Launch of Google Maps for iPhone viewed as a 'mixed blessing' for Apple

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  • Reply 41 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post




    Nobody versus vast majority is nitpicking? Only in your world does 80% of the populace not count as the vast majority.


     


    Misrepresentation is your forte... why stop now.


     


    Transparent as Google?! Now I know you're joking. 



     


    Google is as transparent as you can get. They clearly outline everything they are doing in their privacy agreements and you can opt out of everything, which I have done.

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  • Reply 42 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RichL View Post


     


    Almost anything - both positive and negative - surrounding Apple gets hyped out of proportion. However, there's clear evidence that Apple did screw the pooch on this one: firstly, Apple issued an apology and, secondly, people at Apple lost their jobs over the issue. 





    I don't think I ever said that Apple didn't screw the pooch on Apple Maps. I said it was overblown.


     


    The apology and the firing of an employee cannot necessarily be construed as evidence of this.

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  • Reply 43 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NexusPhan View Post


     


    At 71% global market share, android does not need the minor competitive edge that the real google maps app gives. They've already won. They're an ad company that makes money on volume. To that end, it's not even a contest.





    But the money they make is tied to page views and that sort of thing, not device ownership, and by that measure, it doesn't look like Android is winning, especially if you factor in tablets. It all depends how you slice it up, because the business models are very different. You could also probably argue that neither Apple nor Google is making money from iOS/Android, and that it's all about page views (which can be facilitated by any OS) and hardware.

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  • Reply 43 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NexusPhan View Post


     


    Google is as transparent as you can get. They clearly outline everything they are doing in their privacy agreements and you can opt out of everything, which I have done.





    ... and those court cases...   image

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  • Reply 45 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post




    ... and those court cases...   image



     


    That's quite the vague reference. Many companies have been in many court cases. Google and Apple included.

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  • Reply 46 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post




    ... and those court cases...   image



     


    I think those court cases were less about what Google was going to do with the information, rather more of how Google gathered the information.


     


    Should Google have done that?  I'd say no.  But what Google would have done with the information is still pretty transparent.

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  • Reply 47 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NexusPhan View Post


     


    That's quite the vague reference. Many companies have been in many court cases. Google and Apple included.





    Of course you would try to evade this issue.  image


     


    http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_22011088/google-privacy-settlement-ftc-seems-headed-court-approval


     


    Hmmmm... transparent... sure...  image


     


    Fool me once...

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  • Reply 48 of 267


    I like the google maps app. Actually its 10 times better than before. So it was the right move from apple to throw them off the system.


    Now we have a much better app.


     


    My opinion is that apple should realize that they can not do everything. One key success for the future is to partner with specific companies. Even if its google. When they have the best content for maps then go ahead apple and license it. 


     


    Put me in the CEO position and I would stop apple's own mapping ambitions and start working on products and services again which make the apple eco system the best in the world.


     


    It absolutely makes no sense to build up an own mapping solution when everybody is happy with google maps.

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  • Reply 49 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NexusPhan View Post


     


    At 71% global market share, android does not need the minor competitive edge that the real google maps app gives. They've already won. They're an ad company that makes money on volume. To that end, it's not even a contest.



     


     


    Android has had majority share for a long time now. This is nothing new. Apple runs a closed OS that runs on a limited number of devices (with good reason.) Yet iOS constantly pistol-whips Android in consumer satisfaction. EVERY YEAR. Why is that? Why are iOS devices consistently best-sellers? Why does it take an ocean of flotsam and jetsam from Android OEMs to equal the success of a mere 2-3 iPhone models? Why does iOS constantly lead Android in actual web usage?


     


    It's very easy to whore out your OS to anyone that can slam together a box and not give a damn about the experience. The lazy-man's way to market share. Keep puffing up share numbers by spreading around garbage - much of which doesn't even qualify as a "smartphone" while masquerading as one in the measurements. 


     


     


    Where the rubber meets the road (every year):


     


     


     


     


    http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57398726-37/iphone-again-scores-top-spot-at-customer-satisfaction/


     


    Most recent:


     


     


     


     


     


    http://mashable.com/2011/09/09/apple-customer-satisfaction-survey/


     


    http://www.forbes.com/sites/briancaulfield/2011/03/18/apples-iphone-tops-jd-power-customer-satisfaction-survey-again/


     


    http://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/08/apple-again-tops-j-d-power-rankings-of-smartphone-consumer-satisfaction/


     


    http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/09/j-d-power-smartphone-study-ranks-iphone-1-in-customer-satisfac/


     


    http://arstechnica.com/apple/2008/11/iphone-wins-top-business-smartphone-satisfaction-marks/


     


     


     



     


     


     


    ScreenShot2012-05-28at75101PM.jpg


     


     


     


    This one's interesting:


     


    http://www.loopinsight.com/2012/01/09/iphone-satisfaction-at-75-closest-competitor-at-47/


     


     


     


     


    Apple has consistenly topped rankings of this kind for every iPhone that has ever existed, for every single year of the product's existence. 


