Remember the Apple map fiasco back in 2012. It was one of the biggest online fails in Internet history. Now it looks like Apple maps are prime for a comeback.
Apple is upgrading maps primarily for their iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch for their next iOS product. They are using these new and improved maps to compete with Google Maps and to fulfill a promise that Apple maps will live up to high standards. They will use technology developers like Cue and Gautier to help engineer these maps. And thanks to acquisitions of mapping companies like Broad Map, their data will be upgraded with better, more enhanced data. And these new iOS 8 maps will have public transit directions and directions to and from airports. It will start in major cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, but will eventually spread? to other cities that have local commuter rail, subway and bus systems.
My response to this: we’ll see. We were promised a lot the last time Apple tried this mapping thing out and a lot was hyped up. Look at what happened. Their competition must have been laughing to the bank. But they’re using new people and even bought out acquisitions to help them out. That’s a good sign. But the thing that attracts me and I think will attract most people to these new maps is the public transit apps. More people are using public transit now than they have in decades, since the 1950s. So this will be a huge selling point, assuming it works this time. How much confidence do you have in the news iOS 8 maps?