Eight months after the death of Steve Jobs, his feud against Google still continues. Apple has intensified the rift between Google and Facebook by replacing the former with the social networking site as a built-in feature on iPads and iPhones. Users of Apple can now share their lives on Facebook through these devices instead of using Google’s services and features.
The replacement came as a part of a mobile operating program that was previewed by Apple before the start of the 23rd Annual Developers Conference that took place in San Francisco. The replacement will be launched on the devices such as the iOS, soon to be released this season. Users who want to retain Google Maps on their devices will have to put in extra effort to locate and install the app.
Major setback for Google
This replacement comes as a major setback for Google. It will lose out on revenue from mobile advertising and perceptions about users’ whereabouts, if iPad and iPhone shift to the mapping service from Apple. Google and Apple have been at loggerheads to get the attention of mobile device users that now account in millions. The competition between the two companies started in 2008 when Google launched its operating system for Android, challenging the revolutionary iPhone.
The primary competitors of iPhones are Google’s Motorola and Android phones from Samsung Electronics Co. At that time, Apple had sued these companies for stealing some of its primary features. The iPhone has featured Google Maps from the time it was launched in 2007. During that time, Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt came to the forefront to acknowledge the relationship between both companies. Google, in an official statement, mentioned that it was optimistic about building a perfect map that users can benefit from in the months to come. Google also previewed its map feature to make it more detailed and powerful.