14 DAY TRIAL // It’s no mystery that Apple loves tight control over its products. It’s this mindset that helped it become the most valuable company in the world, and it continues to enforce it by steadily backing away from Google’s services as of late. This is precisely the reason why they “rushed” out their own Maps app, insiders say.
Multiple sources familiar with the matter told All Things D that Apple was upset over the fact that the Android version of Google Maps offered spoken directions, whereas the iOS port didn’t.
Google was calling the shots on numerous other fronts too, and they wanted in-app branding, Latitude, and more things that Apple simply couldn’t embrace.
“There were a number of issues inflaming negotiations, but voice navigation was the biggest,” one source familiar with the discussions said. “Ultimately, it was a deal-breaker.”
A person briefed on Apple’s strategy chimed in to say, “Apple knew it had a lot of catching up to do in maps. But, given what’s happened the past few days, I think they felt they were farther along than they actually are.”
In other words, Apple management may have not been aware of all the things that could go wrong as a result of playing catch with Google.
Which spurs the cliché theory that Steve Jobs, had he been around still, would have paid far greater attention to these details.
Under Tim Cook’s guidance, Apple’s strategy remains one of the best in the industry. But, without a mercurial CEO to push everyone to their limits to ultimately ensure a near-flawless user experience, the company is starting to lose points in the eyes of the public.
That’s not to say we should feel sorry for the iPhone makers. They’ve got their heads wrapped around it, and Google itself suffered quite a blow over this debacle, which ended with 100 million users effectively ditching Google Maps in a single click when they upgraded to iOS 6.
So there you have it. Something worth pondering upon the next time you hear Apple is developing services in-house.