At a time when Apple was struggling to get its own native mapping and navigation app - Apple Maps - off the ground, rivals were quick to seize the opportunity and launched their own mapping apps as alternatives for iOS users. Nokia's Here Maps was one of them.
However, the app which was launched in November 2012 has now been pulledby Nokia from the Apple App Store. The reason? "Recent changes in iOS 7 harms the user experience," Nokia said.
"We have made the decision to remove our Here Maps app from the Apple App Store because recent changes to iOS 7 harm the user experience. iPhone users can continue to use the mobile web version of Here Maps under m.here.com., offering them core location needs, such as search, routing, orientation, transit information and more, all completely free of charge," a Nokia spokesperson told The Indian Express.
Post sale of hardware division to Microsoft, the Here Maps is one of the three main businesses that is still owned by Nokia and one of its prime customers is Microsoft itself which has inked a 10-year licensing deal for using it on Windows Phones.
It's still unclear why Nokia chose to yank Here Maps. The app wasn't a disaster. In fact, it did mark its presence by allowing users to download maps for offline usage, though it is worth noting that the iOS version of Here Maps was a far cry from the Windows Phone version. The interface looked outdated and the app was full of glitches. Moreover, given the fact that iOS users leaned on Google Maps, maybe Nokia did the right thing in deciding not to waste any more resources on developing an app that found few takers.
Nonetheless, it doesn't mean that Here Maps is dead. It is still being developed as a cross-platform service. "In addition to Windows Phone, (we) have an Android SDK for OEM's and also offer Here Maps for Firefox OS," a Nokia spokesperson told The Next Web. "The team also recently announced a Here developer offering for Tizen. The Here team will continue to consider their options for iOS."
