Roundup of Features in Google Maps for iOS: Better Design than Android Version, iPad Version Coming

[ReValveiT]

Originally Posted by Blorzoga

So when you spin around, the streetview picture rotates? I have a 5 and it doesn't seem to do anything when I spin around (other than make me look foolish).

Yea it works just fine on my iPhone 4.

I get the feeling this is quite a buggy app though so...

[rodrigomarrafao]

Originally Posted by LittleCanonKid

It's also quite laggy for me on my iPhone 4. Is everyone who's showering the app with accolades not running it on an iPhone 4...?

Pretty lag for me too on IPhone 4... Runs fine on 4s. Anyone else?

[golfgrouch]

Originally Posted by malnar

Huh? All GPS apps I've used will access your contacts to use as favorites and general destinations. This is probably my biggest problem with Google Maps right now. I find it kind of bizarre that they DON'T access contacts like every other GPS app I own (Tom Tom, Magellan, Garmin)...

I agree. Is it because Apple doesn't allow Google to access the Contacts data?

[qwimjim]

Originally Posted by jrswizzle

Careful with the "magnitudes more accurate"....we're talking about maps of the entire world. Some cities and POIs may be misplaced, but that's relatively small compared to the entire planet.....

i travel a lot, apple maps is completely unreliable. waze is ok, tomtom is good, google maps is best. the difference is substantial.

[bigmc6000]

I don't get why everyone is clammoring about how it's the best app ever. Yeah, it's nice that Google finally decided to come play and I'll use it but there's really only 1 thing I'll use it for - traffic. For whatever reason Apple hasn't figured out how to overlay the traffic properly so it's a pain in the butt to figure it out. Everything else is basically the same or worse for me. I've never had a problem with search results in Apple Maps and where I do Google has the same problems, neither allow you to drag and drop different routes, Google Maps doesn't show you a map of options when you type something in (for example I typed in rooms to go, rather than show me all of them with pins it just gave me the first one and I had to go through quite a few clicks to find the rest of them - extremely annoying...) and the turn-by-turn feels very much like a web thing vs a stand-alone GPS (which is what Apple Maps feels and looks like). So, yeah, I'll use it to check traffic and if/when Apple Maps doesn't work I'll fire it up but my default is still going to be Apple's and it has nothing to do with Google stealing my data - Apple's product is still better for me on a day to day basis than Google's is. So, yeah, Apple Maps isn't going anywhere and Google Maps doesn't "crush" Apple Maps by any stretch of the imagination (unless of course you're in a country that Apple Maps just sucks but here in the US I've never had any problems in any of the 7 states I've been to since I got the 5).

[haruhiko]

Originally Posted by bigmc6000

I don't get why everyone is clammoring about how it's the best app ever. Yeah, it's nice that Google finally decided to come play and I'll use it but there's really only 1 thing I'll use it for - traffic. For whatever reason Apple hasn't figured out how to overlay the traffic properly so it's a pain in the butt to figure it out. Everything else is basically the same or worse for me. I've never had a problem with search results in Apple Maps and where I do Google has the same problems, neither allow you to drag and drop different routes, Google Maps doesn't show you a map of options when you type something in (for example I typed in rooms to go, rather than show me all of them with pins it just gave me the first one and I had to go through quite a few clicks to find the rest of them - extremely annoying...) and the turn-by-turn feels very much like a web thing vs a stand-alone GPS (which is what Apple Maps feels and looks like). So, yeah, I'll use it to check traffic and if/when Apple Maps doesn't work I'll fire it up but my default is still going to be Apple's and it has nothing to do with Google stealing my data - Apple's product is still better for me on a day to day basis than Google's is. So, yeah, Apple Maps isn't going anywhere and Google Maps doesn't "crush" Apple Maps by any stretch of the imagination (unless of course you're in a country that Apple Maps just sucks but here in the US I've never had any problems in any of the 7 states I've been to since I got the 5).

= all countries in the world except the USA, i.e. around 5.7 billion people

[Arelunde]

How does one activate the voice directions? I've looked all through the options and can't find that ... or is it automatic?

