The upcoming version of Apples mobile OS, iOS 6, wont 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. Heres 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 Survey: Marketers embrace AI at expense of metaverse investments Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has quickly rocked the world of marketing. Sitecore polled B2B marketers on their perceptions of GAI. Here’s what they said. By Dave O’Flanagan, Sitecore Jun 01, 2023 4 mins Artificial Intelligence news Zendesk to lay off another 8% of its staff, cites macroeconomic issues The new tranche of layoffs comes just six months after the company let go of 300 staffers and hired a new CEO in order to navigate its operations through macroeconomic distress. By Anirban Ghoshal Jun 01, 2023 3 mins CRM Systems IT Jobs feature 5 CxOs on leading change To be the agents of change that businesses require today, IT leaders must embrace a flexible mindset, prep their orgs for change, and recognize that intention and purpose are vital to empowering transformation. By Dan Roberts Jun 01, 2023 13 mins Digital Transformation Change Management IT Leadership feature Top 8 data engineer and data architect certifications Data engineers and data architects are in high demand. Here are the certifications that will give your career an edge. By Thor Olavsrud Jun 01, 2023 9 mins Certifications Big Data Data Mining 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