Wow. Apple Maps is a disaster.

Sadly enough, there are now rumors printed at the Guardian that Google isn't optimistic about Apple approving the app:

"Sources at Google familiar with its mapping plans say they are "not optimistic" that Apple will ever approve a dedicated Google Maps iOS app. Though the app is reportedly in development and should be ready to ship by the end of the year, the sources say their plans are only proceeding in "the unlikely event" that Apple will choose to approve the app."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/nov/05/google-maps-doubt-iphone

"Apple unveiled the section, which on Monday listed ten free and paid-for apps, to spotlight alternative mapping apps for iOS in an effort to placate users over response to criticisms of its own Maps app. Apps such as the free Maps+ app, which uses Google Places APIs and Google Maps tiles to bring Google Maps back to the iPhone, and the £3 app Quick Route, which mashes Google's directions and locations database with Apple's Maps tiles, are noticeably absent from it, even though a Google source says they are the two apps that would give back many of the capabilities lost with the advent of Apple's Maps in iOS 6."

"Further, a source at Google told me the feeling is that those apps were purposely left out of the new section because they promote Google and its "superior product" – at a time when there is so much bad blood between the companies over the continuing smartphone patent litigation (following allegations from the late Steve Jobs that Google's Android OS ripped off iOS). In other words, no matter how bad Apple's Maps are, the company still wants its users to move on from Google – and forget about them. This doesn't bode well for the approval of an official Google Maps app, the source says."

I never actually searched for locations in the Google Maps app itself. I would search for the address and then copy it into the application... so I haven't had any issues with Apple Maps yet.

Also, I do not live in an area where I need public transportation. I understand why everyone is upset... but I definitely prefer having Turn-By-Turn navigation over what was lost switching from Google to Apple.

The couple of times I have used Turn-by-Turn over the weekend were wonderful... Google was probably never going to give Apple that feature, so I do not know why everyone is portraying Google as the "good guy" in this scenario.

Eventually, Apple Maps will be refined to the quality of Google maps, and then we will be better off because Google was always going to limit the iOS application because of their loyalty to their own brand, Android (Which is to be expected of course).

Want300 said:

I do not know why everyone is portraying Google as the "good guy" in this scenario.

Click to expand...

Not painting Google as the "good guy," but certainly painting Apple as the bad. Before iOS 6, the maps and adresses were accurate, incredibly detailed (including even foot and bike paths), and worked near flawlessly with the built in features and various 3rd party apps. If I needed accurate turn by turn, I used any of the available 3rd party mapping apps.

Fast forward to iOS 6 and the maps and addresses nearby are still wrong, any built in location based features (reminders, find my friend/phone) are broken, many of my 3rd party apps are broken (fitness apps now show me running in a barren landscape instead of the detailed maps before and real estate apps show the homes/prices in completely wrong spots)... and, because of the crappy maps and lack of POI, I have to still use 3rd party nav apps if I want turn by turn that I could trust...apps that not only have more accurate maps, but far more features than the barebones nav that Apple offered.

Want300 said:

IEventually, Apple Maps will be refined to the quality of Google maps...

Click to expand...

And until it does, I'm stuck with a phone that is now missing features I had before iOS 6.

cyks said:

And until it does, I'm stuck with a phone that is now missing features I had before iOS 6.

Click to expand...

Good points for sure. I didn't know about all the issues with other apps like you mentioned.

Want300 said:

The couple of times I have used Turn-by-Turn over the weekend were wonderful... Google was probably never going to give Apple that feature, so I do not know why everyone is portraying Google as the "good guy" in this scenario.

Click to expand...

This "Google is evil" and "Apple is the light" thing is getting sooo tiresome.

Apple changed the Maps application without the slightest regard for their users and the trouble they would find themselves in (if that isn't arrogant beyond belief, I don't know what is). Apple also want to dominate the presence and location business and they do this for the EXACT same reasons Google does.

And about that "maps will get good in a couple of seconds"... Apple is light years behind Google in centralized services and Maps is just another example (iCloud, Siri, Passbook) - simply put: Google does services a hell of a lot better than Apple, and if Apple doesn't get serious about the downgrades they are doing right now, then things will turn ugly in a hurry... Ive or not...

If apple don't approve the new google map app then I will be selling my ip5 and getting a nexus4.
Apple maps are not a patch on google maps and I don't have the time or patience to wait for apple to catch up.

dv8r said:

This "Google is evil" and "Apple is the light" thing is getting sooo tiresome.

Apple changed the Maps application without the slightest regard for their users and the trouble they would find themselves in (if that isn't arrogant beyond belief, I don't know what is). Apple also want to dominate the presence and location business and they do this for the EXACT same reasons Google does.

