Job Posting is Another Hint that Apple Wants to Ditch Google Maps on the iPhone

Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 8:12 pm

In the past, Google and Apple seemed to be thick as thieves. When the iPhone launched, many of its core applications, like Maps and Youtube, were powered by Google. Things seem to have degraded since the release of Android though. Last summer, Apple may have launched the first salvo in a coming war when it rejected the Google Voice app from the App Store. Now, a new job posting indicates the Cupertino masters of design may be looking to ditch their reliance on Google for maps on the iPhone.

Apple acquired mapping company Placebase over the summer, integrating the entity into their GEO team. The job listing reads in part, “We want to take Maps to the next level, rethink how users use Maps and change the way people find things. We want to do this in a seamless, highly interactive and enjoyable way.”

The listing is sufficiently vague to allow some wiggle room. This may all be about customization rather than outright dropping Google Maps. One way or the other, the iPhone maps application could be in for a big change.