A new job listing uncovered by AppleInsider hints that Apple is focusing on the enhancement of location-based applications in future versions of iOS. For location-aware apps on the iPhone, Apple is looking to hire a talented “iOS QA Location Engineer” with a focus on GPS technology.
It’s been rumored that Apple is working on a better Maps app for iOS, and this new job listing further corroborates that speculation.
“You will join a dynamic team responsible for qualifying the latest iOS products, working on exciting new features for iOS location services,” the listing reads. “The successful candidate will complete both documented and adhoc testing to ensure high quality releases.”
Specifically, a preferred candidate will have experience with GPS as well as “navigation algorithms,” suggesting that Apple could be working on a turn-by-turn navigation service similar t the free Google Maps Navigation.”
There’s also the idea that Apple will introduce a crowd-sourced traffic service in the Maps app, and there’s a good possibility that Apple will eventually abandon the Google Maps backend for its own proprietary mapping technology.
Apple’s own task manager in iOS 5 called Reminders integrates with Location Services to let you create location-aware reminders. It’s expected that this type of location integration will continue in future versions of iOS.
This isn’t the first job listing that Apple has posted for location engineer talent, and it’s clear that big things are planned for the iOS Maps app. While we probably won’t see a major revamp to the Maps app at the public launch of iOS 5 this Fall, expect a huge update with a later iOS version down the road.