And about that "maps will get good in a couple of seconds"... Apple is light years behind Google in centralized services and Maps is just another example (iCloud, Siri, Passbook) - simply put: Google does services a hell of a lot better than Apple, and if Apple doesn't get serious about the downgrades they are doing right now, then things will turn ugly in a hurry... Ive or not...

Click to expand...

I know it wont be a couple of seconds... Thats impossible for any company.

I disagree with your comment about iCloud though. I think iCloud works wonderfully, especially for those of us with a Mac. I have no complaints about it at all. Assuming you attack passbook because of the lack of NFC, then that argument is null IMO because plenty of Android phones do not have it either. I think Google's biggest issue, is that they do not control OS updates for their devices. They caught on though, which is what makes the Nexus devices so nice.

Please explain what makes Google service so much better?

Also, I have been a long time Gmail user... Their new UI in a Desktop browser is awful in my opinion. I thoroughly miss the older version. Google certainly doesn't please everyone all the time.

And yes, Apple Maps failed in many respects, and they put it into iOS too soon.

Want300 said:

I disagree with your comment about iCloud though. I think iCloud works wonderfully, especially for those of us with a Mac. I have no complaints about it at all.

Click to expand...

Have Macs myself, still not impressed.

iCloud's great... expect for various limitations with no add-on purchase possible. Limitations in the amount of photos in a photostream/backup (again with no add-on purchase possible, and the added benefit of iCloud just dumping photos after that). The fact that iCloud has been severely unstable during the last year (getting better, but still nowhere near acceptable). The really late addition of IMAP/SMTP to iCloud. They downright idiotic way you have to get CalDAV calendars out if iCloud, and that you can't get all of them anyway.

Want300 said:

Assuming you attack passbook because of the lack of NFC, then that argument is null IMO because plenty of Android phones do not have it either. I think Google's biggest issue, is that they do not control OS updates for their devices. They caught on though, which is what makes the Nexus devices so nice.

Click to expand...

Passbook and NFC is two different things - NFC is a hardware issue, Passbook is just (useless) software. Passbook is for tickets and loyalty cards. Google Wallet have the ability to store real cards and goes way beyond what Passbook can (and maybe will ever be able to). The addition of NFC is nice because You actually CAN use Google Walley in real life, and seriously... I have a hard time finding an Android handset that doesn't have NFC, so don't know how You got to "plenty".

The update thing has been debated in another thread - Dave gives a better explanation here: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=16211149

Want300 said:

Please explain what makes Google service so much better?

Click to expand...

Google does datamining like nobody else and they run services that have faster response times. Compare Siri to Google Now, compare searches in Apple Maps to searches in Google Maps, compare responsiveness when interacting with iCloud to interacting with Google Docs - the fact that Google Now just undercut the Boarding Pass aspect of Passbook, and is doing it that much better and faster.

Want300 said:

Also, I have been a long time Gmail user... Their new UI in a Desktop browser is awful in my opinion. I thoroughly miss the older version. Google certainly doesn't please everyone all the time.

Click to expand...

Not my point - this has nothing to do with UI...

tried out apple maps today for the first time while actually driving and i gotta say the turn-by-turn is pretty damn good.

i drove around town and ran a bunch of errands around the Hamilton and Burlington area and it worked very accurately I have zero complaints

Huge update this morning. My housing estate is now mapped, it's been here since the 1920's. Also, most of the West Midlands in the UK has high res images that are from this summer. POIs have been updated, with reported closed ones deleted and info updated.

Seems more updates are coming. Find My iPhone app has more up to date maps for other places in the UK, not yet appearing in the Maps app.

dv8r said:

This "Google is evil" and "Apple is the light" thing is getting sooo tiresome.

Apple changed the Maps application without the slightest regard for their users and the trouble they would find themselves in (if that isn't arrogant beyond belief, I don't know what is). Apple also want to dominate the presence and location business and they do this for the EXACT same reasons Google does.

And about that "maps will get good in a couple of seconds"... Apple is light years behind Google in centralized services and Maps is just another example (iCloud, Siri, Passbook) - simply put: Google does services a hell of a lot better than Apple, and if Apple doesn't get serious about the downgrades they are doing right now, then things will turn ugly in a hurry... Ive or not...

Click to expand...

Umm...might want to read the first line of your own post in reverse.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, I just don't share it. IMHO Google maps on iOS was never any great shakes. With Google being unwilling to sell the data required for T-B-T directions, it was always an also-ran app to me compared to Navigon or a real GPS.

