According to the Wall Street Journal, we could see Google Maps for iOS hit the App Store sooner than we thought. Google has been working on their application since Apple dropped the native Google Maps app from iOS when iOS 6 was released earlier this year. Many iOS users have been disappointed by Apple’s in-house Maps application and have been awaiting the release of a native Google Maps app for iOS. Luckily for them, Google has reportedly pushed its new mapping application for iOS to alpha testers outside of the company. WSJ said the following on the new Google Maps application:
Google has distributed a test version of its new mapping app that will work on Apple’s iPhones and iPads to some individuals outside the company, said a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Google has been putting the finishing touches on the app before submitting it for approval to the Apple iTunes store, this person said, though it is unclear exactly when that will happen.
Google Maps for iOS is expected to include turn-by-turn directions, a feature that wasn’t included in the pre-iOS 6 Maps application, which was powered by Google Maps. We should also see Google Maps for iPhone bring Street View to the table, something which Apple’s in-house Maps application currently lacks, and probably won’t be getting for a very long time.
Image Credit: Craig Baerwaldt
