Hell hath no fury like a tech company scorned. Apple dumped Google Maps for the iPhone 5 in favour of its own navigation app, and has heard nothing but bad things about it since. And now it looks like Google is keen to get in on the Apple-bashing.
Motorola (owned by Google) has posted an advert on its Google Plus and Facebook pages ribbing the Maps app in iOS 6, TechCrunch reports. It's even coined a hashtag: #iLost.
"Looking for 315 E 15th in Manhattan?" it says. "Google Maps on Droid RAZR M will get you there & not #iLost in Brooklyn." Then ad's slogan reads: "The real world that's fit for your hand," and is shown along with a detailed screenshot of Google Maps next to the rather sparse-looking Apple Maps.
Apple dropped Google Maps in favour of its homegrown Maps app (with data provided by TomTom). At first, everyone was wowed by the 3D-ness Apple was touting. Then we all got to use it, and realised what a mess it really is. It thinks Luton is in Devonshire, and that Heathrow airport is right next to Hyde Park. Still, at least it'll point you to your nearest Our Price.
Google Maps wiped the floor with Apple's Maps in our test this week.
Nokia has been taking aim at the iPhone 5 too, with a detailed breakdown of how the Lumia 920 is better. Samsung also launched an ad campaign slating Apple's finest, labelling the iPhone as fit for old fogies, and another with a side-by-side spec sheet comparing it with the Galaxy S3.
As you might expect, the ads are skewed in Nokia and Samsung's favours, with no mention of an App Store. But the Maps debacle is a big mess, especially seeing considering Apple's supposed reputation for quality. What happened to not releasing software until it was ready for use, guys?
Apple launched its own tranche of adverts too this week. There's no mention of any rivals, but from the sound of them everyone involved was too busy patting themselves on the back to notice any other phones.
What do you think of companies slating each other in adverts? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 27
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anonymous 23 September, 2012 08:59
All Iphone users that have updated or who have the Iphone 5 - Download the bing maps.
I think the app is called bing get me there, my friend used it yesterday to find a restaurant and it got us there.
WOrth using til google maps makes it to the app store.
anonymous 23 September, 2012 09:17
How can Apple simply steal an app which I bought along with the phone? Over just 2 days the new maps have proved useless - again and again. I am very angry.
Peter Hudson 23 September, 2012 10:06
I remember Motorola, they used to make phones back in the 90s didn't they?
anonymous 23 September, 2012 10:47
I am a long distance walker I did some town to town planning on the new maps, when I search for Nottingham to Matlock it shows the route I would go but when I look at Matlock it is just a big blur, I did a search Nottingham to derby and sends me all the way to the end of derby, google sends me to the middle of derby as it should, I am a long distance walker, for help to get to other town the new maps won't help me at all
anonymous 23 September, 2012 11:44
I don't know, did they Pete? That's surely too many years on the market. too much experience! They should be gone by now.
Peter Hudson 23 September, 2012 12:12
My mum had a Razr about 10 years ago, I remember it. I have a vague memory of a few sub standard android handset that never got OS updates. Everyone moaned about that.
anonymous 23 September, 2012 12:44
It's a bit silly of your mum then to buy a low end Motorola phone and expect a high end performance from it isn't it?
anonymous 23 September, 2012 12:51
Err, maps.google.com on Safari - yes Apple have made a mess of this, but its not that difficult to find where you want on an iPhone...
themissinglink 23 September, 2012 13:42
all this moaning about apple maps there r perfectly good free alternatives as mentioned bing maps or theres a feee version of copilot that offers turn by turn navigation so what all the complaining about if you dont like use something else
Loadit 23 September, 2012 14:25
@Peter Hudson
Motorola still make extremely good phones. Tell me any other make that can beat or even equal the battery life of the Razr Maxx. And it has ICS now.
