It would seem that the conclusion of this article can't be drawn from the quotes Schmidt gave.
"Reuters has softened the tone of its original report which is now disputed by Bloomberg. Bloomberg says that Schmidt declined to say whether Google submitted its Maps app for Apple approval. Instead it quotes him saying, "We haven’t done anything yet with Google Maps," adding that Apple would "have to approve it. It’s their choice." The updated Reuters piece now quotes the Google chairman saying that Google and Apple are in constant communication at "all kinds of levels," while appearing to say that the decision to remove Google Maps from iOS was Apple's alone." [0]
Of course, it's a classic PR move (and one that Apple has used quite frequently in the past) to brashly deny that you're building a product up until the day you release it.
Whether or not it's true, what's genius about Eric Schmidt's statement is that it puts the ball entirely in Apple's court for the maps fiasco. He makes it sound like Google was perfectly content to just let things keep working as they had been, and that it was Apple who unceremoniously ended things for no valid reason, where the truth was almost certainly more nuanced than that.
Eric Schmidt is very good at displacing responsibility and target other parties. It reminds me of when he said, "If You Have Something You Don't Want Anyone To Know, Maybe You Shouldn't Be Doing It". He is displacing responsibility from Google and targeting the public. He has a very passive-aggressive style and it's very affective.
Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt confirmed on Tuesday that his company has not submitted a mapping app of its own to Apple's App Store, though he didn't entirely rule out the idea.
Just because they haven't submitted one, doesn't mean they're not working on a new one.
This is a brilliant strategy on Google's part. Wait until enough people are unhappy, make them really miss Google, and then release it. Suddenly, it becomes the number 1 app in the app store and really puts egg on Apple's face.
Presumably this will also lead to a number of iOS to Android converts - it's not just about making Apple look bad, it's demonstrating on a large scale that "Android is better, see?".
I'm not sure you can call that "strategy" if a prerequisite is that your competitors customers are unhappy. :)
Apple's hubris (and a not inconsiderable amount of hype by the media, no doubt related to some PR misteps by Apple) gift wrapped this for Google. All they need to do is write an app.
Yes, and while Google is waiting to release Apple is having to invest in their mapping app just to quash some of the bad PR all the while knowing that as soon as their app fixes most of the glaring defects Google can release a superior product and overshadow them. It will be interesting to see if Apple can close the gap in the places that matter.
Having used Google Maps in android and apple's maps in iOS 6, I have to say that Apple is doing a pretty good job. The UI in android can be very frustrating (the layers metaphor can feel very clunky), and the navigation never, ever worked as well in android as it has in iOS (ymmv, of course). They certainly need to work on their POI database, but apple has made a fairly good first iteration. If Google released a maps app that is only as good as their android version I probably wouldn't bother downloading it.
And users for who Apple's app work good enough just forget about google maps, and the market for mobile maps benefits from the competition. Win-win for everyone.
Wouldn't it be a better strategy to release it straight away so Apple doesn't get to harvest as much data from users potentially making Apple Maps better?
If no one uses Apple Maps then there isn't much Apple can do to compete.
I'm disappointed. Ars is usually pretty good about these things but in this case it sounds like a techcrunch'y over-sensationalized headline as a result of over parsing some casual statements from Eric Schmidt. Not having submitted the app to Apple yet, doesn't mean google is not building one at all. It'll be crazy for google to let go of half their local queries from mobile. It's just not going to happen.
It could be a good strategy for Google to turn iOS people to Android. Why offer such a good competitive advantage to their competitors for free? If Android has top quality maps and iOS has poor quality maps, it may not sway a lot of people to go with Android, but it will surely sway some people to go with Android.
But google's strategy isn't about beating iOS. It's about creating as much engagement a possible on all its web platforms - search,mail, g+, ...
Android's purpose is to create leverage over all the phone manufacturers to provide a funnel into google services. And it's worked brilliantly, since over 50% of smartphones are now funnels into google services. (It's a nice OS too, I'm just describing the strategic reason behind it)
In that vein, you would think google is better served by capturing all the iOS eyeballs too. Google seems to think that way for other apps (mail, google+, etc) , and I think it's in their interest to do an ios maps too.
