Google iOS Maps app screens said to have leaked
updated 11:58 am EDT, Mon October 15, 2012
Leak pegs Maps app in alpha, vector-based maps
A new version of Google's iOS Maps app is reportedly in the alpha stage of development, and it will bring a number of improvements when it is eventually released. Screens from the app have appeared on the website of an independent developer, showing off some blurry shots of the iOS 6 app in action. The developer says that the app has been significantly rebuilt and it will take advantage of the 4-inch height of the iPhone 5.
The new Google Maps app is said to be vector-based, which would mark an improvement over the raster-based imagery in the iOS 5 app. Such a shift would likely make the app faster, as it would not have to redraw a map every time a user zooms into or out of the map. The app is also said to support two-finger rotation to any angle.
The new app is said to be in the alpha stage of development, so it is unknown when exactly it might appear on Apple's mobile platform. In the weeks since the release of the iPhone 5 and iOS 6, Apple has been rapidly updating its own maps in order to address user concerns over their quality.
