As vocal users complain loudly about what Apple has taken away from the Maps app in iOS 6, a new report claims that Cupertino had more than a year before their contract with Google expired.
The Verge is reporting that Apple had more than a year left on its mapping agreement with Google when the decision was made to roll out the updated Maps app at WWDC back in June.
According to two independent sources, Cupertino made the call just ahead of WWDC this year, apparently concerned that the Google-powered Maps app was “falling behind Android” — particularly given that its rival has had built-in turn-by-turn navigation for some time, and Google appeared unwilling to allow Apple to use its own API for this purpose.
The decision apparently came as a surprise to the search giant, who only started work on an App Store version of Google Maps after the WWDC 2012 announcement — which is why users have no app to download as yet.
Contrary to what Google chairman Eric Schmidt told reporters in Japan on Tuesday, a separate New York Times report claims that the company is indeed developing a new Google Maps app for the iPhone and iPad, which is targeted for release “by the end of the year.”
Hang in there, iOS 6 users — seems like either Apple will start addressing its own Maps shortcomings or Google will come to the rescue with one of their own.
