Google Maps Available for iOS
 

Santa came early for Apple Maps sufferers! Now I once again have a map app that understands things like "902 broadway nyc". And bus/subway directions! It is all in all much prettier than the Maps app in previous iOS versions.

Yay!!

Out with the bookmark and back with the Google Maps app. ^^

Awesome. I might actually buy an iPhone 5 now!

Or upgrade to iOS 6. :D

The google blog post about it

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/...or-iphone.html


Google Maps is now available for iPhone

December 12, 2012
People around the world have been asking for Google Maps on iPhone. Starting today, we’re pleased to announce that Google Maps is here—rolling out across the world in the Apple App Store. It’s designed from the ground up to combine the comprehensiveness and accuracy of Google Maps with an interface that makes finding what you’re looking for faster and easier.

The app shows more map on screen and turns mobile mapping into one intuitive experience. It’s a sharper looking, vector-based map that loads quickly and provides smooth tilting and rotating of 2D and 3D views. The search box at the top is a good place to start—perhaps by entering the name of a new and interesting restaurant. An expandable info sheet at the bottom shows the address, opening hours, ratings and reviews, images, directions and other information.

Now let's get a jailbreak so I can delete Apple Maps and all that other stock iOS crap.

Well apparently the so-called "Dream Jailbreak" was a complete fraud.

Question about the app
 

I just recently downloaded with iOS 5.1 as my current OS before I switch just in case I find maps to be buggy. The question is how do I drop a pin and use street views?

Thanks

hold your finger on a point on the map

I had to Google this. You could have done that too! Swipe up on the address bar at the bottom.

Thanks mate! I'll give it a try later

So which do you prefer?
 

The downloadable app or the app on iOS 5.1?

iPhone only? No full form-factor iPad app? Seems very odd. I haven't downloaded a phone-only app in a long time.

Google says iPad maps are coming "soon".

Personally, I'm surprised they released an iOS maps app. Would have been better to make Google Maps a differentiator in favor of Android.

Maybe the revenue/data they get from having more Maps users outweighs the marketing/market share advantage.

Very nice app. But goodness, does it seem to be a battery drainer.

Very happy to have this option.

But two criticisms:

1. The banners in turn-by-turn mode isn't as big as on Apple Maps. Voice is nicer than Siri. Would be nice to have something like the Overview mode too.

2. You can log in with your Google account but apparently you can see your custom Google Maps?

Otherwise, I'm going to rely on this and Apple Maps for my trip to the Dolomites next year. Going to leave the Garmin at home.

Google earns 80% of its mobile revenue from iOS: http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/...m_android.html

Which app do you prefer?
 

The downloadable app or the app on iOS 5.1?

Downloadable. I'm still on 5.1 to keep my jailbreak.

Stu

PS: Does anyone know a way to make my system default to the new Maps? A Cydia tweak or something?

They are working on iPad version and probably release early 2013. The current version is very cool but does seem like a battery drain....need to try out this weekend.

Does google make money from a free app? It gets data, yes, but income?

I too think this is an own goal -- maps is one of the most used apps by far for me, and I have avoided iPhone, the bad maps being one (but not only) reason.

Also, given the major shift to android globally, I would expect the mobile revenues to shift away from Apple more and more, despite the propensity of iOS users to want to part with cash far more readily than other users.

tb

Yes, at least from Google Maps it gets money and income because of the search-related ad revenue it gets. Goes for the regular internet browser searches using Google Maps too.

the good:
- it has better search than apple maps
- the traffic SEEMS like it might be better, but i need more data

the bad:
- i hate 3-D representations of buildings on maps. i find it useless and annoying. the more dense the city, the worse. it's horrific in NYC. i can't turn it off. it actually inhibits my ability to use the application and find things.
- it's KILLING my battery
- it's not integrated with anything else on my phone

the "i don't care":
- i never use turn-by-turn directions on my phone, so i don't care
- i never use satellite view, so i don't care
- i never use flyovers, so i don't care

conclusion (for now): i have it but i probably will never use it.

meh

???

press the 3 little dots in the lower right corner and turn off satellite view, if that's what you're talking about.

I guess some people just can't be satisfied and are going to complain regardless of what they do. No Google maps? complain. Google maps restored and even better than before? Find some other reason to complain.

The legit complaint, IMHO, is that without jailbreaking, there's apparently no way to make google maps the default map app on your iPhone.

-David

Anyone find a way to get terrain view on it? That's really the only thing I use a lot that I haven't found a way to view in the new app.

Click on the 3 little dots in the lower right hand corner and click 'satellite'. Is that what you want?

otherwise ... terrain view is in Google Earth. Install the separate Google Earth app and you can get there from Google Maps by pressing the 3 little dots in the lower right corner and selecting Google Earth, that will take you to the same place in the Google Earth app.

-David

no, not satellite view, this:

http://imgur.com/TVTPv

but you can turn it off, so i was mistaken earlier

and, for the record, i never complained about apple maps. i have never ever had a problem with it. i wish i could get google search on apple maps, then i think i would have the best of both worlds.

Where did you find the control to turn it off?

Thanks,
David

In that pic, I would click on the "3D" button on the bottom left.

That pic is Apple Maps, isn't it? It's not Google Maps.

I guess the reason I don't see the 3D views in Apple Maps is that I'm on an iphone4. I think it's 4s and higher.

-David