The upcoming version of Apple’s mobile OS, iOS 6, won’t include two previously native Google apps: Maps and YouTube. CIO.com blogger James A. Martin would like to take the iOS housecleaning a few steps further. Here’s why. Apple announced earlier this week that it’s pushed the eject button on Google’s YouTube app. Starting with the release of iOS 6, YouTube will no longer be pre-installed on iDevices. Apple’s trigger finger has been a bit itchy lately. The company also said that with iOS 6, it is swapping out Google Maps with its own navigation app. (See my post How Apple’s iOS Maps App Might Steer You Wrong for more details.) All this got me thinking about the native iOS apps I’d like to remove from my iPhone. Apple doesn’t let iPhone user delete native apps, so I realize this is just wishful thinking. Still, here goes nothing: * Weather. The iOS Weather app isn’t terrible—it’s just terribly basic. You only get a six-day forecast, unlike The Weather Channel’s app for iPhone and iPad, which predicts the next 10 days’ weather. Also, the weather icons in Apple’s Weather app sometimes tell only part of the story. Example: During my recent trip to Charleston, S.C., Apple’s Weather app showed a thunderstorm icon every day. But there was only a slight chance of thunderstorms each day—and no such storm actually materialized. For these and other reasons, there’s a 100 percent chance that I won’t be using Apple’s Weather app on a regular basis. * Stocks. Roller coasters make me queasy. Therefore, I avoid constantly monitoring my stocks during this up-and-down economy. So why should I have to give space to Apple’s OK-but-nothing-special Stocks app? It’s time to ring the closing bell on this one, too. * Game Center. I’ll be honest with you: I have zero interest in playing games on my iPhone or iPad. And even if I were interested, the titles Game Center recommends—such as Fruit Ninja and Pick-Up Sticks—wouldn’t interest me anyway. Game over, Game Center. On the flip side, if I were appointed Apple’s Czar of Native iOS Apps, I’d beef up Apple’s Voice Memos app, among other things. It’s fine but could have more robust features, such as the ability to record iPhone calls, like Retronyms’s $1 Recorder). Your turn. Which native iOS apps would you delete, and why? Which apps do you think should be native to iOS but aren’t? Related content brandpost Sponsored by Palo Alto Networks x Accenture Making sense of zero trust - why a managed SASE solution is the ideal option for enterprises Security leaders are turning to SASE as their preferred network security solution amid a new era of cloud-powered businesses working from anywhere. By CIO Contributor Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Network Security feature 8 tips for unleashing the power of unstructured data For most organizations, data in the form of text, video, audio, and other formats is plentiful but remains untapped. Here’s how to unlock business value from this overlooked data trove. By Bob Violino Nov 28, 2023 10 mins Data Mining Data Science Data Management opinion What you don’t know about data management could kill your business Organizations without a solid data management strategy are on a collision course with catastrophe. Unfortunately, that’s most businesses, judging by the fundamental disconnect on the importance of strong data foundations. By Thornton May Nov 28, 2023 6 mins Data Architecture Data Governance Master Data Management brandpost Sponsored by Dell Technologies and Intel® Gen AI without the risks Demystifying generative AI: Practical tips for cost-effective deployment in your organization. By Andy Morris, Enterprise AI Strategy Lead at Intel Nov 27, 2023 6 mins Artificial Intelligence Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe