/
Navigation
Chronicles
Browse all articles
Explore
Semantic exploration
Research
Entity momentum
Nexus
Correlations & relationships
Story Arc
Topic evolution
Drift Map
Semantic trajectory animation
Posts
Analysis & commentary
Pulse API
Tech news intelligence API
Browse
Entities
Companies, people, products, technologies
Domains
Browse by publication source
Handles
Browse by social media handle
Detection
Concept Search
Semantic similarity search
High Impact Stories
Top coverage by position
Sentiment Analysis
Positive/negative coverage
Anomaly Detection
Unusual coverage patterns
Analysis
Rivalry Report
Compare two entities head-to-head
Semantic Pivots
Narrative discontinuities
Crisis Response
Event recovery patterns
Connected
Search: /
Command: ⌘K
Embeddings: large
TEXXR ▲
TEXXR

Chronicles

The story behind the story

← → days · ↑ ↓ browse · Enter similar · o open

Google says Maps not waiting in wings for iPhone 5

(Reuters) - Google Inc has made no move to provide Google Maps for the iPhone 5 after Apple Inc dropped the application in favor of a home-grown but controversial alternative, Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said.

Reuters Kevin Krolicki

Context & Ripple Effects

Apple has replaced Google Maps on the iPhone 5 with its own mapping software, shifting a core location service from a Google-supplied component to Apple control. A September 20 report that Google had an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting Apple approval conflicts with Eric Schmidt’s statement that Google has made no move to provide Maps for the iPhone 5.

Google’s Android Maps update arrived as Apple moved away from the service, underscoring how Maps is becoming a point of differentiation between the two mobile platforms rather than a shared default.

First-order effects

  • iPhone 5 users remain on Apple’s mapping application rather than a Google-provided replacement, while Apple retains control over the built-in maps experience.
  • Google loses the immediate distribution channel it held through the preinstalled iPhone Maps application and can only address the iPhone gap if it chooses to pursue an Apple-approved app.

Second-order effects

  • Google’s Android Maps improvements become more strategically important because Android can showcase Google’s mapping product without Apple acting as the gatekeeper.
  • Apple’s mapping quality and feature set face sharper scrutiny from iPhone buyers because the company has assumed responsibility for a service formerly supplied by Google.

Third-order effects

  • Mobile platforms are moving toward control of foundational services such as maps, with operating-system owners treating default apps as strategic assets rather than neutral third-party integrations.

The trend: Apple and Google are turning formerly shared mobile services into platform-controlled differentiators, making distribution and approval power as important as the application itself.

Related: Apple Inc · Google · Google Maps · Google has an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting approval

Related Coverage