Apple’s goal of providing the best product on the market has been evident in their sales records and product popularity. So, what’s the deal with its change in Maps with iOS6? Could the choice to pull out of a deal with Google have unspoken intentions?
Previously, maps on Apple’s products were provided by Google. When about a year was left on the collaborative deal, Apple decided to use its own Maps application in the iPhone 5 and iOS6. This decision left Google scrambling to develop their own iOS Google Maps app, which remains incomplete and is not schedule to ship for months. Many sources propose that Apple’s problem was as long as they remained under the power of Google Maps, their own mobile mapping would remain inferior. The risky decision: release an inferior map product of their own while riding the wave of a strong market position in hopes of developing a superior product in the near future. The possibility of not paying off on an improved maps product is a gamble, but one Apple is willing to take.
As both companies race to create the best mobile map application in 12 months time, consumers wait to see what time will tell.
