminish
One more strong free app in the leaderboard of appstore means, a lot more
newer apps will have a harder time to get traction.

------
senthilnayagam
Apple did not put beta on its app, and it eventually apologised and also fired
a VP who was not willing to sign the apology .

google launches a map with beta warning and everybody going gaga on it, yeah
their data set is better.

"Google Maps Navigation is in beta. Use caution.

Please keep your eyes on the road and obey applicable laws. Do not manipulate
this application while in motion. Directions may be inaccurate, incomplete,
dangerous, or prohibited.

Traffic data is not real-time, and location accuracy cannot be guaranteed"

I would love Apple to build self driving cars and display projecting to retina
and bring it to market, instead of just announcing them like what google does

~~~
panacea
Apple had a disclaimer the first time you launched Apple Maps.

------
twakefield
Still no bike directions. Why is that?

~~~
ihuman
Couldn't you just use car/walking directions?

~~~
Kerrick
Google Maps optimizes bike directions for bikers using bike paths, roads with
lower speed limits, roads with dedicated bike lanes, and even bike trails
through public parks.

~~~
ihuman
Cool, I didn't know that. Does the Android version of Google Maps have this?

~~~
mbudde
Yes, it has both biking and walking directions.

------
mrilhan
Only if there was a way to set Google Maps as the default map/address-finding
app. Anyone know how to accomplish this?

Right now, touching any addresses you have saved under a contact will open up
Apple's Maps app.

~~~
w1ntermute
Apple doesn't like users changing default applications, it's part of their
world-renowned and expert UX. Didn't you know?

The solution is simple and explained here:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4914316> \- switch to Android.

------
topbanana
This comes as no surprise, least of all Apple, who have been perfectly
forthcoming in their acknowledgement of the flaws in Apple Maps.

------
btucker
I wonder how much impact this will have on Embark.

------
netcan
Could there have been a (pro android) business case for not releasing this
app?

Edit: accidentally wrote 'pr android.'

~~~
speg
I don't think Google cares what platform you're accessing their services from.
As long as they get your data, they're happy.

~~~
netcan
I'm sure the android part cares about how many people buy android and how cool
it is compared to iOS.

Apple use their apps as a competitive advantage and Google aren't. Itunes
supported Apple podcast & music players would help android. Obviously Google
maps helps iOS.

I guess what I'm asking is "Is this helping maps at the expense of Android?"

~~~
czr80
The answer is clearly yes - this largely removes one reason why someone might
prefer Android over iOS. Hard to say how big the effect is, though.

~~~
netcan
Especially since Apple are clearly working to improve their own maps. If/when
they hit (or near) parity, they'll have the massive advantage of being
bundled.

At least before, they were maintaining a long term position as the major maps
app. If they lose 90% of these users when in a year or two when Apple improve
their maps, it would just have been a wasted opportunity to sell androids,
especially the high end ones.

~~~
snogglethorpe
> _Especially since Apple are clearly working to improve their own maps.
> If/when they hit (or near) parity ..._

The thing is that Google is _also_ working constantly to improve its maps,
_and_ has a far larger and more experienced team doing so than Apple.

[Besides the underlying infrastructure which forms the bulk the effort, now
that Google has its own app, they have a very definite incentive to keep
improving it (whereas in the case of the iOS5 maps app, there were artificial
constraints preventing it from being kept up-to-date).]

There's no guarantee that Apple ever will hit parity; indeed, they may simply
fall farther behind...

------
wahsd
I'll admit it, I am one of the 4-star raters. I took it down a notch for not
at least including a "zoom out" button. I can double-tap to zoom, but I sure
as hell can't pinch to zoom out. I think that UI flaw is one of the most
ignored in all that exist in iOS.

~~~
bla2
You can double-tap-keep-finger-down-then-move-finger-down to zoom out with a
single hand.

~~~
username3
and you can two finger tap to zoom out one level.

------
trendnet
Now Apple has major map services from all mobile platforms with a full-
featured Google solution. Plus they have an in-house solution that will become
better over time. Removing an image-based Google Maps app developed by Apple
from iOS was a great decision.

------
egypturnash
Oh hell yeah, I just ditched my old Android for an iPhone and the lack of bus
routes on its maps app was one of the major things I was missing. I was sort
of getting along with HopStop but it was an awkward multi-step kind of thing.
DOWNLOADING NOW.

------
BornInTheUSSR
Apple Maps: Better Product Design Google Maps: Better Data

I'm especially missing dropping pins to share location and search bar tucked
up at the top in Google Maps, but Apple's lack of integrated transit
directions and putting me in random locations is a no go for city life.

Sigh...