[slffl]

Just took Google maps for a spin. As you may know, you can have multiple gps programs going, so I had Apple Maps and Google maps running at the same time to compare the two. And guess what, Google maps sucks! I think it might even be worse than Waze.

Slow, choppy, ugly UI, takes twice the clicks to do the same thing as Apple maps, was late on turns, can't input start address, and obviously not integrated at all with iOS.

I'm SOO glad Apple ditched Google! Nothing compares to Apples design and programming skills.

[haruhiko]

Originally Posted by slffl

Just took Google maps for a spin. As you may know, you can have multiple gps programs going, so I had Apple Maps and Google maps running at the same time to compare the two. And guess what, Google maps sucks! I think it might even be worse than Waze.

Slow, choppy, ugly UI, takes twice the clicks to do the same thing as Apple maps, was late on turns, can't input start address, and obviously not integrated at all with iOS.

I'm SOO glad Apple ditched Google! Nothing compares to Apples design and programming skills.

Slow, choppy, ugly UI? It's not slow and it's not choppy if you have 4S or newer devices - that's a reason Apple doesn't allow turn by turn on the 4 or below.

Takes twice the clicks to do the same thing as Apple Maps? Any example?

Late on turns - I haven't tried yet. No comment.

You CAN input start address! There is an arrow button for navigation just next to the search box! Can't you see it?

Not integrated at all with iOS? Can any app from the App Store really integrate without Apple's approval???????!

Yeah, Apple design and programming skill, but rubbish data.

[thomamon]

Used Google Maps today for my trip to work as compared to using the Apple GPS.

I prefer the Apple so far. What was funny, in the morning Google was slow at saying the directions. Coming home, she was fine with that.

What bothered me was the inability to switch to the full map view to see where the traffic is that it was warning me about on the way home. Also lacking was the quick screen to see the alternate routes home once your driving that was on my Android phone. Why they would take that feature away is beyond me. It is also something I wish Apple would add to Apple Maps.

I wish Apple GPS would alert you to traffic, but at least you can check the full map much easier then then on Google Maps.

I'm still waiting for one of these map service to give me a trip report at the end. Like how long it took me to get where I'm going, how many miles and average mph and fun stuff like that.

[Mad Mac]

Google just gave Apple a good spanking. Turn by turn maps that work with older iPhones all the way down to the 3GS. What's your excuse now Apple?

[haruhiko]

Originally Posted by Mad Mac

Google just gave Apple a good spanking. Turn by turn maps that work with older iPhones all the way down to the 3GS. What's your excuse now Apple?

This is a win-win-win situation. Google gets their user data and branding, Apple's biggest scandal of the year is finally solved, users get working maps.

Cost: Apple's reputation.
Gained: Google's corporate image and potential ad income.

[Rogifan]

Hopefully now the media can get off their obsession with Apple maps and move on to something else.

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by Mark Booth

BTW, there are already nearly 10,000 5-star reviews of Google's Maps app on the iTunes App Store. I found this one to be particularly humorous!

Image




Mark

Sorry I call BS on 10,000 5-star reviews. Same with people saying its the best app ever in the AppStore. Oh really? How many people have tried out every app in the App Store to make a claim like that?

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Originally Posted by gnipgnop

It is kind of "amazing" how some people's hypercritical focus on errors or shortcomings suddenly vanishes when the Google logo appears on an app.

Yep. Stick a google logo on it and its the best app ever in the history of apps.

[haruhiko]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

Sorry I call BS on 10,000 5-star reviews. Same with people saying its the best app ever in the AppStore. Oh really? How many people have tried out every app in the App Store to make a claim like that?

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Yep. Stick a google logo on it and its the best app ever in the history of apps.

Oh you need to try out every app in the App Store before giving 5-star reviews. Poor you.

[pirateyarrr]

Originally Posted by golfgrouch

No direct access to the addresses in your contacts is a huge deficiency.

One which pales in comparison to the dozens of deficiencies that Apple Maps left us with when they dropped Google maps.

