Google associated Apps on iOS now obsolete

Source: MacRumors

In the recent iOS6 update, Apple has controversially decided to get rid of YouTube and Google Maps as applications pre-loaded on devices. To get YouTube, one must download it off the App store. No warning, nothing. The uninformed about the update may just go ahead with the update, and not realize that YouTube will no longer be pre-installed. Small task, but many rely on YouTube as there is no Flash support in iOS. Google Maps on the other hand cannot be reinstalled in any way after updating to iOS6. Your only option is to use Apple Maps, or wait for Google Maps to come to the App Store.

Apple Maps created uproar on the Internet because of its' many inaccuracies. Bridges somehow melting, highways suddenly sloping upwards at 90 degrees, and incorrect placings of landmarks shows that it is nowhere near Google Maps league. Although this iOS6 update brings you turn-by-turn navigation, it still does not match up to the standards of Google Maps.

I understand that Google Maps has been out for a long time, and has gone through these phases as well. Misprints, and little errors plague every software, but landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty are not well represented in Apple's Maps. A popular landmark, known to almost everyone in the world, is hardly seen in Apple's maps. To me, this does not seem to be an application up to Apple's standards. Apple's motto, "It just works," no longer applies to this specific application. It just doesn't work the way you want it to. There is no transit map available, with only a button leading you to a third party app. Buildings are misrepresented, and there is no option to downgrade back to Google's Maps.

So what does this mean for Google? Google now has a viable edge to this game. Pushing out their own application to the App Store could gain much of their traffic back. Could this mean that Apple users are in frustration, and turning to other operating systems in the future? Certainly possible, but I highly doubt it.

Apple has also released a statement about the app, stating that "this is just the beginning...improvements to come." We'll just have to wait and see.

What do you think about Apple's decision to steer away from Google? Do you think they will be successful in the future with this plan? Let me know!