Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s recent iOS 6 maps gaffe could prove to be a good thing for some of their lesser known competitors and apparently, they’re okay with it (for now at least).
On Friday morning, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s chief executive officer Tim Cook shared an apology letter with iOS 6 users, on the official store’s website, and in the note, he reminded users of a few mapping applications they could use until they fix the issues.
Some of the map applications Cook suggested include Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK)’s Location Platform, Mapquest, Google, Waze, Bing, and Skobbler. Some of these map applications are already popular alternatives, like Bing and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), but the other three (Waze, Skobbler, and Mapquest) are often overlooked. All 6 of these apps share one crucial feature: voice-guided navigation. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of some of suggested map services.
Bing doesn’t have a separate maps app, so users will have to download the Bing search app instead. This mobile iOS app makes it easy to search for directions, whether the user is in a car or walking.
Although Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s map application was dropped for iDevices, users can still use the Google’s mobile website to navigate their city or area.
Mapquest is owned by America Online, and their free app is ideal for users who are looking for a simple application with the basic features, like GPS and turn-by-turn navigation. It also has a few special features, like saved recent location searches and distance summaries for multi-route trips.
Waze is a social maps application that allows users to build live maps, that they (and others) can use. It also features real-time traffic updates.
Skobbler is a company that offers several mobile maps for iDevice users, including Open Street Maps and GPS Navigation 2 (which is based off the former), and can be used offline. Like Waze, OSM is a social maps app that allows users to view and edit them.
Despite Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s embarrassing Maps issue, Cook made sure to remind their customers that his company will improve their Maps. He didn’t give a date or a time frame, as to when we can expect the new and improved app.