     


    From Day 1.


     


    http://www.zdnet.com/blog/orchant/iphone-satisfaction-numbers-are-unreal/523


     


    http://seekingalpha.com/article/44709-early-iphone-adopters-extremely-satisfied


     


     


    (That's alright. We won't even talk about tablets.)

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  • Reply 50 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AsianBob View Post


     


    I think those court cases were less about what Google was going to do with the information, rather more of how Google gathered the information.


     


    Should Google have done that?  I'd say no.  But what Google would have done with the information is still pretty transparent.





    Does this sound transparent:


     


    "According to the FTC, Google told Safari users that their browser was automatically set up to block third party “cookies” —small pieces of data used to track online activity— so users had no need to opt into more restrictive privacy settings.  However, Google allegedly circumvented Safari’s default settings and used these “cookies” to map users’ preferences and generate targeted advertisements. The FTC claims that this misrepresentation violated the Google Buzz decree and warranted a substantial civil penalty."

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  • Reply 51 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post




    Of course you would try to evade this issue.  image


     


    http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_22011088/google-privacy-settlement-ftc-seems-headed-court-approval



     


    I say again, Google allows for the opt out of tracking cookies among other opt outs. And as AsianBob pointed out, they are very transparent about what they do and don't do with the collected information. Google maintained that tracking was improper coding and was unintentional. But, who knows about that.

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  • Reply 52 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post




    Does this sound transparent:


     


    "According to the FTC, Google told Safari users that their browser was automatically set up to block third party “cookies” —small pieces of data used to track online activity— so users had no need to opt into more restrictive privacy settings.  However, Google allegedly circumvented Safari’s default settings and used these “cookies” to map users’ preferences and generate targeted advertisements. The FTC claims that this misrepresentation violated the Google Buzz decree and warranted a substantial civil penalty."



     


    Sounds like poor privacy protection on Apple's front.

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  • Reply 53 of 267


    I like Apple maps and Google maps and will use both.  The winner here is the consumer, it's great having options and competition keeps these companies on their toes.

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  • Reply 54 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    Android has had majority share for a long time now. This is nothing new. Apple runs a closed OS that runs on a limited number of devices (with good reason.) Yet iOS constantly pistol-whips Android in consumer satisfaction. EVERY YEAR. Why is that? Why are iOS devices consistently best-sellers? Why does it take an ocean of flotsam and jetsam from Android OEMs to equal the success of a mere 2-3 iPhone models? Why does iOS constantly lead Android in actual web usage?


     


    It's very easy to whore out your OS to anyone that can slam together a box and not give a damn about the experience. The lazy-man's way to market share. Keep puffing up share numbers by spreading around garbage - much of which doesn't even qualify as a "smartphone" while masquerading as one in the measurements. 


     


     


    Where the rubber meets the road (every year):


     


    http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57398726-37/iphone-again-scores-top-spot-at-customer-satisfaction/



     


    Most recent:


     


     


     


    http://mashable.com/2011/09/09/apple-customer-satisfaction-survey/


     


    http://www.forbes.com/sites/briancaulfield/2011/03/18/apples-iphone-tops-jd-power-customer-satisfaction-survey-again/


     


    http://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/08/apple-again-tops-j-d-power-rankings-of-smartphone-consumer-satisfaction/


     


    http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/09/j-d-power-smartphone-study-ranks-iphone-1-in-customer-satisfac/


     


    http://arstechnica.com/apple/2008/11/iphone-wins-top-business-smartphone-satisfaction-marks/


     


     


    This one's interesting:


     


    http://www.loopinsight.com/2012/01/09/iphone-satisfaction-at-75-closest-competitor-at-47/


     


    Apple has consistenly topped rankings of this kind for every iPhone that has ever existed, for every single year of the product's existence. 


     


    From Day 1.


     


    http://www.zdnet.com/blog/orchant/iphone-satisfaction-numbers-are-unreal/523


     


    http://seekingalpha.com/article/44709-early-iphone-adopters-extremely-satisfied


     


     


    (That's alright. We won't even talk about tablets.)



     


    That's why CNet's top smartphone this year is a Samsung....


     


    http://reviews.cnet.com/holiday-gift-guide/top-gifts/


     


    And Samsung Galaxy series has outsold the iPhone 5. Don't put too much weight with what the customer satisfaction surveys say. If they weren't satisfied, they wouldn't continue to sell so many tens of millions.

