Apple Maps or Google Maps: Few months later

[fullauto]

Can't believe they haven't updated major routes around Brisbane Airport here in Australia. Completely lost last weekend, ended up having to go TO the airport before it would calculate a route to get me out of there..

[TG1]

Still prefer Google Maps here. It has a huge advantage in searching within a map for POIs (I don't see this changing anytime soon). The one area where I use Apple Maps is for cities that have Flyover. Very cool to search around a city this way and I've used some screen captures in presentations.

[taedouni]

It honestly depends on your location. Google has been in the navigation business since 2005 (if I'm not mistaken). Apple is still extremely new to the business; it's going to be a while until Apple can be globally comparable to Google.

If you live in CA, then there shouldn't be any issue with Apple Maps and it should work like a charm. I can't speak for other places in the world. You'll just have to test it every once in a while and see if it's reliable for you. It's like a Carrier. Some are amazing in certain areas while others are unbearable in other areas.

[Bahroo]

Apple Map is actually pretty dam good in the US, it only has a 1.5% failure rate compared to 1% failure rate of Google Maps in the US, but I defitnetly can see Google Maps being noticeably better outside the States

[dazed]

Google for me.

Apple just added 3D to my city, which looks pretty but is kinda pointless.

Streetview is still King.

[AKK03]

Google Map forever, Apple map don't even have all the buildings and landmarks for my country.
Worse thing was all the other apps are defaulted to the Apple map, sometimes I got to launch Google Map to manually search the map.

[sagar4995]

Originally Posted by Bahroo

Apple Map is actually pretty dam good in the US, it only has a 1.5% failure rate compared to 1% failure rate of Google Maps in the US, but I defitnetly can see Google Maps being noticeably better outside the States

G Maps is defi better outside of US. I'm in Dubai. Whenever i look for directions i make it a point to chk if APple maps has that point. 90% of the time, it doesnt.

[MozMan68]

Originally Posted by Bahroo

Apple Map is actually pretty dam good in the US, it only has a 1.5% failure rate compared to 1% failure rate of Google Maps in the US, but I defitnetly can see Google Maps being noticeably better outside the States

Failure rate? What does that mean and where did you get those numbers?

Apple Maps has been perfect for me across the US, is smoother and much cleaner UI IMO for directions...but Google definitely has more poi's...but stinks for directions IMO. Apple has always taken the better route for me.

[bmt134]

Google Maps

[mikeydeezy]

No public transporation functionality? No comparison.

[Jrh1194]

For turn by turn: Apple Maps by far.

For poi: Google Maps no doubt.

[gmanist1000]

Originally Posted by Jrh1194

For turn by turn: Apple Maps by far.

For poi: Google Maps no doubt.

If I could disable Toll Roads with Apple Maps, I might use it more. For now, it's a must for me and Google is the only option.

[maricc]

The sheer detail in Google Maps is the deal breaker for me.

For example when I arrived at my new university for the first time Google Maps had all the shapes and names of the buildings listed where as Apple Maps just had a big yellow blob that indicated the university is there.

[CosmicDice]

There are many things in Google maps I dont like. For exsample interface is ugly, laging maps, no streetnames. Apple maps do it for me, no need for Google's one.

I really dont need maps much anyway.

[cynics]

Originally Posted by gmanist1000

If I could disable Toll Roads with Apple Maps, I might use it more. For now, it's a must for me and Google is the only option.

Agreed. For navigation I like Apples turn by turn I just wish there were more features!

[ThE.MeSsEnGeR]

At first I was excited at the idea of Apple doing their own Maps app. But when I saw the final product, I was shocked to see how lacking was the database of Apple Maps in comparison to Google's. I told myself to give them time... and I did.

Google Maps finally released their app a few months ago and I've never looked back at Apple's until today when I saw this thread. I thought I'd give it a second look to see if it's improving... and sadly, it's still as shi**y as it was on day one. Of course, I'm talking about the locations I live in. I spend six months in Lebanon and the other six in Saudi Arabia. So I don't really find use of the growing list of cities in USA and Europe that are getting flyover and 3D imagery.