Maybe there's value for google in creating a little schadenfreude by delaying, but they have to be careful- if they do it too long, iOS users will have found other solutions (3rd party or apple maps will have improved enough).
Now might be a good opportunity for Nokia to release an iOS map app. They have their own nap tech and they could pitch it an introduction to Win Phones.
Now would be the best time for Google to release a Maps app. While people are still frustrated with Apple's. Apple will eventually (hopefully) improve their maps with time and then people won't care anymore. If Google wants to keep people using Google Maps, now would be a good time to release it.
The question is whether the maps war is more important to them than the android/ios war.
Even if they do as you say, the default maps app will eventually win. It's what'll be on the home screen for new iphone users, it's what will boot up when someone clicks an address in any other app (mail, contacts, etc). And Apple will improve it enough that the gap between the two isn't painful enough to bother with Google's maps app.
No, Apple will win the maps war on the iPhone, just as sure as MSFT would've won the browser war on the desktop if the DoJ didn't step in.
I can't believe the amount of positive reactions to this. Am I the only one who is reading something along the lines "Yeah, they don't want us, and we don't care. We won't do anything in hopes of people switching iOs for Android" in this?
We know Google is at least doing a similar stereophotogrammetry technique to dynamically render the world in 3D... they talked about it coming soon to iOS during their presentation in June, "The Next Dimension of Google Maps" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMBJ2Hu0NLw). Though upon rewatching, they might have just been talking about Google Earth.
No sign that they were porting over Navigation to iOS.
"We think it would have been better if [Apple] had kept ours. But what do I know? What were we going to do, force them not to change their mind? It's their call."
Yes, passive-aggressive douchebaggery was what this situation was missing.
(I'm not saying he's wrong; we don't know why the Maps contract negotiations broke down. I'm just saying he sounds like a jerk in this quote.)
How is it "passive-aggressive douchebaggery" for Schmidt to say that Google would have preferred if Apple stayed with their mapping solution, but Apple had a right to make their own decision?
Seems like a relatively straightforward statement about the situation in response to a reporter's question.
For anyone (else) dissatisfied with iOS6 there is a way to go back. It's more difficult if you're already upgraded to the latest iTunes version, but the process isn't impossible. You download the ipsw file for your hardware, backup the device, then put it in DFU mode, option-click restore, select the ipsw, then restore the backup you just made.
I am going to wait until 6.1 because I've had many other (than maps) problems. My company's wifi seems incompatible with the iOS6, it connects then immediately drops the connection. Reverting to iOS5 restores infinite wifi happiness. The slow, awkward to use app store is also best avoided until apple figure out how to make it faster and work properly. In the past I have been upgrading happily every time, but this time I really wish I'd waited. I haven't found a single useful 6 feature yet.
Does this still work today? I tried downgrading and got error 3194, which seems to indicate that Apple is no longer signing 5.1.1 (I hadn't jailbroken/saved shsh blobs yet). Am I SOL?
Why am i not seeing anyone talking about a google maps native app violating apple tos? Apple strictly enforces the "no replicatiion of native app functionality" rule, so even if google does submit an app to the app store, will apple accept it?
Smart move by Google. They'll gladly let Apple embarrass themselves with their maps and then provide much better alternative. There's no point to rush when they can enjoy current Apple map fiasco.
This is a mistake on Google's part. By not filling the void, they are giving Apple time to iron out the problems with their maps. If Google really thinks people are going to switch to Android because of the maps app they are delusional (there will be a few but not in any number that makes a difference).
Is it possible that google forced them to make their own maps solution? I assume apple made the first move, but given the size of the pissing match between the two of them, I could see google withdrawing map access in order to harm iOS.
If Apple wants Google Maps in the app store, they could make it a condition in their next round of default search engine negotiations. Apple has all the leverage.
[+] [-] Simucal|13 years ago|reply
"Reuters has softened the tone of its original report which is now disputed by Bloomberg. Bloomberg says that Schmidt declined to say whether Google submitted its Maps app for Apple approval. Instead it quotes him saying, "We haven’t done anything yet with Google Maps," adding that Apple would "have to approve it. It’s their choice." The updated Reuters piece now quotes the Google chairman saying that Google and Apple are in constant communication at "all kinds of levels," while appearing to say that the decision to remove Google Maps from iOS was Apple's alone." [0]
[0]: http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/25/3386598/google-maps-app-st...
