Apple iPhone 5 goes on sale today
The iPhone offers a bigger screen, it’s faster and it’s the lightest smartphone in the world. But what’s missing? Google Maps, which used to come pre-installed. And this is causing confusion and alarm among some iPhone users.
“Cities are showing up in the wrong place, destinations are showing up in the middle of the ocean and the Statue of LIberty is missing in the 3-D view,” says Christina Bonnington, a reporter at Wired. “People have been very angry on Twitter and Tumblr and Facebook.”
The change is part of an ongoing battle between Google and Apple. It started when Google entered the smartphone market with its Android operating system. Apple introduced its own maps to replace Google’s. But the verdict it’s that it’s inferior to Google’s map and in some cases, useless.
But judging from the lines forming in front of Apple stores around the world, that’s not keeping fans from buying.
“Everything seems exciting from the new headphones to the three microphones,” says Eugene Watson, who stood in line at the Apple Store in Los Angeles. ”
Watson says he’ll be disappointed if the Apple maps doesn’t work but he’s staying in line to buy the new phone anyways. And with pre-orders hitting two million, a new record, and fan fervor, the iPhone 5 is on track to becoming Apple’s biggest smart phone hit.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
