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

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,290
30,375



Google has updated its Google Maps for iOS app with quicker access to navigation, including route and traffic overviews when choosing from multiple possible routes for a particular destination.

This image shows the difference between the old route selection screen (left), and the new screen with the improved route options map.

NewImage6.png
What's New in Version 2.3.4

- Faster access to navigation, complete with route and traffic overview
- Tips and Tricks available in the side menu
- Arabic and Hebrew now supported, including voice guidance in navigation, where available
- Bug fixes
The update also adds support Arabic and Hebrew, including for voice guided navigation, as well as unnamed bug fixes.

Google Maps for iPhone and iPad is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Google Maps Update Improves Navigation, Adds Arabic and Hebrew Support
 

ryanmcv

macrumors 6502a
Aug 12, 2007
804
508
Phoenix, AZ
Headline should read:

Google Maps Update Improves Navigation, Adds Arabic and Hebrew Support, Fails to Add iOS 7 Support
 

Jzaque

macrumors newbie
Jun 16, 2011
5
0
They got rid of the 3D look on the icon that most google apps have. Hopefully start to see them change this for every app. Looked bad on iOS 6, and terrible on iOS 7.
 

6836838

Suspended
Jul 18, 2011
1,536
1,325
- Still takes forever to start up
- Still no access to contacts
- Still no iOS7 support
- Voice directions still getting cut off
 

Huracan

macrumors 6502
Jan 9, 2007
335
281
Google. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! It is having the option of your maps what puts the spotlight on the awful Apple IOS Map application. Has anybody taken the chance to look at the about section of the Apple Maps. I think all of the copyrights are from 2012. No update has been done to the Apple IOS maps since their launch. I have sent a lot of error reports and nothing has been fixed. When the new bridge was opened between San Francisco and Oakland Google was the first map application to reflect the change. Apple is still showing the old abandoned span, and this was more than a month ago.

I know that people might think that my expectations are unrealistic. They are not, Google and other maps have already fixed this, Apple Maps still has this error together with all the ones I pointed out more than a year ago. Apple IOS map really suck in terms of being up to date and accurate. Again Google, thank you!!!!

I happen to know people who interview for work and work for Google maps. I have never heard of people working for Apple maps, probably there is nobody, perhaps Apple should think about having their own maps solution, not outsourcing it, or if they outsource it that they use a reliable and up to date map source like when IOS was using Google maps.
 

kevinpdoyle

macrumors member
May 2, 2012
91
386
I know this is a minor quible but why can't Google at least update to the iOS7 keyboard when they push out these updates? Is it really that hard?
 

Twimfy

macrumors 6502a
Sep 11, 2011
888
246
UK
The "Apple Maps is terrible, Google should still be the default mapping software for iOS" comments may now begin. :D

I've been using Apple maps for in car navigation a lot recently. Quite impressed with it and the other day it found a street which apparently didn't exist on my Tom Tom.
 

Xenomorph

macrumors 65816
Aug 6, 2008
1,397
829
St. Louis
- Still takes forever to start up
- Still no access to contacts
- Still no iOS7 support
- Voice directions still getting cut off

Give them a break!

Google is just a tiny little start-up company operating out of some guy's garage. This programming stuff is hard, and it's difficult for them to make something that works right (just look at Android).
 

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908

Yeah, Apple Maps is ridiculously bad in my area. Oddly our village has been "3D'd" whilst nearby towns haven't but a lot of roads are incorrect, some walking paths are roads, one of the major roads isn't even on. It's really bad!
 

Imory

macrumors 6502a
Feb 2, 2013
830
316
Wonderland
Google. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! It is having the option of your maps what puts the spotlight on the awful Apple IOS Map application. Has anybody taken the chance to look at the about section of the Apple Maps. I think all of the copyrights are from 2012. No update has been done to the Apple IOS maps since their launch. I have sent a lot of error reports and nothing has been fixed. When the new bridge was opened between San Francisco and Oakland Google was the first map application to reflect the change. Apple is still showing the old abandoned span, and this was more than a month ago.

I know that people might think that my expectations are unrealistic. They are not, Google and other maps have already fixed this, Apple Maps still has this error together with all the ones I pointed out more than a year ago. Apple IOS map really suck in terms of being up to date and accurate. Again Google, thank you!!!!

I happen to know people who interview for work and work for Google maps. I have never heard of people working for Apple maps, probably there is nobody, perhaps Apple should think about having their own maps solution, not outsourcing it, or if they outsource it that they use a reliable and up to date map source like when IOS was using Google maps.

