Google Maps on the iPhone, Now with Ads

Monday, October 5, 2009

Can you blame them? iPhone is the hottest selling cell phone on the planet. It is selling even better than Google’s own Android based smart phones. As a native app preinstalled on every iPhone for over 2 years, it is probably about time the Big G tries to make some money from iPhone owners.

Do a search on Google Maps on your iPhone and you may find a location sponsored by the beloved internet advertising company. In the above image, search for a sushi joint in New York City may give you a search result for the ‘21’ Club. Hmm… perhaps that is a good place to hang out after that Sushi dinner. Of course that’s what Google and its advertisers want you to think. Hopefully, Google will implement their ads on Google Maps as least intrusive as possible. It should complement with users’ search term and does not stand out as a misplaced ad. No one wants to see an ad for a oil change when they are searching for a place to eat.

Mobile advertising is the rapidly growing, with millions GPS enabled cell phones becoming as powerful as some desktop computers. Sponsored ad on Google Maps seemed inevitable. But during Google Map’s transition into an advertising platform, will iPhone owners quietly accept the ads? Or will they rise up and riot against the ad pollution on their favorite Map application?

The Apps Machine