Apple's approval rules/guidelines are not set in stone. They change all the time. A couple years ago they were very strict (and non-agreeable to most people), but since they've backpedalled a bit and have been much much leaner about "replicating already-existing functionality" - approving and even promoting calendars, notebooks, ebook-readers, browsers, calculators, mail clients, weather clients, etc.
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Apple's approval rules/guidelines are not set in stone. They change all the time. A couple years ago they were very strict (and non-agreeable to most people), but since they've backpedalled a bit and have been much much leaner about "replicating already-existing functionality" - approving and even promoting calendars, notebooks, ebook-readers, browsers, calculators, mail clients, weather clients, etc.
I would think the recommendation to use rivals' products might also have something to do with the potential approval of Google Maps: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/29/us-apple-cook-idUS...