Google Maps For iPhone 5 Not Even On the Radar Yet, Says Schmidt
An Apple a day is supposed to keep the doctor away, but with the latest release of iOS -- version 6 -- Apple has managed to kick Google Maps to the curb, too. The decision to ditch Google Maps in favor of its own mapping service based on TomTom's data hasn't been particularly well received by users, some of which have complained that it oftentimes screws up the location data.
Google Maps has powered the mapping service on iPhone devices from iOS version 1 through 5, but going forward, it looks as though Apple wants to do whatever it can to cut ties with Google, makers of the most popular mobile operating system in the world (Android). But is the feeling mutual? It's hard to say. Google's Eric Schmidt expressed disappointment that Apple chose to remove Google Maps from iOS, but at the same time, it doesn't sound as though Google is in any hurry to offer a non-native solution for Apple users.
"We think it would have been better if they had kept ours. But what do I know?," Schmidt told reporters in Tokyo. "What were we going to do, force them not to change their mind? It's their call."
Asked if Google Maps would be green-lighted in the Apple App Store, Schmidt replied, "We have not done anything yet." In other words, Google may decide to take its ball and go home to Android. Furthermore, this raises the question of whether or not Google Search will disappear from the iPhone as well. How far is Apple willing to go in order to avoid sleeping with the enemy, as it were?
"I'm not doing any predictions," Schmidt added. "We want them to be our partner. We welcome that. I'm not going to speculate at all what they're going to do. They can answer that question as they see fit."
Google Maps has powered the mapping service on iPhone devices from iOS version 1 through 5, but going forward, it looks as though Apple wants to do whatever it can to cut ties with Google, makers of the most popular mobile operating system in the world (Android). But is the feeling mutual? It's hard to say. Google's Eric Schmidt expressed disappointment that Apple chose to remove Google Maps from iOS, but at the same time, it doesn't sound as though Google is in any hurry to offer a non-native solution for Apple users.
"We think it would have been better if they had kept ours. But what do I know?," Schmidt told reporters in Tokyo. "What were we going to do, force them not to change their mind? It's their call."
Asked if Google Maps would be green-lighted in the Apple App Store, Schmidt replied, "We have not done anything yet." In other words, Google may decide to take its ball and go home to Android. Furthermore, this raises the question of whether or not Google Search will disappear from the iPhone as well. How far is Apple willing to go in order to avoid sleeping with the enemy, as it were?
"I'm not doing any predictions," Schmidt added. "We want them to be our partner. We welcome that. I'm not going to speculate at all what they're going to do. They can answer that question as they see fit."
