Google Maps App for iOS

Excellent.......its up to #5 now, give it a few hours it will be top of the search list

Good spot professorhat, that's going straight on my iPhone!

I've replaced the web version I've been using. Thanks.

Google have now released their full set of apps missing so far!

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/apple-ipad/google-releases-youtube-app-for...

Fantasic I'll be downloading that when I get home.
I reckon they had this ready ages ago but wanted to make sure Apple's ineptitude got maximum exposure before they launched the alternative. Can't blame them for that really. All's fair in love, war and business.

Yep Great,only for iPhone at the moment coming to iPad soon I here.

Nice that Apple have been mature about allowing it onto their apps store. They acknowledged their own offering was flawed, apologised and signed off on a competitor's superior app.

True but let's be honest, if the rumour had got round that a Google Maps app was ready but Apple were dragging their heels over signing it off, that would do their reputation even more harm still. I'm sure they signed it off grudgingly. There will have been nothing mature about it. It will have been all about which option is best in terms of damage-limitation.

 

I'm sure the reports of BBQd Aussies expedited their decision...

+1

at #4 in the search right now

To be honest I have been using apple one without any problems I will download the google one to see if is any better 

Here he is! The satisfied customer who likes Apple Maps! Apple have been hunting the world for you mate! Imagine, finding you here of all places!

I would 'back up' any GPS or electronic mapping system with good old fashioned (but up-to-date) paper maps + compass if driving into a hostile environment.

The top of our road (not a hostile environment i'm happy to say) has been one-way for 5 years. Every GPS system I have seen still directs vehicles down it the wrong way! It is the driver's responsibility if they solely rely for directions on something that has been widely (very, very widely) publicised as faulty.

Also, if you travel into the wilderness (anywhere, let alone Australia), it's your responsibility to plan and prepare and get all the best survival advice and take the right kit etc.

I think though that was the whole beef. The app was directing users 40 odd miles away from where they were expecting to be. Unfortunatly, that 40 odd miles took them to the middle of nowhere with no water and poor phone reception.

Not sure if it's maturity, or commercial acumen (but see below...)

Apple and Google (in the form of Android) are huge competitors, but Apple was paying Google to keep maps on iThings (see here) so cutting off Google Maps from iOS 6 saved them buckets of cash. That was a good commercial move.

The bad move was not to make sure that they had a replacement app ready and working (this last word is important...) to replace Google's offering when it was dumped. Hence the unceremonious departure of Execs involved.

I wonder if Google got word of the fact that Apple's offering had issues, and held back on the GoogleMaps App - who knows? Rumours abound that the app was ready months ago. It certainly didn't hurt Google to let Apple stew a bit.

But, it hasn't hurt Apple's bottom line if they're paying $1-2bn less to Google for the right to have their Maps app AND google now have to provide it for free - which is a win-win scenario for Apple - if they can survive the bad press of the current AppleMaps storm...