Ever since Schmidt resigned from Apple’s board we all knew that a feud between the two companies was about to start.
Google had just launched Android, a Mobile OS. I’m sure we are all too aware of this.
Android wasn’t, and still isn’t a serious competitor for Apple’s iPhone. Google’s OS still has a long way to go to reach the “slickness” of the iPhone OS. Furthermore Google doesn’t have control over the hardware running its OS. Which means that the brilliancy of the OS can be completely overshadowed by the absurdity of the hardware. Honestly, some of the Android phones look like they have been designed by some boffin called Jenkins who was given complete freedom by their boss, Who should have instead said “No Jenkins you imbecile that’s not a phone. It’s crap. Do it again.”
I’m getting side-tracked. Let’s get back to the point.
Today Google announced Google Map Navigation for Android; and somehow I doubt it will make it to the iPhone. My guess is that Google is repaying Apple in kind for the whole Google Voice debacle. This is a serious blow and Apple will have some work to do to catch up with this.
More importantly Google Maps Navigation runs entirely off the net.
I have an iPhone with the Navigon app. It’s great but on my slim 8GB iPhone 25% of the storage is used for Navigon maps. With mobile internet connectivity becoming ever more ubiquitous this is definitely the way to go.
All I can hope for is that the rumor that came out a while ago about Google developing its own mobile phone is true. Then I might seriously consider giving up my iPhone.
UPDATE: AppleInsider reports that Google is in fact planning to port Google Maps Navigation to iPhone. If Apple approves the application, that is. Just PR or are they actually working on it?
“Apple is a close partner,” a Google spokesperson told AppleInsider Wednesday. “Millions of users experience Google Maps on the iPhone. We will continue to work with Apple to bring innovation, including Latitude and Navigation, to users but you’ll have to speak to Apple about availability.”
