One of the biggest recent controversies in the smartphone industry is that of Apple replacing Google Maps with their own Maps solution in iOS 6. A small book can be written on the topic, but the tl;dr of it is that, after nearing the end of their Maps deal with Google, Apple had no choice but to include their own Maps in iOS 6, and the decision has garnered considerable criticism from customers.
Following hot on the heels of their previous update for their main iOS app, Facebook has taken the opportunity to push out a new update for their extremely popular Messenger app for the iPhone. Rather than just being an incremental update, Facebook has made enough changes to the messaging app to warrant it a v2.0 tag, and is now available through the App Store as a free download for new users and as an update to those who already have the app installed.
iOS Maps might have been criticized ad nauseam over the past ten or so days, but that hasn't stopped iPhone and iPad users flocking to the brand-new mobile firmware from Apple. Onswipe, a firm helping websites offer a more touch-friendly interface, reports the problems surrounding iOS 6 don't seem to have prevented consumers downloading and installing en masse, and of 100,000 users sampled through the company's partner sites on Friday, an incredible 59.43% of iPhone traffic and 41.3% of iPad traffic was coming from those running the newer software.
Google has followed the lead of a number of other well-known developers in the last few days by pushing out a well-timed update for their official iOS Gmail app that brings full optimization for the latest Apple smartphone as well as offering support for iOS 6. The official Gmail experience can now be enjoyed across all of Apple's mobile devices that run iOS 4 and above, with iPhone 5 owners no longer needing to view their incoming mails through a letterbox interface.
Apple CEO Issues Open Letter On iOS 6 Maps App, Says He’s Extremely Sorry For The Frustration Caused
In light of the recent situation regarding the company's first in-house Maps application for iOS 6, Apple CEO Tim Cook has written an open letter to customers on his company's website in an attempt to address the issue. The letter, which can be found in its entirety after the jump, sees Cook make an apology for delivering a feature below standards of expectation, and rather honestly, goes on to suggest a bunch of rivaling mapping solutions one can utilize for the time being.
Having launched in the United States, United Kingdom and several other key areas last Friday, Apple has today further added 22 more countries to the roster, starting today where the new Apple flagship smartphone will land. Apple smashed first-weekend sales for any smartphone release by shifting in excess of an incredible 5 million units, and with the furor surrounding iOS 6 and Apple's own Maps offering, it'll be intriguing to see whether consumers who've had an additional weeks' wait will have been deterred.
There can be no denying that the new mapping app that ships as part of iOS 6 is one of the most talked about inclusions in the sixth iteration of Apple's mobile operating system. But not all features of the new Maps app are available for all the iOS 6 running devices.
Although the iPhone 5 is, generally speaking, a very solid device which has sold in record numbers, that's not to say the launch and subsequent release of Apple's sixth flagship smartphone hasn't been without its flaws.
Whether you're an Android fan or iOS lover (or somewhere in between - I've heard it's possible to like both), there's no denying the iPhone 5 from Apple and Samsung Galaxy S III are the two biggest smartphones right now. Both have sold in multiple millions, and although they've been compared in many key areas in benchmark tests, drop tests, and various other one-on-one scenarios, the performance of the new iPhone's camera has yet to be properly scrutinized, at least not versus its fiercest competitor.
The guys over at Rovio have been hard at work producing something that they feel is up to the same standard as their Angry Birds phenomenon, and although we have known for quite some time that the game would give the gorgeous green piggies a chance to take the limelight, we are now seeing the official screenshots of the Bad Piggies game as it starts to hit supporting mobile app stores. It must be extremely difficult to produce a game that follows on from the phenomenal worldwide successes of the Angry Bird series, but Rovio is hoping that mobile gamers are ready to see some pigs fly.
