Users of Windows Phone based devices will soon be able to use Google Maps as Google is trying to lift its existing restriction.
Currently, Windows Phone based smartphone users are not able to access Google Map as they are directed to the Google homepage whenever they try to access the maps. One can though use Firefox Browser on his/her Windows Phone to access Google Maps right now.
However, this restriction is going to be lifted. A Google spokesperson told The Next Web that the decision to redirect users trying to access maps using their Windows Phone handsets to Google’s homepage was a product decision that will be overturned. Google said that it checks compatibility of its Maps products across and following review had found that Windows Phone 8’s new Internet Explorer version was ‘satisfactory in its handling of the web app’.
The Google spokesperson said to The Next Web, “We periodically test Google Maps compatibility with mobile browsers to make sure we deliver the best experience for those users.”
“In our last test, IE mobile still did not offer a good maps experience with no ability to pan or zoom and perform basic map functionality. As a result, we chose to continue to redirect IE mobile users to Google.com where they could at least make local searches,” the spokesperson added.
“Recent improvements to IE mobile and Google Maps now deliver a better experience and we are currently working to remove the redirect. We will continue to test Google Maps compatibility with other mobile browsers to ensure the best possible experience for users,” the spokesperson added further.
Microsoft has alleged that this move was aimed at scuttling the Windows phone platform, it had also alleged that Google is sabotaging attempts to create a YouTube App for the platform which Google denies.
While the Nokia Windows Phone users will hardly miss the Google Maps as Nokia uses its own maps which is considered better than Google Maps (as it supports offline navigation) on the phones that it makes, other players like Samsung and HTC uses Bing maps supplied by Microsoft on their Windows phone OS based smartphones. Bing Maps is considered inferior to the Google Map. However now all the Windows Phones will be getting Nokia 3D maps as Microsoft has decided to replace the Bing Map on the operating system starting with Windows Phone 8 operating system.