In brief, Apple's maps lack loads of information, most of the streets are not even there, some of the satellite imagery is in black and white with clouds covering some areas, AND turn-by-turn navigation is unavailable with Apple but it is with Google (I use an iPhone 4), those are only a fraction of the things where Google Maps is better than Apple Maps...

Here are some screenshots for comparison purposes:

Example 1:
Obvious difference in level of detail of the streets. It gets worse for Apple and better for Google when going even closer.



Example 2:
Searching for a town in a different country. Apple doesn't even find anything while Google gives more than one suggestion.



Example 3:
Again, massive difference in level of details. Seriously? not only streets, but whole towns are missing in Apple's maps.



Example 4:
Satellite imagery. Cloudy much? and lacking color. *facepalm*



Example 5:
Driving directions and turn-by-turn. Google even has voice over for it. Who said I needed 4S or above for Siri?




I've always had faith in Apple, but when it comes to the Maps App, I'm not sure they'll improve up to Google's levels in the next year or two. I don't get it how Apple can be so perfectionist to the finest details in some aspects while in others (like this one), you feel the lack of quality... let's hope that by iOS7 this will all change. If the recently updated Podcasts app is any sign, they're gonna make iOS7 (and hopefully including Maps as well) a bigger and better upgrade than what iOS6 was.

[petrucci666]

Originally Posted by mikeydeezy

No public transporation functionality? No comparison.

Absolutely right. I tried using Apple Maps but then realized I use the bus daily and get directions. Google Maps all the way.

[daviddth]

TomTom for guidance, Apple maps for "Where the hell am I" when walking through the city. Occasionally I have hads to revert to Google Maps when looking for a particular business.

[Sister Owl]

I live in Ukraine. Both maps are inadequate here, but Google at least has houses and a street view which can be quite helpful. No POIs whatsoever. In this poll i answered Google, but in fact, I like Yandex

[KdParker]

Originally Posted by drew0020

Easy... Google maps by a mile. Just wish Apple would allow us to select google as a presence instead of defaulting to their ******* app.

I must be in the 'good luck with Apple Maps' group.

I has worked flawlessly for me since release. Good thing the not so fortunate have another alternative.

[diane143]

For me, Apple Maps has gotten better.

But I have a need to create a map for a trip this summer and so far, I can't figure out how to port a map from my computer or web to Apple Maps.

Last week I downloaded Google Maps and have been trying it.

1 - I don't like the interface as much
2 - I don't like that things that were in all one screen on Waze and Apple Maps, have to be toggled in Google Maps (arrival time/miles remaining/time remaining)
3 - neither Apple or Google maps show your current speed like Waze does - my snows are slightly shorter than stock so if I go by my speedo I'll tend to be late. I have a pretty good guesstimate of how much it's off though, but it's nice to have that visual
4 - told it to get me to an office last Friday over 30 minutes away. It did fine getting me there - until it said I was still half a mile away when I was sitting across the intersection. It at least corrected itself when I turned into the driveway. Had I not been there before, I would've driven right past.
5 - I don't like the voice as much in Google plus while it drops the volume of my music, it also seems to drop the volume of the voice so it's hard to hear. Waze and Apple pretty much blast me out of my seat when they talk.

A huge plus for me with Google - I can create a map online, save it to My Places, and see it in iOS Google Maps. Have yet to test this, but I do need it at least once this summer. If Apple has no way to do this I'll have no choice but to use Google or at least run them both concurrently if possible.

iPhone 4s

[VulchR]

iOS maps is becoming an advertisement for the mediocrity Apple can achieve for information services outside the US. Where the POI information is years out of date. Admittedly I am in Scotland, and in a small town, but Google's information is correct. Moreover, Apple has not corrected POI information in my town even though I have submitted corrections time and time again.

Dear Apple, the 'computer shop' you say is on the corner of the street where I work closed 5 years ago and is now replaced with the shop that sells wedding dresses....