Remember the fiasco on the Apple maps as described here in my previous post? We also had news in late October about the sacking of Scott Forstall for refusing to apologise for its failed Maps software. Apparently, Scott Forstall was asked to leave after years of issues with other top executives. The last straw was his refusal to take responsibility for the mismanagement of the mapping software.
Now, Apple has finally launched the Google Map on Apple store. It has since been one of the top free downloads on the store. According to Daniel Graf, director of Google Maps for mobile, 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,” he said in a blog post. He added that “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 new mapping app is available for the iPhone and iPod Touch using iOS 5.1 and higher, in more than 40 countries and 29 languages, including Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Also included are turn-by-turn navigation, along with traffic data, public transit times, and Street View images. Some other improvements include a sharper looking, vector-based map that loads quickly and provides smooth tilting and rotating of 2D and 3D views.