One key difference here: you can still use that one insignificant feature by using the Apple Maps app. When Apple took away Google Maps months ago, we had no way of using tons of features that we previously HAD access to.

Pretty much apple-and-oranges. The Google Maps app means more choice. That benefits users. It's a good thing all around. Apple's previous move was completely assholish. Hopefully not a harbinger of things to come. I'm still planning a move to Android when my contract runs out. We'll see what happens.

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Please, can every Apple fanboi just SFTU and keep using the Apple Maps app? Us normal people didn't have a choice of two apps when Apple shut us out of Google Maps on our iPhones. Now everyone can use whichever one they like better.

Jeezus. The morons in this thread just make me shake my head. More choice is BETTER. Apple making more moves (like removing Google Maps and replacing it with something inferior) to restrict choice is bad for users. You can debate whether or not it's good for AAPL trading price somewhere else. The rest of us don't care. We just want our fkking maps app to work.

[iRock1]

Isn't funny? All those innocent users talking about how nice Google is just because they decided to release a maps app on iOS 6. We should be so thankful... LOL

Please read: http://www.wired.com/business/2012/1...gle-loves-ios/

You really have to be a moron to think that Google made this move only because they are good people. That bull**it doesn't exist in business.

[lordofthereef]

Originally Posted by fruitpunch.ben

It doesn't seem like much to ask, but remember that one of the major selling points of the iPhone when it launched (and still now) is that there is zero branding on it. Not externally, on the hardware, nor on the software. Still today if you buy an android phone covered in branding you can see what a difference it makes aesthetically.
Similarly, stock Apple apps have no advertising, nor will they ever. Google branding in an Apple app would constitute advertising, would be a slippery slope that Apple would not accept.

The large difference here is that with carrier branding on the phone itself, the carrier really isn;t adding anything to the table, except that they allow the device on their network. With Google maps, Googls is literally putting a whole lot on the table (it was an entire preloaded app for half a decade). I see where you are coming from, but I personally feel there is a big difference between this and wanting to slap a Verizon logo permanently onto the phone somewhere.

[haruhiko]

Originally Posted by iRock1

Isn't funny? All those innocent users talking about how nice Google is just because they decided to release a maps app on iOS 6. We should be so thankful... LOL

Please read: http://www.wired.com/business/2012/1...gle-loves-ios/

You really have to be a moron to think that Google made this move only because they are good people. That bull**it doesn't exist in business.

How people are thankful to Google is proportional to their frustration with Apple maps.

[majuha]

Also gave Google Maps a go yesterday.

What I noticed was that it would suddenly stop indicating in the middle of a sentence and sometimes it didn't say anything at all. I also think that the voice seemed to "lag" at times and it was slow in saying the indications. Anyone else experienced this behavior?

I have been using Apple Maps since iOS 6 came out and, so far at least, it's been giving me good directions and taking me to the right places

I'll obviously try Google Maps some more and then see which one I'll stick with.

I'm located in Spain btw.

[PhoneandPad]

Can anyone who's installed Google Maps app on IOS 6 confirm - can you orientate the phone by compass to see the map in the direction you are looking, like IOS 5 native Google Maps app? This is done by touching the bottom left hand icon twice. I use this all the time on 5.01 when navigating outdoors as a pedestrian.

[haruhiko]

Originally Posted by PhoneandPad

Can anyone who's installed Google Maps app on IOS 6 confirm - can you orientate the phone by compass to see the map in the direction you are looking, like IOS 5 native Google Maps app? This is done by touching the bottom left hand icon twice. I use this all the time on 5.01 when navigating outdoors as a pedestrian.

You can do the same.

[PhoneandPad]

Thanks for that. IOS 6 it is for our iPhones 4 and 4s then - but not for the iPad yet!
Might reward Apple for finally seeing sense buy buying an iPad mini soon.

[eklof]

Is latitude in here somwhere?

[KnightWRX]

Originally Posted by eklof

Is latitude in here somwhere?

I hope not. Google has it as a seperate app and that's fine. I don't really see the value in letting others track me, like Lattitude or Find my Friends does. Do people really enjoy it ? Exhibitionism isn't so hot in my book.