Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,068
2,421
OBX
Don't the majority of people enable Location Services on their iPhones as soon as they power them up for the first time? I know I do. An iPhone without Location Services enabled is, to me, almost a dumb phone.

Also, anyone who uses a mapping app of any kind should open the app with the expectation that it's going to ask them for their current location. Otherwise, how would it be useful for turn-by-turn directions if it doesn't know where I am currently?

Yeah, that is true. I was thinking of a step that folks go through with the whole privacy thing is to turn off the Traffic setting under the System Services menu.

I would be curious to see if Apple would completely copy Waze, or would they just take the crowd sourced roads and traffic part. For some reason the whole reporting feature seems like something Apple would shy away from, especially the reporting of speed traps and speed cameras.
 

ReallyBigFeet

macrumors 68030
Apr 15, 2010
2,952
129
I also discovered Waze after Apple suggested alternatives. It is pretty cool, but inputs require one to use and look at your smartphone. In NJ as in many states, that is against the law (hardly enforced, but will Apple want this liability?). While I think the use of a smartphone for Waze inputs is less than using a standalone GPS, I think the police will still view a smartphone in GPS mode as a smartphone, at least in NJ.

Waze took SOME steps to prevent a driver from interacting with their app while driving. Yes, I realize it still uses some visual cues to truly interact with the app, but I often just have mine showing a map (like a GPS map but with icons on it that are WAZE specific) and the audio cues are all that I really "access" while driving, and those are spoken through the speaker or my BT earpiece.

So its entirely possible to use the app without interacting with it in any other fashion than a GPS device. The Waze app actually prevents you from entering verbose information while driving. You can still press a single icon...like to report a slowdown....but really how is that any different than pressing a preset on your radio head unit or adjusting your wipers?

IMO, laws that bar absolutely any and all smartphone use while driving are like laws that abolished switchblades. Stupid, as they don't really prevent anything bad from happening. Texting while driving is a partial exception, but I use voice recognition/data to spoken voice services (like Siri) to read and send text messages while driving anyways.
 

cclloyd

macrumors 68000
Oct 26, 2011
1,760
147
Alpha Centauri A
I feel like it won't be restructured or anything, just destroyed.

They will do away with the app, and put the "Hey look, there's everyone else" feature into the native maps app. So the native app will basically be waze with Tomtom data.
 

dazed

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2007
911
211
This sucks. I like waze and don't want to see it destroyed or dumbed down as is usually the Apple way.
 

kgelner

macrumors member
Oct 28, 2003
38
38
Denver, CO
You can do better than Goole for transit

Yes. I want to see Apple's Map App develop in parallel to Google's. I still prefer Apple's, due to integration with Siri and other iOS features, like my Address Book. I like Apple's turn-by-turn better personally. But Google gets the love for their transit/metro info. If Apple had that, my choice would be simple.

There are already multiple transit apps that work better than Google's transit - download "Transit" from TapOne for a great free app. It displays more data than Google does about your trip.

Ditching transit instructions out of the main map was the best thing Apple ever did. Now instead of relying on Google's mediocre transit data, you can find a really good app for anywhere you go and get better metro directions.
 

foodog

macrumors 6502a
Sep 6, 2006
911
43
Atlanta, GA
I hope not. I do not want Apple to ruin another good thing!

I have driven through 20 or so states (southeast, midwest and northeast) over 20,000 miles with only IOS 6 and an iPhone 5 to guide me. I don't argue there are some weird things that have been reported about Apple maps but I have yet to encounter a navigation problem.
 

Risco

macrumors 68000
Jul 22, 2010
1,946
262
United Kingdom
This would be a good way to improve the data available to Apple Maps. So long as people would continue to contribute place-data. And being able to "bake" Waze into Maps would presumably make that happen by default.

Exactly, user contribution is essential of they are to make this acquisition a success. In fact it could end making Apple Maps the most accurate mapping solution out there.
 

Muscle Master

macrumors 6502a
Oct 15, 2010
581
113
Philadelphia
The thing is, with the cash reserves Apple has, I do think they can buy their way there, but they have to invest wisely. If they make the correct moves, a couple billion dollar investment today could easily reap billions upon billions of dollars in profit for them in the next four or five years.

The mapping space has changed considerably since Google Maps started. It's now a highly competitive and evolving field. There are plenty of small to medium-sized companies working in the mapping space today that are doing some pretty amazing stuff. Apple has the cash to invest in/acquire several of these companies and turn their technology into household names nearly overnight like they did with Siri.

Apple knows they have to make some big and (more importantly) smart moves with their Maps app if they want to be a player in the mapping space. They could shelve Apple Maps and sell out to Google Maps again, but I don't suspect they'll go that route. I'm sure most of the folks in Cupertino have Google Maps on their iPhones and they're getting a good idea of what they have to do to compete.

