Apple Maps has rapidly become a bigger joke in technology than RIM, and that’s saying something. Whether it’s a Tumblr making fun of its inaccuracies, or just the fact that it’s become part of every hacky comedian’s repetoire, it’s a rare misstep for a company not noted for making them.
So why did it happen? Why did Apple do it? Why did they make such a blatant misstep and release a product that so obviously was not ready?
Theories have ranged from a legal argument to Apple just being all Regina George towards Google (or vice versa), but some nerds have compared the two and come up with what’s actually a pretty good answer.
According to Onavo, a company that gets the most out of your data plan, it’s because Google Maps is a data hog:
Our data experts performed an identical series of activities on Google Maps and Apple Maps that included searching for several US cities, addresses and airports and zooming in and out to locate specific locations. On Google Maps, the average data loaded from the cellular network for each step was 1.3MB. Apple Maps came in at 271KB
OK, and Apple cares because…?
Because when the iPhone first came into existence, unlimited data plans were fairly common among cellular providers. Now they’re an endangered species. In fact, everybody from Apple’s main providers of the iPhone, AT&T and Verizon, now has a limit on their data, since to American corporations, data is like oil or Beer Nuts or some other physical quantity. So, the more data an app burns, the less data is available for that customer to buy and download more apps.
So, really, it was greed. Just greed of an entirely different kind.
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What about turn-by-turn navigation directions? Google Maps has it but Google wouldn’t enable it on iPhones.
Wouldn’t customers using more and more data instead be a good thing for carriers? They try to upsell more expensive data plans, having the need for one is a pretty good reason for upgrading.
Here’s the run down:
1) Apple’s and Google’s Map licensing would expire mid iPhone 5 life cycle.
2) Apple wanted better maps, turn-by-turn, vector, etc, and would be willing to use Google for that end.
3) Google would provide that but wanted more access to analytics from iPhone customers, things like Latitude integration and more user tracking.
4) Apple wanted none of that and wouldn’t give in on those, no matter what you think, Apple is pretty solid on siding with users on user privacy issues.
5) Apple, having acquired some mapping tech companies previously, started making their own mapping system.
6) Instead of changing maps during a phone and OS life cycle they changed it at the most logical point, their initial release.
Map data usage was not a concern and any news that Google was taken by surprise with this is just flat out lies.
You are correct sir!
Let’s just be honest and say that Google didn’t want to give up turn by turn since it was a big selling point for the Android phones that the iPhone didn’t have. Latitude integration was a minor issue to them.
Apple is the new Microsoft. They buy up companies and push it off as their own and bully whoever else they need to.
If you really believe Apple cares about privacy go read up it and see where they really stand. They are a giant coorporation and will use any and everything at their disposal to make an extra dime when they can. If that means giving out your info they will – same as Google or Microsoft will.
I think what people (myself included) are most disappointed with has been Apple’s stance to release products before they are ready just to hit their normal ‘cycle’ of releasing a product every September / October. Siri was a beta product at best when released and Maps is an Alpha and those are 2 of their biggest selling points for the last 2 iPhones.
Uh…..That’s the dumbest reason ever. The reason Google maps requires more data download is because they have more info on the map. Apple’s map is devoid of anything useful ergo the tiny data grab.
Dan, you disappoint me.