Well, the funny thing is that where I live Google hasn't updated their satellite images for over 5 years. Whereas Apples images are only 1 1/2 years old. The place where I live has completely changed and this entire neighborhood didn't even exist 6 years ago. Not to mention the fact that they've started to build the biggest mall in Scandinavia and Sweden's new national arena which had its opening ceremony on August 2012. None of that is visible on Google Maps.

It does however exist on Apple Maps.
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
What sort of iOS 7 support are people looking for exactly? The new keyboard?
 

SgtPepper12

macrumors 6502a
Feb 1, 2011
697
673
Germany
I noticed that in the Google Maps app and the Youtube app Google's software design got kind of worse. It may look nice and tidy, but the interfaces are just so incredibly confusing. There are just so many strange things happening without any explanation or intuitive reason. At the beginning I had these moments with both of these apps that I stared at the display, my thumb hovering above it and I just had no clue what I had to do now. I mean I figured it out at some point, but the lack of self-explanation in these UIs is just unnecessary.
 

mdelvecchio

macrumors 68040
Sep 3, 2010
3,151
1,149
puts the spotlight on the awful Apple IOS Map application.

apple maps is my regular go-to nav app, and i rarely have a problem with it. ive had problems with all of them at one point or another.

Has anybody taken the chance to look at the about section of the Apple Maps. I think all of the copyrights are from 2012. No update has been done to the Apple IOS maps since their launch.

false -- there have been articles comparing launch locations to updated versions. youre simply wrong because youre looking at the copyright date, which is meaningless.

Again Google, thank you!!!!

now if only i could use an address stored in my address book. wouldnt that be magical?

I have never heard of people working for Apple maps, probably there is nobody,

ah yeah. because some dude on the web hasnt never met an apple employee working on maps, they dont exist. riiiight. have you ever meet anyone in NASA? what about the president of Zimbabwe -- do they not exist either?
 

Vanilla35

macrumors 68040
Apr 11, 2013
3,344
1,453
Washington D.C.
I don't get it. Why should google care about iOS 7's design elements, or iOS 7? They have more users on Android (their own operating system) and they have a more unique, and in my opinion better design than iOS 7. They have no reason to meet all your selfish needs haha
 

Michael Scrip

macrumors 604
Mar 4, 2011
7,922
12,470
NC
I think Apple Maps are fine.

But the biggest reason I continue to use Google Maps on my iPhone is because I can search for stuff on my computer and my phone can access that history.

Planning a trip? I can star all the locations on my computer and my phone can see them.

In fact... anything I Google-search will show up in that history too.

It's nice when your maps app knows the last few places you've searched recently on your computer.
 

QuarterSwede

macrumors G3
Oct 1, 2005
9,778
2,026
Colorado Springs, CO
- Still takes forever to start up
2 seconds on an iPhone 5 from cold start to finding where I am for me. That's what you consider forever? It's probably 1 on a 5S.

I'll agree that it needs to ask for contacts use. That's the only gripe I have since they fixed the screen dimming bug? some random update ago.
 

Jenniejoy07

macrumors newbie
Oct 5, 2013
16
0
i think apple maps are fine.

But the biggest reason i continue to use google maps on my iphone is because i can search for stuff on my computer and my phone can access that history.

Planning a trip? I can star all the locations on my computer and my phone can see them.

In fact... Anything i google-search will show up in that history too.

It's nice when your maps app knows the last few places you've searched recently on your computer.

this +1.
 

Huracan

macrumors 6502
Jan 9, 2007
335
281
ah yeah. because some dude on the web hasnt never met an apple employee working on maps, they dont exist. riiiight. have you ever meet anyone in NASA? what about the president of Zimbabwe -- do they not exist either?

I know it is anecdotal. As a matter of fact I know a few people who work at NASA. I don't know the president of Zimbabwe. I know people who work at Facebook and Google for maps and localization. I do know quite a few people who work at Apple in the Bay Area, software, hardware, customer care, etc. Never bumped into anyone who has claimed to work for the maps app :) I would probably give them an earful. I know it is anecdotal. I think the outdated copyrights are actually quite telling that they are not buying or receiving updates from TomTom. By the way, my TomTom app in the iPhone shows the correct bridge info for the bay bridge. How is it possible that an app that has offline maps is up to date and one that is supposed to have "live maps" is so way behind?

Other than that I like the aesthetics of the Apple map and the navigation, etc. It is just the lack of updates and accuracy of information that gets me. The traffic information is also difficult to see in the map with those thin red lines.

Don't get me wrong. I like Apple products. I have used Apple products for a long while. Most of them are great. With the maps they did a big screw up.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.