Now, we just have to wait to see how it all plays out this year. I don't expect Apple to go the entire year of 2013 without making a major attempt to recover from the black eye they received from Apple Maps in 2012.

You make some valid points... and I'm not saying google hasn't done the same.. at the same time, Google spent billions on innovating, not buying companies and consolidating everything into one app.. not to mention it took google *Years to get where it need to be
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Baumi

macrumors 6502
Mar 31, 2005
256
376
I am not sure if it has changed, but originally in Waze you could only edit tiles that you have driven on. When you make a change to an area that you had not driven the change is flagged and an area manager (just another Waze user) could approve or deny the change. Back then you could just send an email with your cartographer coordinates and ask to be an area manager.

You're right, it's still like that, or at least very similar. I just didn't want to get into too much detail. Since the other poster said, they couldn't see the difference between Waze, Apple, and Google, I mainly wanted to emphasize that Waze is the only one of the three that lets users directly edit the dataset (some restrictions apply).
 

Sardonick007

macrumors regular
May 18, 2011
239
2
Waze is the best thing that's happened to navigation since the satellite. Please don't **** it up.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,068
2,421
OBX
You're right, it's still like that, or at least very similar. I just didn't want to get into too much detail. Since the other poster said, they couldn't see the difference between Waze, Apple, and Google, I mainly wanted to emphasize that Waze is the only one of the three that lets users directly edit the dataset (some restrictions apply).

Yeah, which is something I am not sure Apple would continue to allow if they purchased Waze.
 

robertnq

macrumors member
Oct 30, 2006
49
0
San Francisco
I think in order for any maps app to be successful you need accurate data. The more data you have isn't always the answer, for the most part i like Apple Maps. My only complaint is the lack of built-in transit directions (this is the only reason i have google maps installed on my iphone)....

I still don't know why apple doesn't partner with Facebook checkin data? Talk about large amounts of accurate data...
 

LagunaSol

macrumors 601
Apr 3, 2003
4,798
0
I love Waze. They'll be acquired by someone eventually: I'd prefer it to be Apple. Just keep it cross-platform and retain the collaborative functionality and I'll be happy.
 

charlesdayton

macrumors 6502a
Oct 24, 2011
759
330
In my experience Foursquare maps have more POI data than Waze.
In fact when I search Waze for a POI I end up choosing data from FS or Google instead of the Waze database.
 

Sandstorm

macrumors 6502a
Sep 27, 2011
697
1,714
Riga, Latvia
I LOVE Waze. I use it constantly while driving. Mostly to get up-to-date and accurate speed camera warnings :rolleyes: (we have a mix of stationary and pesky portable cameras here), but also it's getting better and better at navigation too. I don't care about the social and "leader board" aspect though, I think they are mostly distractions.

This makes me both hopeful about the future of Apple Maps, but also terrified Apple might basically abandon, ruin or even completely shut down Waze... I think it's obvious by now that Apple is totally ok to cold heartedly murder anything they buy, just to get some IP/talent or maybe even to simply eliminate competition. I wouldn't be surprised at all. But in the case of Waze I hope it's too popular for Apple to kill it, if they don't want even more bad PR and general outrage.

IF Apple buys Waze business and keeps the multi-platform free app alive & updated, simultaneously integrating the best aspects of Waze in Apple Maps... I would be absolutely happy.

By the way, Waze itself also could benefit from the data of millions and millions more iOS users.

Anyway. Currently I'm still optimistic! :eek:
 

charlesdayton

macrumors 6502a
Oct 24, 2011
759
330
You make some valid points... and I'm not saying google hasn't done the same.. at the same time, Google spent billions on innovating, not buying companies and consolidating everything into one app.. not to mention it took google *Years to get where it need to be

Google PURCHASED the company that made maps originally: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Maps#Acquisition

Also they purchase or license the map data from other companies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Maps#Copyright
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Sandstorm

macrumors 6502a
Sep 27, 2011
697
1,714
Riga, Latvia
In my experience Foursquare maps have more POI data than Waze.
In fact when I search Waze for a POI I end up choosing data from FS or Google instead of the Waze database.

I think if Apple is serious about maps, they should buy/invest in both Foursquare and Waze. I just hope they let them both live and evolve, across platforms and independently. So they remain successful and popular, but Apple gets the best up-to-date mapping, traffic and POI data.
 

dona83

macrumors 6502
Nov 26, 2004
319
47
Kelowna, BC
I love Waze, and I love Apple, but I hope Apple doesn't ruin Waze.

I'm also a map editor on Waze. I love that with the thousands of map editors worldwide, our maps are extremely accurate and any changes to the road system are updated within a few days. I saw a construction sign that said "Do not rely on GPS for next 37km" and I laughed at that.

Bantz, where are you? I can check to see if there are any Area Managers in your area. If not, maybe you would like to take the initiative and edit the maps in your area. In my metro area, Vancouver BC, we have about 10 area managers and over a hundred map editors.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.