Following Apple’s removal of Google Maps as the default map app on the iPhone and iPad, and replacement with a glitchy Apple Maps app, both of which were part of the release of Apple’s iOS 6 mobile software update on September 19, users have been clamoring for Google to release a stand-alone Google Maps app for download from Apple’s App Store.
But after much speculation about when that app might materialize, it turns out that Google employees themselves think Apple probably won’t approve such an app for the App Store.
As The Guardian reported Monday:
Sources at Google familiar with its mapping plans say they are “not optimistic” that Apple will ever approve a dedicated Google Maps iOS app. Though the app is reportedly in development and should be ready to ship by the end of the year, the sources say their plans are only proceeding in “the unlikely event” that Apple will choose to approve the app.
