Rumours are circulating that Apple are considering buying TomTom outright. Remember that Apple and TomTom already have a partnership and work closely together with regards to mapping for the Apple platforms.
“Mapgate” or the lack of proper mapping is a huge issue for Apple. It is becoming more visible that the Cupertino business made a bad decision to move away from Google maps as the default mapping solution on iOS. The lack of proper mapping has lead to user revolt regarding using the Apple maps on iPhones and has also cost the careers of senior Apple staff (Scott Forstall). Those 2 things together highlight the huge disaster Maps have become for Apple.
Hindsight is a beautiful thing. Apple most probably should have phased the entire process and not just simply removed Google Maps as the default map provided for their iOS devices. Does TomTom solve the map issue for Apple? It is a short term solution and ensures that they have more data in order to provide more accurate directions for Apple users. The one interesting question that needs to be asked is; if TomTom is acquired will they continue their GPS device product lines?
