Apple Vs Google: Software update intensifies competition

Apple CEO Tim Cook enters the stage during the Apple Developers Conference
Apple CEO Tim Cook enters the stage during the Apple Developers Conference Photo: REUTERS/Stephen Lam

Apple has announced that its latest operating system will use its own 3D mapping software instead of relying on that of its competitor Google.

Both companies have been using aeroplanes fitted with powerful cameras to build up a detailed image of the earth. Google launched its own 3D mapping software last week.

The new iOS6 operating system was released today at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California.

Google's Android operating system for smart phones is a major competitor to Apple's iPhone Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Apple's mapping service will also be integrated with its Siri voice-recognition software giving users Satnav style turn-by-turn directions.

The iOS6 system will be available as a free update for owners of the iPhone 3GS and iPad 2 and later models, as well as the fourth generation iPod touch.

It will also be more closely integrated with Facebook allowing users to post pictures and videos directly to their account without using the Facebook app, and post updates via Siri.

The new Macbook Air Pro on display at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference Credit: REUTERS/Stephen Lam

Apple also introduced its latest laptop at the conference. The new Macbook Pro is just 1.8cm (0.71 inches) thick and includes a super-high resolution "Retina" display which offers four times the resolution of previous models.

Phil Schiller, Apple's head of product marketing, said:

There has never been a notebook this thin, this light, and this powerful. It's an engineering breakthrough ... Surfing the web can be like experiencing magazine-like quality. It's the most beautiful computer we've ever made.

– Phil Schiller, head of product marketing

The new MacBook will cost at least £1,419 and is part of a general revamp of Apple's personal computer line.

Users will be able to input text by talking to the computer, in any programme. This is already a feature of Microsoft's competing Windows software, and Samsung devices.