????布勞表示，雖然蘋果地圖目前在特性、功能和準(zhǔn)確性方面仍落后于谷歌，但它的進(jìn)步有目共睹。雖然蘋果公司的聲譽(yù)因?yàn)榈貓D事件受損不小，但這是暫時的?！拔艺J(rèn)為用戶會繼續(xù)信任蘋果，”布勞說道?！耙匦纶A回用戶，蘋果需要下大力氣，因?yàn)槭忻嫔巷@然還有別的地圖技術(shù)。”

????布勞多次提到谷歌地圖，谷歌研發(fā)地圖產(chǎn)品的時間要比蘋果早很多年。本月早些時候的谷歌I/O大會上，谷歌對地圖進(jìn)行了重大升級，帶來了更精細(xì)的室內(nèi)地圖、提供360視角的合作商戶地圖，同時還集成了谷歌的社交應(yīng)用Google+，用戶可以查看自己的社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)聯(lián)系人發(fā)布的點(diǎn)評信息。谷歌提供的一種新功能是：地圖能分析用戶最愛去哪類餐廳、最常走哪些路線，同時就此給出建議。

????雖然蘋果因棄用谷歌損失不小，但布勞等分析師認(rèn)為此舉不可避免。布勞說：“地圖服務(wù)是當(dāng)下的熱點(diǎn)，是連接我們所有用戶的關(guān)鍵紐帶。所以，各大巨頭都想涉足也就不足為奇?！蹦壳?，地圖服務(wù)能指引用戶從一個地點(diǎn)到達(dá)另一個地點(diǎn)，但這種位置服務(wù)仍然有巨大的潛力，而且位置服務(wù)進(jìn)一步融入人們生活的渠道非常多，尤其是因?yàn)橹悄苁謾C(jī)還在繼續(xù)普及。用戶喜歡去哪兒吃飯、購物、看電影，以及他們喜歡怎么過去，這些都是價值連城的數(shù)據(jù)。Facebook和谷歌之所以可能會愿意出價10億美元收購大受歡迎的新興眾包地圖公司W(wǎng)aze，也許就是出于這個原因。

????蘋果肯定也不愿意放過這樣的大好機(jī)會。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

????譯者：項(xiàng)航

????While Blau says Apple Maps still lags behind Google Maps as far as features, functionality, and accuracy, he sees Apple's mapping service only getting significantly better. And while Apple's reputation for quality may have been hurt by the Maps controversy, the damage was temporary. "I think people will trust them," Blau says. "I think it's going to take a significant effort on their part to get to that point, and I say that because clearly there are other mapping technologies that are out there."

????Blau is largely referring to Google Maps, which had a multi-year head start on Apple. At Google I/O earlier this month, Google revealed a major product update, with features like more detailed maps with indoor photos and 360-degree views of cooperating businesses and Google+ integration so users can check out reviews from their social network connections. One scenario Google served up: Maps can now analyze the kinds of restaurants users like or routes they most often take and offer suggestions.

????But while Apple received grief for dropping Google, analysts like Blau say the move was inevitable. "Mapping is hot," he says. "It's the key to connecting all of us with the things that are in the world, so no wonder all these big consumer platforms want access to it." Today, mapping products may currently help users get from point A to point B, but the potential for such location services remains large, and the ways location can be further be integrated into people's lives, particularly as smartphone adoption continues, are also huge. Where a person likes to eat, shop, watch movies, and how they prefer to get there is valuable data. To wit, it's likely why Facebook (FB) and Google may be willing to pay $1 billion to buy the popular traffic navigation startup Waze.

????For Apple, capitalizing on such an opportunity was probably too good to miss.