~~~
eavc
Can you not share location? Or do you just miss the graphical touch of
dropping pins?

~~~
BornInTheUSSR
Found it, just tap and hold a spot on the map to get sharing options and
streetview

------
shanev
I'm surprised this is iPhone only and not a universal app with iPad support. I
frequently bring my iPad with me when I drive to act as a turn by turn
navigation device. Anyone know why? Hope it's coming.

------
so898
This is just another proving of products from FAMOUS COMPANY will hit the top
of the App store with no reason. Maybe it is the time for iOS Map Developers
to quit the business. So, what will be the next?

------
nmridul
Wondering if Google could have waited till the start of next year before
providing the maps ? Lots of last minute shoppers would have bought an android
phone considering Iphones lacked a good map...

------
grantph
Google releases maps and their evil behavior is quietly swept under the rug...
brilliant timing!

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4915206>

------
vinayan3
I wonder how much data the iOS app uses for it's vector based tiles compared
with the Google maps one? Google Maps does seem a lot quicker than before.

------
seanp2k2
Anyone else notice how Apple copied the look of Google's OG Maps app, and so
now Google uses a much different icon to avoid confusion?

------
benlower
Nokia Maps give one the ability to download maps locally to the phone. Do
either Google Maps or iOS Maps have that feature?

~~~
eco
Google Maps on Android has great offline support. Offline support isn't in
this first Google Maps release for iOS but they seem to be indicating it's
coming.

------
gk1
Just realized: The letter "g" and the placemarker form the word "go."

------
vtbose
This probably removes the last barrier to IOS 6 adoption, for many.

------
bmmayer1
Maybe Google should pivot and try this whole maps thing out.

------
crudolph
HN == Apple Bitch Fest; 98% pure negativity; Sigh.

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drivebyacct2
I guess I'm still stuck in the same mentality that I'm surprised at but I'm
always surprised to see what gets iOS users excited these days or what
problems it has: fundamental search issues the AppStore, the amazement of
Google Maps being "fluid" (ironic given the tech powering it [based on koush's
speculation]), lusting for the simplicity of the Google theme versus the
plasticy-clear-bubbled iOS.

Then again I'm also blown away by the people here who want to:

1\. Say that Apple had time left on their contract with Google. And
simultaneously say that the solution for Apple Maps is _soon_ and is easily
solved with more data partnerships.

2\. That Apple "won" here. I'm still at a lost as to how that is. Especially
given the lack of an Intent system in iOS, Apple Maps is about to be relegated
to a really poor position for Apple, especially given that users = more data =
better maps.

These are the things that Android 2.x was criticized for. I put up with such
incompleteness because I was getting something open source, powerful and
customizable. It was a compromise. I don't think Android users are
compromising anymore, despite the constant implication from users here that
only poor people buy Android, or that Android is "full of ads", or that Google
is losing interest in Android or just the constant implications that Android
is still sub-par to iOS. I just don't get it when I read these threads.

~~~
flxmglrb
I think there is some "vocal minority" stuff going on here, particularly with
regard to the look and feel of Google's app.

For starters, far from being "fluid", Google's app consistently has a much
lower framerate when scrolling or adjusting zoom level than Apple's maps app.
It never even approaches 60fps even when running on the latest hardware,
whereas Apple's old (and new) map application has always been really good
about this, even on old & low-end hardware. So I'm really confused as to what
people are talking about when they say it's "fluid". Compared to what?

As for the UI, the way Google's search input bar is positioned actually
results in more of the screen being wasted than Apple's standard search bar
UI. Those little slivers of the map which stick out above and on the sides are
too small to be useful, so what's the point? Just pin it to the top of the
screen and make it standard height like all the other apps do, thus giving the
maximum amount of _contiguous_ real estate to the actual map itself. There is
a reason why Apple does it the way they do, and it's not just for looks.

I have mixed feelings about the detail view being at the bottom. I understand
the idea of one-handed operation and I appreciate what they're trying to do
here -- optimize for the case of browsing search results with your thumb via a
combination of horizontal and vertical swipes, however I'm dubious of the
value of it since you still sometimes have to reach awkwardly across the
screen for certain things. Not to mention the detail view takes up more real
estate than necessary, much like the search bar. It also feels somewhat
disconnected from the currently selected pin due to being at the bottom, which
is a problem Apple doesn't have since they put the details directly on the
annotation.

Oh and of course you cannot blink without this app bugging you to log in.

------
WayneDB
I hope Google waits a few months and then rolls out a premium-purchase maps
feature. Then, when Apple demands their 30% and Google refuses, Apple has to
pull the app again and frustrate all their users again. Not saying that's what
will happen, but I can dream.

~~~
jkubicek
Why would you want that?

~~~
unkoman
for lulz

------
GotAnyMegadeth
> iPhone and iPod touch owners download Google’s new Maps title to complement
> or even replace Apple’s own

Google for the directions, Apple for the lulz

