What Challenges Does Google Have for Apple?

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) has mounted a stiff challenge to Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) in the last few days: on December 13 the company released its long-awaited map application for the iPhone, and on Monday Google-owned YouTube released “Capture,” an iOS app that allows users to film and share video clips through social media websites like Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Twitter.

Apple has worked to minimize its dependence on Google’s applications. As TechCrunch noted last week, “Apple likes to do everything in-house, and to own every part that makes Apple’s products useful.” With this guiding philosophy, the company designed iOS 6, which was released in September with its own mapping application. Furthermore, Apple decided to abandon YouTube as a native application built-in to its mobile operating system.

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But Apple maps have been less than successful. The application caused user outrage so great that Chief Executive Tim Cook apologized. Now, within 48 hours of its release, Google Maps for iOS has been downloaded more than 10 million times, and it is the number one most popular free application on the iOS App Store.

YouTube, the number four most popular free application, is also a problem for Apple. Google’s YouTube released its Instagram-like application, Capture, which has greater capabilities than Apple’s built-in Camera app. The service allows users to shoot short videos, edit the film with several post-production options like color stabilization and cropping, and post directly to YouTube’s website or share via a social networking service.

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