Last week rumors began to circulate suggesting that Google would be releasing an iOS 6 Maps app into the App Store “before Christmas”. The report surfaced after Apple launched its own mapping service along with iPhone 5 and gave Google Maps the boot.
Now, Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt denied the Maps rumors while speaking to a group of reporters in Tokyo during a Nexus 7 event, according to Bloomberg.
“We haven’t done anything yet with Google Maps,” Schmidt told reporters. “Apple would have to approve it. It’s their choice,” Schmidt added, declining to say if his company has already submitted an application to Apple for sale through its App Store.
Although Schmidt confirmed that Google and Apple were in constant communication “at all kinds of levels,” — he also made it clear that any decision on whether an iOS 6 version of Google Maps would be approved for App Store release would have to be made by Apple.
Those clinging to any hope for Google Maps to magically appear in the App Store anytime soon may be in for a long wait — forced to make peace with a less robust Apple Maps until something changes.
Meanwhile, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak weighed in on iOS Maps from Australia, telling ZDnet “he was loving the iPhone 5, but admitted he was slightly disappointed with Apple Maps.”
“I tried to navigate somewhere, and I couldn't get to where I wanted to by voice,” Wozniak said. “So, I was a little disappointed, because I love navigation by voice with my Google phones, actually, since they always get it and are based on a better database.”
With over 5 million iPhone 5 devices sold during opening weekend and 100 million iOS devices already updated with iOS 6 — Wozniak is convinced that “the severity of the flaws with Apple's Maps has been exaggerated.”
Try telling that to the lost legions who are continually submiting Apple Maps fail-photos to The Amazing iOS 6 Maps site set up on Tumblr.
“We think it would have been better if they had kept ours. But what do I know?” Schmidt told reporters in Tokyo. “What were we going to do, force them not to change their mind? It's their call.” - Source Reuters
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