Google Working on Maps for iPhone, iPad
People pining for a Google Maps app on their Apple devices will get one eventually, but likely not for another couple months or so. — Google is developing a maps application for iPhone and iPad that it is seeking to finish by the end of the year …
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple has replaced Google Maps on the iPhone 5 with its own mapping alternative, while Google simultaneously updated Maps on Android. Google also had an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting Apple’s approval, making distribution through Apple’s review process central to its response.
The planned iPhone and iPad app turns mapping into a direct application-level contest on Apple hardware rather than a service bundled into the operating system.
First-order effects
- iPhone and iPad users seeking Google’s mapping service would have a prospective alternative to Apple’s built-in Maps once Google completes the app and Apple approves it.
- Apple retains control over whether and when Google’s replacement reaches iOS users through App Store approval.
Second-order effects
- Google’s Android Maps update and planned iOS app let it compete for mapping users across both mobile platforms, while Apple must defend adoption of its home-grown alternative.
- A standalone Google Maps app makes the quality and availability of mapping services a more visible point of differentiation between Apple’s and Google’s mobile ecosystems.
Third-order effects
- If major services can return to rival platforms as standalone apps, operating-system vendors gain less lasting advantage from removing bundled competitors; control shifts toward app distribution and service quality.
- Apple’s gatekeeping role in iOS app approval becomes a strategic lever when a displaced platform service seeks to re-enter the device.
The trend: Mobile platform rivalry is moving from preinstalled services toward cross-platform apps, with app-store control determining how quickly displaced services can return.