Report: Apple To Drop Google Maps From iOS 6

Apple may be on the verge of dropping Google’s mapping technology for a brand new in-house maps application using 3D mapping technology by C3 Technologies, which the company acquired in 2011.

This followed earlier acquisitions of mapping-software companies Placebase and Poly9, which led analysts to think Apple was trying to wean its iOS devices off Google Maps.

3D mapping

That day may be fast approaching, if the “trusted sources” quoted by Apple blog 9to5Mac are to be believed.

Apple is widely expected to show off iOS 6 at the upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference in June. According to the report, the app will be similar in look and feel to the Google Maps app, but will provide a faster, cleaner and more reliable user experience. The main feature will of course be the 3D mapping technology developed by C3, which users can access by clicking a button placed on the application.

On its website, C3, which is based in Sweden, describes its technology as automated software and advanced algorithms, which enable them to “rapidly assemble extremely precise 3D models, and seamlessly integrate them with traditional 2D maps, satellite images, street-level photography and user-generated images”.

If Google’s contract with Apple is soon to be at an end, the search giant certainly isn’t sitting on its heels, as it chases its rival to capture ever-more share of the growing smartphone and tablet market.

Local discounts

Just this week, Google announced the 6.7 release of Maps for Android; it features “Offers”, which makes it possible to get deals from local businesses on the go.

Users can tap “Maps” to open the dropdown menu and then tap “Offers” to see offers on the map. They’ll then see all the businesses offering deals near the user’s current location, marked with a blue Google Offers tag.

Users can also view the offers in a list and choose to get notifications for offers nearby. In addition, some Google Offers can be purchased and saved for later, while others are immediately available for free.

Google also added indoor walking directions in the United States and Japan, plus 360-degree interior photos of businesses.

“This will help you get directions not only to a building’s front door, but also through those doors to the places where you want to go inside,” Benjamin Grol, product manager for Google Maps for Android, wrote in a company blog post. “Now you can get a feel for a restaurant or store inside as well as outside using Street View technologies. Use it as your trusted guide to help you find and discover places to eat, shop and play.”

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