It’s clear now that Apple screwed up when it gave Google Maps the boot, and now there is evidence that even Apple knows it.
Ycombinator forums user hownottowrite pointed out this week that Apple listed six new software engineer positions specifically for its iOS Map Display team last week. The job description of the positions reads as follows:
The iOS Map Display team is looking for a proactive and hardworking software engineer to join our team. Our team is responsible for displaying map content for the Maps application on iOS. It is used by millions of customers and it’s the best mapping program on any mobile platform. Our team is also responsible for map display via MapKit, the iOS framework that displays maps used by countless applications on the App Store.
Best mapping program on any mobile platform? That clearly isn’t the case.
When iOS 6 was released for download on older iPhones on Wednesday, the deficiencies of the Map app quickly became apparent. Pictures and reports of deformed roadways and missing, moved, or misnamed roads, building, and towns can now be found all over the web. Boy Genius Report points users to The Amazing iOS 6 Maps Tumblr blog, where a wide selection of the new Maps app’s failures can be seen.
It seems clear from Apple’s desperation to get some new Maps engineers on-staff that the company won’t be crawling back to Google anytime soon. iPhone users will have to endure until Apple can make a maps app that “just works.”
Luckily for iPhone users, Google hasn’t abandoned them. Google is working hard to have an Apple App Store stand-alone version of Google Maps available before Christmas.
(via BGR)