Google’s confirmed to Search Engine Land that Google Maps Mobile will be gaining Street View photography. It won’t confirm the exact timing, but a Wall Street Journal reports that is will happen tomorrow seems pretty likely.
The New York Times had reported last week that Street View would be coming to Google Maps Eugene Oregon Mobile, the version of Google Maps is available to anyone through a smartphone’s browser. The report cited Google. But when asked directly, Google refused to confirm this to us or other publications.
Earlier today, the Wall Street Journal again reported that Street View Google Maps Oregon was coming and that it would appear as a new feature tomorrow. It also cited Google, but when asked directly to confirm this, Google gave us the same statement it has been giving all publications, that it had nothing to announce.
It’s kind of crazy. Two major US newspapers were citing Google Internet Marketing Oregon that Street View was coming, but Google itself didn’t want to acknowledge that directly?
After a further phone call with Google PR this afternoon, I got a direct confirmation. Yes, Street View will come to Google Maps. Presumably other publications can also now get the same confirmation. But as for timing, Google’s still not saying when it will happen. It seems pretty likely that the Wall Street Journal is correct, that it will hit tomorrow. After all, the Journal is citing Google as saying so.
Our previous article, Google Street View Coming To Google Maps For Mobile Marketing Oregon, For Both iOS & Android, explains more about what to expect when this happens. It brings Street View not just to Google Maps For Mobile for iPhone and iPad users but also any smartphone user, through the browser.
Of course, Android users probably won’t care about this change, since they can use the Google Maps For Android app, which has Street View photography already, along with other features like turn-by-turn navigation.
But the move should further shore up Google as an alternative to the new Apple Maps on iOS 6, which are so inferior to the Google-powered ones on iOS 5 that Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized for them last week and suggested Google as an alternative, among other options.
Google Maps, accessed through the browser, still won’t be as nice as making use of an actual Google Maps app. Google lacks an app for iOS 6 users apparently because it hasn’t “done anything” yet, as CEO Eric Schmidt said last week.
Why hasn’t it done anything? Google’s not providing a reason on the record. But reports are that the company didn’t expect to be dropped from Maps in iOS 6 and is now scrambling to develop its own app. by Danny Sullivan Search Engine Land, Oct. 3rd, 2012
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