Apple maps app has some room to grow, no doubt but it's hardly a disaster. The GUI is very nice and T-B-T has worked spot on for me every time I've used it in the US and the UK.

SimonTheSoundMa said:

Huge update this morning. My housing estate is now mapped, it's been here since the 1920's. Also, most of the West Midlands in the UK has high res images that are from this summer. POIs have been updated, with reported closed ones deleted and info updated.

Seems more updates are coming. Find My iPhone app has more up to date maps for other places in the UK, not yet appearing in the Maps app.

Click to expand...

No corrections in London that I can find.

Though curiously as of this morning my house can no longer be found by searching for the address, when it could last week.

Fail.

----------

OllyW said:

I can't check my iPad until I get home so can you tell me if Dudley is in Dudley yet?

Click to expand...

I'm not really familiar with Dudley, but it puts it 2 miles north of where Google Maps puts it, which would seem to be "in" Dudley even if it's not the centre.

Is that an improvement?

Marco123 said:

If apple don't approve the new google map app then I will be selling my ip5 and getting a nexus4.
Apple maps are not a patch on google maps and I don't have the time or patience to wait for apple to catch up.

Click to expand...

What new Google map app?
Is there a link to this rumour?

[ edit ] Alright found a recent article:http://www.techradar.com/news/softw...-highly-unlikely-according-to-sources-1110246

Note this part of the link: .../google-maps-return-to-ios-highly-unlikely/...

OllyW said:

It was 7 miles away. 2 miles away would still be crap but less crap than it was before.

As it was...

Image Image

Click to expand...

Still in Hagley.

Dudley now has high-res and Hagley in no longer one huge cloud.

Yeah, no change in that case. Sorry if I did my distance sums wrong.

My area has significantly improved in the sticks of Berkshire. My estate was good prior, but the rest of the area is much improved, many more POI's and the black and white bit near Reading is now colour and updated. Reading itself has more POIs too.

After the issue I had yesterday with maps.. I am DONE with it! I drove about 25min or so to Orlando International airport so I could bring my absentee ballot to the main post office (To be assured it my ballot arrives in time). The maps app took me around the concourse several times and never found the post office. I stopped a worker who said it was a couple miles from my location off the industral side of the airport..... Smh

shandyman said:

My area has significantly improved in the sticks of Berkshire. My estate was good prior, but the rest of the area is much improved, many more POI's and the black and white bit near Reading is now colour and updated. Reading itself has more POIs too.

Click to expand...

I don't see any improvement whatsoever in Thatcham town centre which still has only a handful of POIs, all of which are either closed, have an out of date name, or are in the wrong place entirely, i.e. completely useless.

Want300 said:

Eventually, Apple Maps will be refined to the quality of Google maps

Click to expand...

This is just not happening as long as they are partnering with TomTom and Yelp. No matter how long you wait.

DaffyDuck said:

This is just not happening as long as they are partnering with TomTom and Yelp. No matter how long you wait.

Click to expand...

Why do you assume that partnering with them to launch maps initially has anything to do with their long term plans?

Why does anyone assume that no matter how many billions of dollars they could have spent partnering with every non-Google map maker in the world that their maps would still not be criticized (rightfully so) for not having POI info that was as accurate or as numerous as what Google has?

They started at a lower level than they should have and COULD have...but that doesn't mean you should always expect a maps experience less than what is currently offered by Google or what WILL be offered by both companies in the future.

The question is, when will that moment come?

No one is better than taking existing ideas and technology and raising the bar on experience than Apple.

The integration of Siri, apps, maps, user data as well as non-iphone iOS devices is not an easy thing to do and I would expect someone like Google/Android to maybe be better at SOME things since they are only phone specific...it's the rest of the stuff that does and will continue to blow me away.

Should have been better...will be better...just lucky that it has worked great for me so far in regular use.

DaffyDuck said:

This is just not happening as long as they are partnering with TomTom and Yelp. No matter how long you wait.

Click to expand...

See Quote Below

MozMan68 said:

Why do you assume that partnering with them to launch maps initially has anything to do with their long term plans?

No one is better than taking existing ideas and technology and raising the bar on experience than Apple.

Should have been better...will be better...just lucky that it has worked great for me so far in regular use.

Click to expand...

I agree... We all know they dropped the ball. But for anyone to think they are not going to fix this problem in the long run, that is foolish. If TomTom and Yelp are not the answer, don't you think they will find their solutions elsewhere?

Apple will do what it needs to do to get things done. I also have had no issues with Apple Maps yet, and I thoroughly enjoy the built in Turn-By-Turn. It guided me perfectly to a local custard shop's order window (Ted Drewes).