Is very hard to remember when Apple makes a bad move. Unfortunately, this time every iOS 6 user is affected. The new Maps app seams to have a huge problem: it doesn’t have maps.
In a very strange move, Apple decided to replace Google Maps app with their own Maps app, starting with iOS 6 update. The result can be seen in the picture.
Apple had no reason to replace Google Maps app, which is one of the best app that Google ever made with another one, since no one ever complained with it. Except the fact that it was made by Google, which doesn’t seem to be on Apple’s friends list.
If you are an iOS 5 user I strongly advice you to not update to iOS 6 if you were spending a lot of time using Google Maps in the past. This new app it’s clearly not as good as Google Maps was and users started to complain that it lacks the lever of detail the old maps system had. Also, there are troubles with public transit directions and rendering.
Usually after something bad happens Apple react and tries to fix the situation. Right now they released the following statement:
Customers around the world are upgrading to iOS 6 with over 200 new features including Apple Maps, our first map service. We are excited to offer this service with innovative new features like Flyover and Siri integration, and free turn by turn navigation. We launched this new map service knowing that it is a major initiative and we are just getting started with it. We are continuously improving it, and as Maps is a cloud-based solution, the more people use it, the better it will get. We’re also working with developers to integrate some of the amazing transit apps in the App Store into iOS Maps. We appreciate all of the customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience even better.
I remember that when Apple had the iPhone 4 antennagate problem, Steve Jobs gathered the press and announced that they would offer bumpers to fix this. The best thing Apple could do would be to put back Google Maps app inside iOS 6 as a native app, but this seems unlikely. Meanwhile iOS 6 users should wait the new Google Maps app which is on the way to App Store.
Besides removing Google Maps, it appears that Apple also choosed to remove Youtube app from the homescreen. Surprising or not, some analysts are saying that “iOS 6 is mostly about Apple – they wanted to get Google off their phone”. I still have a lot of respect for Apple and what they are doing and I hope they will somehow try to fix this big problem and make their users once again happy.
Update: It appears that besides iOS 6 Maps problem, users are complaining that most of the new iPhone 5 orders come with scuffs and scratches. In a survey made on MacRumours forum 35 percent of the users that voted received an iPhone 5 “scuffed out of the box”. The tech media is already calling this issue “Scuffgate“.
Related Links: TheVerge
All people who saw this picture with Tokio map have to do the experience with their own Maps iOs 6 with their iDevice. And they can easily find the station. They do the zoom as they arrive at the same map. And they do a little zoom more and they can see how the shame has to be on this redactor because they can see that all the details are on the map from iOS6. All the details. This redactor stop the zoom just, really just, before appear the all details. Shame on him
Philippe,
Thanks for your comment.
You may be right, but there are too many issues in this new Maps menu right now. If the Tokyo map works what happens with those foggy areas from other places?
It’s inadmissible for a company like Apple to release an app with so much problems. There are huge amounts of data that are incorectly/not displayed when using Maps app. It’s not normal, users expect other things from Apple.
“Amazing” spelling, and grammar.