Native Google Maps for iOS 6 in alpha stages?

Most of you who follow tech news would know by now that Apple’s Maps offering on iOS 6 is far from the finished article, and when compared to the old Google Maps on older versions of iOS, you would feel as though you were ‘cheated’ in a sense, as Apple’s Maps app is relatively gimped in comparison. There have been users who clamored for Google to release a native iOS 6 Google Maps app, but Google executives claimed that even if such an app were to be developed, they will still need Apple to give their nod of approval. That day might not be too far off in the future, as what you see on the right is the customary blurry image of a purported alpha version of an upcoming native Google Maps app for iOS.

We might be looking at support for the iPhone 5′s larger display and resolution, in addition to the very real possibility of a vector-based solution. It has been tipped to be “super fast” while boasting of “two-finger rotation to any angle”. What do you think of the leaked screenshot on the right – is it the upcoming real deal, and does this mean Apple will quietly work on Maps in the background before wowing the world with it in iOS 7?

Edwin Kee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: ios 6