As you may know by now, Apple won"t include Google Maps in its new iOS 6, which was released today for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices. Instead they have integrated their own maps, using technology they have gained from such companies as C3, which they acquired in 2011.
Rather conveniently Google has today announced that Google Maps for Android will be updated next Tuesday, to make it easier to personalize searches on maps and make it much easier for users to find places. The stand out feature however is the ability to sync across devices. You could find a place on your PC, then go to your phone and have it suggest the place you have previously looked at. This will likely make it much more convenient when travelling.
Vice president of engineering for maps at Google, Brian McClendon, said,
Typing on a phone is slow, and our goal is to reduce the amount of typing as much as possible,
Speaking to The New York Times, McClendon declined to comment on Apple Maps, but says that this is a feature that Apple does not offer, because it doesn"t have a giant search engine that gathers data about what you have searched. He also added that experience is important, and said that it takes a long time and effort to figure out how to do this right.
Android users will be able to find previously searched locations under My Places. They will also be able to add home and work addresses to the app so that they do not have to type each one out when travelling from those locations. McClendon declined to comment on whether Google is building a Map app for iOS devices, however users of the operating system can access it via the web.
Source: The New York Times