Since the launch of the first iPhone in
2007, Apple has been using a critical component that is entirely owned
by Google. We are talking about Google maps here. Even the recently
launched iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S use Google maps. So, if you are using
Siri to ask your iPhone for directions or restaurants and business in
your geographical area, you are essentially making a request to Google
maps to provide you with that data. And now, Apple wants to change that,
by creating their own iPhone maps and thereby becoming completely
independent of Google Maps. Read on to learn more.
What makes us think that the iPhone 5 will have its own iPhone maps and that it will not rely on Google maps?
We are making this assumption with a lot of data. These are not mere rumors and wild speculation. Our assumptions are based on the fact that Apple has made several acquisitions in the recent past, acquiring companies that are capable of developing a complete mapping solution. Below, we will quickly go over the acquisitions that Apple have made. But first, we want you to know that Apple is not a company that acquires other companies for purely financial (investment) reasons. Usually, Apple makes an acquisition when they want the other company’s technology.
The most recent example to illustrate this is Apple’s acquisition of a small company named Siri, sometime in 2010. At the time of acquisition, Siri was a company that was creating voice recognition software. Most interestingly, Siri got into the spotlight after they were featured in the Apple App store. Their application went viral and Apple took interest. Shortly after, Apple paid out $24 Million to acquire Siri. We all know how the rest of the story went. About 12-14 months later, the iPhone 4S was released with a virtual assistant named Siri. Though the success of Siri is still being debated and questioned, we just wanted to talk to you about this story as we wanted to point out the nature and implications of Apple’s acquisitions.It was important that you understand that before you move on to the next passage.
Apple’s recent spending spree on acquisitions of mapping companies – Why the iPhone 5 will not use Google maps?
July 2009 – Apple acquires a mapping company called Placebase.
In July 2009, Apple purchased a mapping company called Placebase. Interestingly, the CEO of Placebase was then inducted into the GEO team at Apple. If you didn’t know that there was even a GEO team at Apple, we can’t really help you with that as we don’t know much about it either. But, some legitimate Apple employees have listed themselves as GEO team members at Apple, on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. So, something was definitely brewing at Apple, even back in 2009.
July 2010 – Apple acquires another mapping company called Poly9
Poly9 was a 3d Canadian mapping company that was becoming very popular on their own, until Apple gobbled them up in 2010. Since the acquisition, the previously popular website of poly9 is not even functional. This means that Apple bought them out in an outright manner, stripping their past existence altogether. If you try going to the poly9 website now, you won’t even get a redirect message or any kind of info that says that the company is no longer functional. Your browser will just hang. Apparently, all the people at Poly9 were added on to the GEO team at Apple, to help create a mapping system that will help replace Google maps.
August 2011 – Apple acquires another mapping company called C3
This has been the most recent acquisition that seems to suggest that Apple really wants to get rid of Google maps on their phone. It could very well be that the late Steve Jobs would not have been happy with the results provided by the GEO team that was working with employees and databases that were provided by Placebase and Poly9. Since things weren’t working out, what does Apple do? Dip into its deep coffers and pull out money to buy a high profile mapping company in C3.
Apple or C3 did not reveal the acquisition cost although financial analysts estimate the cost to be be somewhere between $240 Million to as much as $1 Billion. C3 is a Swedish company that has been making a lot of headway with 3D mapping. In fact, several industry experts referred to C3 as an entity that was best described as “Google Maps on steroids”. Take a look at a video provided by C3 3d mapping technology and you will understand why they have been given that name. C3 Technologies was previously placed at C3technology.com. But, if you go that website now, you will just get a blank screen, another example of Apple’s acquisition handiwork.
Yes, we think so. Obviously, Apple has been spending a lot of money, time and effort to develop their own mapping system. If the video samples by C3 are anything to go by, it would mean that the iPhone maps will be much better than what Google maps, version 3, have to offer. Apple’s own iMaps feature will also allow them to integrate their virtual assistant Siri, in a much better way that what they were able to achieve with Google Maps. Even with Google Maps, Siri is able to do a pretty awesome job and we are really excited about Siri’s capabilities when it is tethered to a global mapping system that is owned and developed by Apple themselves.
What will the new iPhone maps be called on the iPhone 5?
Do we really need to say this? OK, if you really want us to guess, we would say that the iPhone maps will be called, wait for the drum roll, the iMaps! Though that is a highly predictable name, you can already tell that it has a rather nice ring to it.
When will the iPhone 5 come out?
We would like to think that the iPhone 5 will come out in June or July of 2012. That is when the 2 year contract on the iPhone 4′s run out. This means that Apple have another 7 months to get the iMaps perfected.
So, give us your comments. Would you like to see Apple provide their own maps on the next iPhone, the iPhone 5? Do you think that Apple will slowly try to move away from all things Google? Do you think Apple could even get into the search engine business? If you have anything to say on this matter, use the comment box below and let us know. We would love to hear from you!