[+] [-] lazerwalker|13 years ago|reply
Whether or not it's true, what's genius about Eric Schmidt's statement is that it puts the ball entirely in Apple's court for the maps fiasco. He makes it sound like Google was perfectly content to just let things keep working as they had been, and that it was Apple who unceremoniously ended things for no valid reason, where the truth was almost certainly more nuanced than that.
[+] [-] markerdmann|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|13 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] headShrinker|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jschuur|13 years ago|reply
Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt confirmed on Tuesday that his company has not submitted a mapping app of its own to Apple's App Store, though he didn't entirely rule out the idea.
Just because they haven't submitted one, doesn't mean they're not working on a new one.
[+] [-] jedberg|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cryptoz|13 years ago|reply
Presumably this will also lead to a number of iOS to Android converts - it's not just about making Apple look bad, it's demonstrating on a large scale that "Android is better, see?".
[+] [-] ajross|13 years ago|reply
Apple's hubris (and a not inconsiderable amount of hype by the media, no doubt related to some PR misteps by Apple) gift wrapped this for Google. All they need to do is write an app.
[+] [-] KevinEldon|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jack-r-abbit|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mullingitover|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hrktb|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] 89a|13 years ago|reply
If no one uses Apple Maps then there isn't much Apple can do to compete.
[+] [-] bovik|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bluedevil2k|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nilsbunger|13 years ago|reply
Android's purpose is to create leverage over all the phone manufacturers to provide a funnel into google services. And it's worked brilliantly, since over 50% of smartphones are now funnels into google services. (It's a nice OS too, I'm just describing the strategic reason behind it)
In that vein, you would think google is better served by capturing all the iOS eyeballs too. Google seems to think that way for other apps (mail, google+, etc) , and I think it's in their interest to do an ios maps too.
Maybe there's value for google in creating a little schadenfreude by delaying, but they have to be careful- if they do it too long, iOS users will have found other solutions (3rd party or apple maps will have improved enough).
[+] [-] cpeterso|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] michaelbuckbee|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] statictype|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] webwright|13 years ago|reply
Even if they do as you say, the default maps app will eventually win. It's what'll be on the home screen for new iphone users, it's what will boot up when someone clicks an address in any other app (mail, contacts, etc). And Apple will improve it enough that the gap between the two isn't painful enough to bother with Google's maps app.
No, Apple will win the maps war on the iPhone, just as sure as MSFT would've won the browser war on the desktop if the DoJ didn't step in.
[+] [-] adamkiss|13 years ago|reply
If that's true… they must be naive, at least.
[+] [-] dkordik|13 years ago|reply
No sign that they were porting over Navigation to iOS.
[+] [-] beej71|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kemayo|13 years ago|reply
Yes, passive-aggressive douchebaggery was what this situation was missing.
(I'm not saying he's wrong; we don't know why the Maps contract negotiations broke down. I'm just saying he sounds like a jerk in this quote.)
[+] [-] kumarm|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tomkarlo|13 years ago|reply
Seems like a relatively straightforward statement about the situation in response to a reporter's question.
[+] [-] joshryandavis|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mongol|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nicholassmith|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hnriot|13 years ago|reply
I am going to wait until 6.1 because I've had many other (than maps) problems. My company's wifi seems incompatible with the iOS6, it connects then immediately drops the connection. Reverting to iOS5 restores infinite wifi happiness. The slow, awkward to use app store is also best avoided until apple figure out how to make it faster and work properly. In the past I have been upgrading happily every time, but this time I really wish I'd waited. I haven't found a single useful 6 feature yet.
[+] [-] Splines|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Achshar|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] plorkyeran|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] markokocic|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] yalogin|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chucknelson|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tedsuo|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] untog|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] blakecutler|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nilsbunger|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sabret00the|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] richcollins|13 years ago|reply
*as long as you use Android
[+] [-] Gigablah|13 years ago|reply