As far as I am concerned you can keep your Samsung's And iPhone's. I will stick with the best Motorola.
anonymous 23 September, 2012 14:43
Well I've been using maps on ios5 for a week now, it's working perfectly for me.. may be i am just lucky or may be i am qualified to make a comment as I've used it, not read it elsewhere.
good luck screaming at Apple guys
anonymous 23 September, 2012 14:44
Well I've been using maps on ios5 for a week now, it's working perfectly for me.. may be i am just lucky or may be i am qualified to make a comment as I've used it, not read it elsewhere.
good luck screaming at Apple guys
anonymous 23 September, 2012 14:44
Well I've been using maps on ios5 for a week now, it's working perfectly for me.. may be i am just lucky or may be i am qualified to make a comment as I've used it, not read it elsewhere.
good luck screaming at Apple guys
anonymous 23 September, 2012 17:32
To be fair. There is a Luton in Devon :P
anonymous 23 September, 2012 20:13
Your obviously qualified, as you posted the same message 3 times, is this so everyone gets a chance to see how qualified you are?
I doubt most people would even care that apple maps works properly yet, the thing that most annoys me is the new dock, i have a 3gs, 4 & 4s as all my family have iphones now and that take's away alot of functionality in my home so i doubt ill buy one, seems since apple lost steve jobs they lost there sense of direction, R.I.P steve you will be sadly missed.
anonymous 23 September, 2012 21:55
Anonymous 23 September, 2012 20:13, steve jobs most likely knew about the new dock, because if the Samsung vs apple case was anything to go by, then this iPhone was designed a few years back.
??? 24 September, 2012 12:47
Just a desperate attempt. But,
Cheer up, guys! I am sure millions of people who have bought iPhone 5 or who have planned to buy iPhone 5 are undoubtedly switching to Motorola just because of a suckish maps app that most of them didn't care about in the first place.
anonymous 24 September, 2012 12:49
It wont matter ISHEEP dont have brains when comes to branding it was taken over decades ago
anonymous 24 September, 2012 13:03
They dont mind kicking do they, so kick away, i love a bit of apple bashing, they are bottom of the pile and only sell becuase of the vast mindless drones they have brain washed.
Bob Cloninger 24 September, 2012 13:18
Apple will scramble to fix their mapping app, and workarounds are readily available in the meantime. There are sound business reasons for the decision and it provides a handy whipping boy for the Apple bashers, so in the end everyone is happy.
anonymous 24 September, 2012 14:47
well for starters the iphone shown in the picture is a 4/4s so not even the latest model of the iphone 5, and two..its one little app? great. love how everyone is jumping on the bangwagon and slating the maps app because that's all they can slate about. everything else on iOS6 and the iphone 5 is top of the range and extremely hard to beat. why can't the other manufactures just accept that? motorola..are they still even in business, blackberry is doing better than they are and that's saying something.
android fan boys - go and find something else to moan about..like your plastic phone.
anonymous 24 September, 2012 15:11
I think the ad is funny but I would never buy a Motorola phone lol that's just silly
anonymous 24 September, 2012 15:49
I love seeing Apple and Android Fanboi's go at each other. It's funny.
Just for reference, I have owned every single Iphone, have an Ipad 3 yadda yadda and I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart....
Apple Are............................... crap...
weren't expecting that were you...
anonymous 24 September, 2012 15:59
"They dont mind kicking do they, so kick away, i love a bit of apple bashing, they are bottom of the pile and only sell becuase of the vast mindless drones they have brain washed."
Speaking of brainwashed mindless drones. ^
anonymous 24 September, 2012 16:18
I think its funny really. Apple claims to be so great, yet they can't even get a simple map app to work right. Maybe Tom tom is messing with them too because I have a tom tom in my car and its always right. Stupid apple.
Katie Wells 25 September, 2012 01:22
I just think its funny how they dog each other. Everyone trying to get us to buy "the next big thing" and alot of us fall for it. The iPhone is so limited in my area to the servers who carry them that to me it doesnt matter....May the best phone win
billfred 25 September, 2012 19:46
Stupid commenting on "simple map apps" having no idea what work goes into them.
Don't worry, I agree that it's a disaster. But you think Google maps is amazing (it is actually) but infallible? There are many mistakes in their product which others do better actually. But it's still solid and does loads of cool stuff.