Thursday, December 13, 2012

Official Google Maps app: Out for iPhone

Apple has finally approved a Google-produced Maps app for the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and 3GS as well as for the iPod Touch. You can already download the official Google Maps app from the iTunes store.

With iOS 6, Apple decided to reinvent their Maps app by scrapping the map services offered by Google and replacing them with their own. The revamped Apple Maps iPhone app did not cater to the expectations of many and some even found it disappointing due to numerous incorrectitudes and other issues compared with the service provided by Google Maps.

With users who updated to iOS 6 finding no way to revert back to the Google Maps service which the official Maps iPhone app offered in previous iOS versions, Google initially remained silent on any prospects of developing their own native Google Maps iOS app.

However, it was clear that Google was cooking a Maps app of their own and on September 12th it was unofficially rumored that Google submitted their Maps app to Apple for approval.

At last, Google Maps iPhone app was just officially approved by Apple for the iPhone – possibly an iPad app will also follow soon.

At first sight the new Google Maps app looks revamped, yet it features a simple interface. The Maps app gives you a chance to log in with your Google account but you can skip this step.

The satellite map imagery is as outstanding as Google could make it.

You also have the old Traffic and Public transit features we know from the original Maps app.

Here is how the app looks on my iPad Mini. Obviously, the Google Maps app is still available only for the iPhone, at least in the beginning.

Finally, here is a YouTube video from New York Times revuewing the newly-approved official Goolge Maps app.

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