Apple has enjoyed a significant app ecosystem lead, but Android has now caught up. This removes a unique iOS selling point, and it also makes it easier for iPhone users to switch to Android when they next upgrade. Apple needs new control points, and mapping is a key answer for them.

As the mobile game is shifting from hardware to services, Apple needs to have more deep services of its own, rather than relying on competition. Important mobile service platforms include mapping, commerce and payments, social, and search. Across these categories, other companies are in the lead, not Apple. Of all the things that Apple might invest their vast cash in, maps is actually an important and strategic control point.

Maps and navigation are very popular on smartphones all around the world. Location is one of the few ways people organize and understand their world, which is why maps are…