Google Maps is one of the most popular smartphone apps and one of the most lucrative, as advertisers are quick to see the value in location-based mobile ads. Now Apple is reportedly working to move into Google’s territory with its own maps application to replace Google Maps in the iOS 6 operating system.
The Apple maps app was first reported by 9to5 Mac last month, and now BGR says it has a picture (right) of a map displayed by the app, which it says will include a 3D option.
With just 6 days to go before Apple’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference, analysts are speculating that the Apple maps app will be a cornerstone of the company’s iOS 6 operating system announced at the conference. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple wants to encourage developers to embed the maps app in other applications.
In a sign that Google may be expecting a maps announcement from Apple, the Mountain View company has made a preemptive strike by scheduling a press conference tomorrow to showcase “the next dimension of Google Maps.”
Google says it will “provide a sneak peek at upcoming features that will help people get where they want to go – both physically and virtually,” suggesting that Google Maps is also going 3D.
The competing map apps could eventually become a major consideration for consumers deciding between Android and iOS smartphones. Right now, more than half of all smartphones purchased worldwide are Android phones.
Follow me on Twitter.
