Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) should have stuck to Google (GOOG) Maps, says Schmidt

Google Inc(NASDAQ:GOOG)’s chairman Eric Schmidt has iterated what he said earlier in the aftermath of the release of Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone5 and the criticism levelled at its mapping software - "Apple should have kept our Maps."

In an interview with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher of AllThingsD, Schmidt, commenting on Apple replacing Google maps with its own mapping application said that Apple should have continued with Google's mapping app, as it was better.

Apple has decided to go it alone in navigation and location services with the launch of its new operating software iOS 6 and dumped its erstwhile partner Google Maps.

However its new mapping software invited widespread criticism for throwing up faulty and erroneous data that was frequently described as `nightmarish'. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has later on apologised for the inferior quality maps and had advised iPhone owners to download rival mapping applications, including Google Maps.

“Apple decided a long time ago to do their own maps,” said Schmidt. He added that Apple had now “discovered that maps are really hard.”

The Internet search engine is at present working on a new Google Map application for Apple' new operating software, to be released by the end of the year.

When asked about it, Schmidt said, "If we made one, they would have to approve it. They haven’t approved all of our apps in the past."

“I was on Apple’s board, and I’ll always have a soft spot for them,” Schmidt said in the interview, when asked if he would rather be chief of Apple, Amazon of Facebook.

“I was very good friends and very close to Steve Jobs, and I’ll miss him dearly. Jeff Bezos has made remarkable moves. And again, Facebook has a billion users.”