So... Are Apple Maps improving yet?

MozMan68 · Nov 30, 2012

Heb 7:4 said:
Why is it you resort to such bizarre arrogance when presented with maps being genuinely poor in some places? It's hardly as if it's limited to parts of Pakistan.

That's an example of poor maps?

Seriously, no one else finds it even slightly humorous that a comparison on Google maps to Apple maps for Faisalabad, Pakistan?

There are plenty of more examples of more serious map errors than lack of back alleyways in Pakistan in cities 1/10 of the size with 100 times more iPhone users.

jctevere · Nov 30, 2012

The only "gripe" I have with Apple Maps is not consistent with many other people. I never have issues of wrong/inaccurate directions, nor do I have lack of map detail, etc.

What I find to be not as good is the POI search. Its not that Apple Maps doesn't HAVE the POI, it seems like apple maps is not very good at returning relevant searches.

However, this has been GREATLY improving lately - probably where Apple is focusing their efforts, as it was one of the greatest universal faults with their Maps software. Previously when I used to search something like "restaurant" it would ONLY return POI entries with the word "restaurant" in its name. However, lately they now show MANY POI's that are restaurants or serve food. Great improvement and something Google Maps did MUCH better than Apple, that is, up until lately.

Hopefully now that they have this POI bug sorted out, they can focus on fixing other mapping errors in specific areas. I definitely have noticied Apple Maps improving since its launch...

MozMan68 · Nov 30, 2012

jctevere said:
The only "gripe" I have with Apple Maps is not consistent with many other people. I never have issues of wrong/inaccurate directions, nor do I have lack of map detail, etc.

What I find to be not as good is the POI search. Its not that Apple Maps doesn't HAVE the POI, it seems like apple maps is not very good at returning relevant searches.

However, this has been GREATLY improving lately - probably where Apple is focusing their efforts, as it was one of the greatest universal faults with their Maps software. Previously when I used to search something like "restaurant" it would ONLY return POI entries with the word "restaurant" in its name. However, lately they now show MANY POI's that are restaurants or serve food. Great improvement and something Google Maps did MUCH better than Apple, that is, up until lately.

Hopefully now that they have this POI bug sorted out, they can focus on fixing other mapping errors in specific areas. I definitely have noticied Apple Maps improving since its launch...

This.

...and while it is hard to quantify, I have to say that maps has found most POI's I have asked Siri for...and even the most relevant ones.

Still some issues though with missing ones, but the "intelligence" has seemed to have improved.

Lerxt · Nov 30, 2012

Still crap

I live in Hong Kong and Apple maps is useless. People here find addresses using building names so it is unfortunate that Apple Maps has no building names in the database. This means you cannot find addresses. Useless. Google has the name of virtually every building in the city, tens of thousands. No wonder there is a huge movement to Android going on here at the moment,almost everyone in my office that used to have an iphone has gone to Android.

GoSh4rks · Nov 30, 2012

MozMan68 said:
That's an example of poor maps?

Seriously, no one else finds it even slightly humorous that a comparison on Google maps to Apple maps for Faisalabad, Pakistan?

There are plenty of more examples of more serious map errors than lack of back alleyways in Pakistan in cities 1/10 of the size with 100 times more iPhone users.

Like this one:
This is Ketchikan, Alaska. Note the location of the AT&T store and that Water and Mill Streets seemingly extend into the ocean. ~1 million cruise ship visitors per year.

MozMan68 · Dec 1, 2012

GoSh4rks said:
Like this one:
This is Ketchikan, Alaska. Note the location of the AT&T store and that Water and Mill Streets seemingly extend into the ocean. ~1 million cruise ship visitors per year.

As addressed earlier..or in another thread...that poi is actually in the correct spot as well as the street....the map "graphic" is simply off. Just switch to hybrid mode and you'll see it is correct. Which means directions and turn by turn would still work properly.

Marco123 · Dec 1, 2012

How far do apple intend to 3D their maps.
Surely they don't have the time or resources to do everything.

steve10O · Dec 1, 2012

I found something funny in Maps. The Salt Lake City Apple Store recently moved from The Gateway to City Creek. Maps hasn't changed to reflect that; Apple doesn't even know where there own store is! Just kidding, and for the record, google maps hasn't updated it either

MozMan68 · Dec 1, 2012

steve10O said:
I found something funny in Maps. The Salt Lake City Apple Store recently moved from The Gateway to City Creek. Maps hasn't changed to reflect that; Apple doesn't even know where there own store is! Just kidding, and for the record, google maps hasn't updated it either

What's even more strange is that both actually have the Apple icon...Unless that is part of the software when "Apple Store" is listed as a poi.

Beeplance · Dec 1, 2012

MozMan68 said:
What's even more strange is that both actually have the Apple icon...Unless that is part of the software when "Apple Store" is listed as a poi.

The rate that Apple updates their maps is dismal... Kinda hoping they implement some sort of "refresh" or "clear cache" button, so people can know they're looking at the latest updated version of maps.

stoney05 · Dec 2, 2012

Apple maps are super smooth and fast. I use them every day and they are very accurate. I deliver pizzas in Las Vegas And haven't let me down yet.

The only gripe I have is the color contrast for roads, google color scheme is great for readability.

Btw i tried nokias HERE maps and they were ****ing terrible.

8a22a · Dec 2, 2012

Marco123 said:
How far do apple intend to 3D their maps.
Surely they don't have the time or resources to do everything.

If they can do 1 sq km per hour it would take over 17,000 years to capture the entire land area of the Earth.

That's assuming they only have plane at their disposal though.

MozMan68 · Dec 2, 2012

8a22a said:
If they can do 1 sq km per hour it would take over 17,000 years to capture the entire land area of the Earth.

That's assuming they only have plane at their disposal though.

Now subtract out all of the uninhibited square km that are currently covered by 3d terrain and all of the areas already done.

And why not assume they are using more than one plane?

Godzirra · Dec 3, 2012

I found that when Apple maps first came out, it showed my place, car on the drive and looked pretty good.

I checked over the weekend, as was using the sat nav part, and it's gone to a view the same as googles, showing my place as not built yet, the same as other things I know, that are there, but google always showed them as a building site.

Seems a step back to me.

henchman · Dec 3, 2012

stoney05 said:
Apple maps are super smooth and fast. I use them every day and they are very accurate. I deliver pizzas in Las Vegas And haven't let me down yet.

The only gripe I have is the color contrast for roads, google color scheme is great for readability.

Btw i tried nokias HERE maps and they were ****ing terrible.

Yeah. Las Vegas is a HUGE city.

As I've stated before. Try relying on their traffic reporting. Google will help you avoid gridlock. Apple maps will land you smack dab in the middle of it.

Beeplance · Dec 3, 2012

Godzirra said:
I found that when Apple maps first came out, it showed my place, car on the drive and looked pretty good.

I checked over the weekend, as was using the sat nav part, and it's gone to a view the same as googles, showing my place as not built yet, the same as other things I know, that are there, but google always showed them as a building site.

Seems a step back to me.

Sometimes while repairing their satellite imagery, they made it worse than before, like in this case.

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So... Are Apple Maps improving yet?

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