What makes us think that the iPhone 5 will have its own iPhone maps and that it will not rely on Google maps?
We are making this assumption with a lot of data. These are not mere rumors and wild speculation. Our assumptions are based on the fact that Apple has made several acquisitions in the recent past, acquiring companies that are capable of developing a complete mapping solution. Below, we will quickly go over the acquisitions that Apple have made. But first, we want you to know that Apple is not a company that acquires other companies for purely financial (investment) reasons. Usually, Apple makes an acquisition when they want the other company’s technology.
The most recent example to illustrate this is Apple’s acquisition of a small company named Siri, sometime in 2010. At the time of acquisition, Siri was a company that was creating voice recognition software. Most interestingly, Siri got into the spotlight after they were featured in the Apple App store. Their application went viral and Apple took interest. Shortly after, Apple paid out $24 Million to acquire Siri. We all know how the rest of the story went. About 12-14 months later, the iPhone 4S was released with a virtual assistant named Siri. Though the success of Siri is still being debated and questioned, we just wanted to talk to you about this story as we wanted to point out the nature and implications of Apple’s acquisitions.It was important that you understand that before you move on to the next passage.
If our guesses about behind the scenes work at Apple are right, this could what the iPhone maps could look like, in the iPhone 5
July 2009 – Apple acquires a mapping company called Placebase.
In July 2009, Apple purchased a mapping company called Placebase. Interestingly, the CEO of Placebase was then inducted into the GEO team at Apple. If you didn’t know that there was even a GEO team at Apple, we can’t really help you with that as we don’t know much about it either. But, some legitimate Apple employees have listed themselves as GEO team members at Apple, on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. So, something was definitely brewing at Apple, even back in 2009.
July 2010 – Apple acquires another mapping company called Poly9
Poly9 was a 3d Canadian mapping company that was becoming very popular on their own, until Apple gobbled them up in 2010. Since the acquisition, the previously popular website of poly9 is not even functional. This means that Apple bought them out in an outright manner, stripping their past existence altogether. If you try going to the poly9 website now, you won’t even get a redirect message or any kind of info that says that the company is no longer functional. Your browser will just hang. Apparently, all the people at Poly9 were added on to the GEO team at Apple, to help create a mapping system that will help replace Google maps.
August 2011 – Apple acquires another mapping company called C3
This has been the most recent acquisition that seems to suggest that Apple really wants to get rid of Google maps on their phone. It could very well be that the late Steve Jobs would not have been happy with the results provided by the GEO team that was working with employees and databases that were provided by Placebase and Poly9. Since things weren’t working out, what does Apple do? Dip into its deep coffers and pull out money to buy a high profile mapping company in C3.
Apple or C3 did not reveal the acquisition cost although financial analysts estimate the cost to be be somewhere between $240 Million to as much as $1 Billion. C3 is a Swedish company that has been making a lot of headway with 3D mapping. In fact, several industry experts referred to C3 as an entity that was best described as “Google Maps on steroids”. Take a look at a video provided by C3 3d mapping technology and you will understand why they have been given that name. C3 Technologies was previously placed at C3technology.com. But, if you go that website now, you will just get a blank screen, another example of Apple’s acquisition handiwork.
The iPhone 5 could have maps that look like this!!! See the video below to preview what could be called iMaps!
Jump to 1.40 in the video to see the amazing mapping technology.
So, will the iPhone 5 have its own iPhone maps?Jump to 1.40 in the video to see the amazing mapping technology.
Yes, we think so. Obviously, Apple has been spending a lot of money, time and effort to develop their own mapping system. If the video samples by C3 are anything to go by, it would mean that the iPhone maps will be much better than what Google maps, version 3, have to offer. Apple’s own iMaps feature will also allow them to integrate their virtual assistant Siri, in a much better way that what they were able to achieve with Google Maps. Even with Google Maps, Siri is able to do a pretty awesome job and we are really excited about Siri’s capabilities when it is tethered to a global mapping system that is owned and developed by Apple themselves.
What will the new iPhone maps be called on the iPhone 5?
Do we really need to say this? OK, if you really want us to guess, we would say that the iPhone maps will be called, wait for the drum roll, the iMaps! Though that is a highly predictable name, you can already tell that it has a rather nice ring to it.
When will the iPhone 5 come out?
We would like to think that the iPhone 5 will come out in June or July of 2012. That is when the 2 year contract on the iPhone 4′s run out. This means that Apple have another 7 months to get the iMaps perfected.
So, give us your comments. Would you like to see Apple provide their own maps on the next iPhone, the iPhone 5? Do you think that Apple will slowly try to move away from all things Google? Do you think Apple could even get into the search engine business? If you have anything to say on this matter, use the comment box below and let us know. We would love to hear from you!
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