Apple to Drop Google Maps From iOS 6

According to some recent reports, Apple will drop Google Maps from its upcoming iOS 6 mobile platform. The report says that Apple will introduce its own mapping system with 3D features on the next generation mobile platform.

Sources say that the new Apple Maps will be quite similar to the existing Google Maps apps that are found in iOS but will deliver a much “cleaner, faster, and more reliable experience.”

The noteworthy change that will gain attention in iOS Maps is the new 3D mode feature. The 3D mode is said to display realistic graphics based on declassified missile target algorithms. Users can simply click a button in the app to activate it.

The U.S. smartphone giant Apple has been acquiring mapping companies like Placebase, C3 Technologies and Poly9 in the last few years. This has helped Apple develop its own mapping database instead of continuing with Google’s services. The 3D mapping technology has come from the Swedish firm C3 Technologies which Apple acquired last year.

Apple is expected to announce its iOS 6 in mid-June at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference that is to be held in San Francisco.