Nokia pulls Here Maps for iOS from App Store over iOS 7 changes that “harm user experience”

Last year, Nokia released an iOS app for its mapping service called “HERE,” possibly to try to fill the void caused by the removal of the stock Google Maps app from iOS. The company has now pulled Here Maps from the App Store, citing changes in iOS 7 that “harm user experience.” Nokia’s statement about pulling Here Maps reads: “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.” The company bizarrely doesn’t actually say what specifically causes the user experience to deteriorate, but Nokia’s app itself was quite slow and buggy, largely because it was using HTML5, and not native code. Microsoft recently purchased Nokia’s hardware division, and Here Maps is one of the three main businesses remaining with Nokia, so it seems quite strange that Nokia would want to pull its app from a platform with hundreds of millions of users. [via Indian Express] Continue reading →

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