iOS Gets A New Google Map

Last week Google made a major announcement which was a complete makeover to its Mapping service. And just six days later, Google maps for the iOS has been released. Google Maps for iOS is said to have a number of new features and updates. The most noted change is that the Google Map team has worked on a fully functional Map that is customized for the screen of an iPad. This dedicated mapping experience for the iPad is first of its kind and it has better navigation capabilities, enhanced search etc. It is expected that with these changes iOS users will prefer using Google Maps over any other mapping service including Apple Maps.

These latest update clearly indicate that Google Map will become the first choice for many users. To begin with Google Maps has been there was a while and almost everyone is familiar with most of its features. Secondly, as years have progressed Google has invested a great deal of time and money to improve its mapping service. In addition, Google’s acquisition of Waze, a crowd-sourced Map service which is highly popular in parts of Europe wouldn’t hurt either.

As for now, all iOS users can download the app from the Apple app store. The app rendition for the iPad is going to have all the familiar features namely Street View and more. iPad users will surely have a unique and one of a kind experience of accessing Maps on their device as it will bestow the advantage of screen sizes. The enhanced navigation feature is yet another thing which is worth talking about. Live updates will provide iOS users real-time information on incidents such as accident, road closures, traffic status etc. The voice guided, turn-by-turn navigation is yet another feature which is worth noting. Additionally for users who rely on public transport, the Google empowered Map for the iOS has at least 1 million public transit checks from across the globe.

Many features that exist in the Android version of the Google Maps such as the all new explore option has also found entry into the iOS version of the app. The explore option will facilitate users to visually browse and find new places of interest without having to type a single word. Instead users can see Cards that shows nearby places to shop, dine, drink etc. Additionally, the app also provide users with a review functionality under a 5 star rating system. Users can find ratings on restaurants, cafes, eating joint and other places by Zagat. At the same time, reviews from friends and families about a particular location can also be procured from the app.

All in all, the new Google Map for iOS has enough and more features to set the ball rolling in the right direction. Although Google has to be applauded for some of the wonderful features that it has brought on the Map table, its decision to kill Latitude did not go down well with many users. Within hours of Android releasing Google Map, many users were quite critical. “That initial feedback caused Google to change its course”, a company spokesman told eWEEK. “After seeing some of the comments and reactions of users around the world who were missing the offline functionality, our engineering team worked around the clock to develop an easier way to cache a map for offline use.”

A first look at the all new Google Map came about during the I/O conference in San Francisco in June this year. The latest features that the Map showcases are certainly a winner. While Android users have been forever smug about Google Maps, iOS users love the app as well. Users’ outburst when Apple removed Google Maps in favour of Apple Maps last year bears testimony to the fact that Google Maps is indeed the most desired Mapping service in the world.