Will Apple drop Google?
One of the things users like about the iPhone is its tight integration with Google maps, but it looks like Apple is moving towards a proprietary mapping system and away from Google.
When Apple purchased PlaceBase, a mapping company, recently the thought that came to mind was that Apple must be planning on putting together its own proprietary mapping software for the iPhone. As that thought played out, it was clear that such a move would remove the close integration between the iPhone and Google maps, which would make a lot of users sad, according to a PCWorld story. And the next logical question became “has all the recent conflict between Apple and Google created enough bad blood to rend that friendship asunder?”
Of course, another part of that question becomes, “Can Apple recreate all of the good traits of Google Maps internally?” Because, if they can’t, there is a good chance that the user mapping experience on the iPhone may well get worse instead of better. Users have gotten used to looking at full-featured Google maps from inside the iPhone interface, and anything with lesser features will be seen as a step backward, not a step forward. Therefore, any move towards proprietary mapping may be a bit precipitous, at least in the eyes of the user group.
So maybe Apple should be thinking twice about this, or what is even more likely, this move toward proprietary mapping may be more of a contingency plan than an operating plan. With the Google CEO moving off the Apple board, and Google and Apple duking it out at the behest of the FCC in the matter of Apple’s rejection of the Google Voice app, it may be that Mr. Jobs is seeing that Mr. Schmidt could possibly pick up his ball and go home.
If that were to happen, Apple would need to have a mapping replacement in hand, so they have to be ready to make that happen. The steps being taken to look at replacing Google maps may just be a matter of safeguarding the iPhone’s mapping capabilities and not a move by Apple to cut Google out of the iPhone mapping loop. The smart money is on the contingency plan theory.
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