Apple wanted to remove all trace of Google from their iOS operating system, it took them 6 to 9 months after the sudden change for them to start releasing their own Apps and everyone was so happy with Google Maps, what Apple did was an initial disaster with their Maps App and with the release of Gmail it’s so much better then the native iOS mail App, and I like it so much more after the last update.

The update released by Google circumvents Apple’s default apps, opting for its own apps already available on iOS. Now, the Gmail app has the ability to open YouTube, Google Maps, and Chrome links directly into the respective app if installed, instead of Safari. I think its a smart move by Google, to be able to keep people in the Google environment within the iOS platform, very smart and smooth move.