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  • Reply 55 of 267
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    andre bee wrote: »
    I like the google maps app. Actually its 10 times better than before. So it was the right move from apple to throw them off the system.
    Now we have a much better app.

    My opinion is that apple should realize that they can not do everything. One key success for the future is to partner with specific companies. Even if its google. When they have the best content for maps then go ahead apple and license it. 

    Put me in the CEO position and I would stop apple's own mapping ambitions and start working on products and services again which make the apple eco system the best in the world.

    It absolutely makes no sense to build up an own mapping solution when everybody is happy with google maps.

    1) Your first two comments seemingly contradict each other. You say it was the right move by Apple because it got Google to make a decent app for iOS which would not have been possible to get all those features if Apple stayed partnered but then you go on to say that Apple shouldn't do certain stuff themselves and should partner.

    2) Apple does partner with their new Apple Maps. There are about a dozen companies they use to grab data from around the world.

    3) Apple making their own maps is a move toward making the Apple ecosystem the best in the world. This is why their Maps app is now better than their previous Maps app previously powered by Google.

    4) Clearly everyone wasn't happy with Google Maps otherwise Apple would have kept it. Would you have been happy with continuing to have vector maps or TbT? Even a cheap phone running an older version of Android had that. Google put Apple in a corner and Apple made the best possible decision. You now have a native iOS Maps app that is better than before and you have Google Maps for iOS as an option if for some reason you can't or won't use Apple Maps. iOS users are better off than pre-iOS 6.
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  • Reply 56 of 267
    chabigchabig Posts: 641member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Andre Bee View Post


    It absolutely makes no sense to build up an own mapping solution when everybody is happy with google maps.



    You must not be aware that Google maps on iOS were way behind Maps on Android. There were people buying Android instead of iPhone just because it came with turn-by-turn directions for free. Android makers were advertising the same. I don't think you can say everyone was happy with Google maps.

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  • Reply 57 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NexusPhan View Post


     


    That's why Google maps went to number one downloaded free app within 30 minutes of being released. Ya, the vast majority surely don't care.





    I think you should look again youtube is the top app and google maps is not even on the charts.


     


    I have switched off sending anonymous data from the maps app so they should not be getting any data from me (unless someone knows otherwise).


     


    One major problem I have is that there are no options to change the Units, everything is in feet and miles, and there is no way to change the voice, the synthesised voice for French road names is completly uncomprehensible.

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  • Reply 58 of 267
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,740member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post I am like many who wanted to try it out but aren't so keen on replacing their native solution. I've seen the same from pretty much every tech blogger that uses an iPhone.

    PS: I also added to Ubuntu and Win8 and Win Server 2012 downloads but I have no interest in replacing Mac OS X with them either.


    Soli, nearly every tech blogger I've seen comments from has indicated that Google Maps is their recommended nav app over Apple's own so I think it's really the other way around. The editors at Ars, TheVerge, Techcrunch and Engadget all write that Google Maps for iOS outshines Apple's efforts so far. Even the typically Apple-friendly bloggers have the same opinion. For example MG Siegler said:


     


    "It’s great. I’ve been using it all morning to get around. It’s worth it for the clearly superior place search functionality alone.


    Judging from my inbox/replies/etc, it seems like a lot of folks expect me to take a shit on the app. I’m not going to do that. As I’ve always said, my only requirement to use something is that it be the best. And that’s clearly the case here.


    Google Maps is superior to Apple Maps in most (though not quite all) ways. And I’m excited to have it back on the iPhone. I’ll be using it constantly."


     


    David Pogue in his review says "Google Maps for iPhone is a home run" while also saying that with Apple Maps "You wind up with a deep mistrust of the app that’s hard to shake."


     


    It doesn't mean that their opinions are necessarily more valid than yours or anyone else's. But your claim that "pretty much every tech blogger that uses an iPhone" wouldn't want to replace Apple Maps app with Google's doesn't seem to have much support going by what I've read.


     

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  • Reply 59 of 267
    ifij775 wrote: »
    Now there isn't any reason not to upgrade to iOS 6, and we don't have to hear about "mapgate" any more. Apple's map app was 10x better than the old Google app, but no one would know from the blogosphere.

    Technically, Apple developed the "old" Maps app on iOS 1-5. It used Google Maps data.
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  • Reply 60 of 267
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    nexusphan wrote: »
    And Samsung Galaxy series has outsold the iPhone 5.

    So the entirety of the Samsung Galaxy series has outsold a device that only launched 3 months ago (and only today in China)? Why is that is unexpected or noteworthy to you?
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