The fun did not stop in the iOS 6 maps brouhaha this weekend as a number of items hit the Web. Perhaps most interesting, iOS hacker Ryan Perrich claimed to have gotten Google’s map tiles to work on iOS 6 Maps. If true, it might alleviate some of the growing pains iOS 6 users are facing.
Next up… TechCrunch noticed Apple still refers to Google Maps when Mapping emails are sent to non-iOS 6 users.
We caught on to this directly after the WWDC announcement, but there is something important to note:
[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5mac/status/212279453106180096]
When we noticed this in June, the “maps.apple.com” resolved to a Google IP address. Since then, Apple has changed the DNS to an internal IP address, which then of course currently redirects over to a Google Maps address. This likely indicates Apple will soon push its maps to web pages and perhaps a Mac app. Apple can flip the switch at any time or even push it out slowly for testing purposes.
Meanwhile, TechCrunch also reported Apple is poaching Google Maps employees. One of its sources stated:
Apple has a great deal of job openings available on its “Geo Team”.
And finally, Jean-Louis Gassée in his Monday Note said Apple is mostly responsible for the bad press:
However, what few are offering up alternatives? Google Maps is one of Google’s best products, and Apple simply could not catch up in the time since it started buying up mapping startups. If Apple waits another year, Google has an even bigger lead and is gathering information from all of those mobile maps users.
Apple just needs to throw a lot of smart people and resources at this so it does not end up being another MobileMe.
- Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval. It is solely up to Apple to approve.
- Google Exec comments on iOS 6 Maps [Video]
- Google Exec comments on iOS 6 Maps [Video]
- Missing all the features of Google Maps? Get them back in iOS 6 with these third-party apps
