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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,195
30,136



maps_icon_ios_7.jpg
Apple has continued its efforts to improve its Maps app with the addition of ten new data providers, according to a new report from Apple Maps Marketing (via 9to5Mac). The new providers specialize in providing Apple with business listings.

Apple Maps Marketing came upon the information when inquiring about Apple Maps Connect and its Business Portal, which allows businesses with over 1,000 locations to add their listings to Apple Maps. Apple responded to the inquiry by pointing the site to a group of data providers that supplied Apple with information on businesses with less than 1,000 locations.
DAC Group
Factual
Location3 Media
Marquette Group
Neustar/Localeze
Placeable
PositionTech
SIM Partners
SinglePlatform
UBL
Yelp
Yext
Yodle
Three of the providers on the list -- Yelp, Factual and Neustar/Localeze -- were already known to be providing Apple with data for its Maps app, which indicates that the remaining 10 are providers Apple has inked deals with more recently. While the list doesn't include other known Apple Maps partners like Acxiom, it does suggest Apple is continuing to add more partners to improve its data.

Article Link: Apple Continues to Boost Maps Efforts with New Business Data Providers
 

joshwenke

macrumors 6502
Mar 26, 2011
301
1,129
Maps actually works quite well now - haven't had any problems with it and I use it nearly every day for work.
 

Kraetor

macrumors newbie
Sep 7, 2014
2
0
You can use Siri for navigation in New Zealand. Business listings are unavailable, however.
 

scottwaugh

macrumors 6502
Jul 22, 2002
359
12
Chicago
Maps actually works quite well now - haven't had any problems with it and I use it nearly every day for work.

I think alot of whether it works or not, it has to do with the user location.

That said, the more Apple tries to improve it, the better. I use it occasionally, most of the time it works, but sometimes there's still problems. Just deleted Google Maps off my phone the other day in fact (I'll add it back if I need it again).

Maybe some of them can alert Apple to the fact that public transportation exists.

Public...what's it called again? /s
 

Mashurrab

macrumors regular
May 30, 2014
196
7
Apple need to improve thier maps outside of USA. To be honest Google is not that better but it is still better than Apple maps. I bought sygic and it works flawlessly :)
 

xiaomingqiu1207

macrumors newbie
Nov 19, 2014
2
0
Only use it when I have to, which means a app connects itself to Apple map, most of the time, I use Waze instead, and Google map is the second option.
 

bmunge

macrumors 6502
Mar 7, 2012
319
385
I'm a massive Apple fanboy but I finally switched to Google Maps this year and have found it much better. The traffic data here in Chicago is much more accurate. I love that it shows you what lane to be in for turns and the faster route indicators are really cool. Apple has a ways to go still.
 

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
Maybe some of them can alert Apple to the fact that public transportation exists.

Apple Maps has a transit button in it. Always has.

When they used Google as a provider, that button directly provided transit info in-app. The ideal. But Google demanded to track iOS users in ways Apple wouldn't allow, so Google would no longer let Apple have up-to-date mapping features. Apple had to roll their own, and it has worked out great (...for me in the US).

The new non-Google Apple Maps app still had the button (and does to this day). It provides the same functionality, but unavoidably with an extra step: when you use it, it hands off to your choice of transit app--Google Maps being the obvious choice, but not the only one. (Which means if your city is better served by some service OTHER than Google, maybe an app specific to your area, then the new Maps app's transit button works better than the old one.)

Transit is the reason I keep Google Maps installed. But I hate searching there--it's unaware of my Address Book for one thing, and it doesn't know my Home, and doesn't respond to Siri, and doesn't auto-complete recent places. Most often I want to go between Home and a transit station (by car or foot) then from there to some destination. Talking to Siri and using recent/saved places in Apple Maps is the quickest way to start the process. Then I hit the Transit button and hand JUST the last step off to Google.

It's not perfect, but it's pretty good--and it's what is possible.

Making deals with tons of transit providers who use different data formats and want to guard/sell/control their data isn't easy. Google broke that ground really well. Apple can't do the same overnight from scratch, but I expect it's coming.
 

Gav2k

macrumors G3
Jul 24, 2009
9,216
1,608
Apple are working on maps in all honestly. I reported 10 errors last week and within 6 days they messaged me to say they were fixed
 

Lloydbm41

Suspended
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
Apple are working on maps in all honestly. I reported 10 errors last week and within 6 days they messaged me to say they were fixed

I've reported around 50 errors and updated existing places over the last month and have yet to see a single change or receive an email. Don't know if I should keep bothering because adding all that info for a business takes time on my part and I have no idea if Apple cares or not, or will ever make the changes?

Edit: Literally 10 minutes after posting this I get several messages from Apple with changes I have made. Coincidence?
 
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Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,688
4,399
Here
I'm glad to see them remain dedicated to enhancing the app. Honestly, it's been great for me, but I still fall back on Google if I'm in a hurry.
 

AbyssImpact

macrumors 6502a
Aug 6, 2010
804
17
What I like most about Google maps on iOS is that it maps out the shortest distance to your route. For Apple maps, their isn't an option for this, at least I can't find it.
 

AlecZ

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2014
1,173
123
Berkeley, CA
Maps actually works quite well now - haven't had any problems with it and I use it nearly every day for work.

The question is: Are you just going to the same place every day? I find Maps navigation to be good (better than Google Maps by a slight margin), but the POI search is horrible and often can't find things that Google Maps can find, or it requires me to fiddle a lot with the search keywords to make it work. So I use Maps whenever possible, but I occasionally have to fall back to Google Maps.

----------


LOL, glad to see that joke is still going.
 

jamescobalt

macrumors regular
Mar 7, 2012
149
294
Boston, MA
Apple Maps has a transit button in it. Always has.

I think we all know this is no substitution for what should be found in a fully featured navigation app. Transit was supposed to be included in iOS8, but got cut due to extensive mismanagement on the Maps team, at least according to multiple tipsters to 9to5 Mac.

With over 50 million people in the US now living in large cities with public transit, the continued lack of transit directions in Apple Maps means it isn't even on the table for a lot of people.

Here's to Transit making it in iOS9...
 

macfoxpro

macrumors 6502
May 17, 2011
499
400
USA
I've reported around 50 errors and updated existing places over the last month and have yet to see a single change or receive an email. Don't know if I should keep bothering because adding all that info for a business takes time on my part and I have no idea if Apple cares or not, or will ever make the changes?

Edit: Literally 10 minutes after posting this I get several messages from Apple with changes I have made. Coincidence?[/QUOTE

Dang. Hey, Apple, can I get a iMac 5K, please?
 

Dekema2

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2012
856
437
WNY or Utica
Why can't Apple keep its map imagery updated? When I go to Earth I can actually see aerial imagery of my city from literally 5 months ago, while Apple still has a lot of maps from 2010.
 

Lloydbm41

Suspended
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
Why can't Apple keep its map imagery updated? When I go to Earth I can actually see aerial imagery of my city from literally 5 months ago, while Apple still has a lot of maps from 2010.

I have reported outdated imagery. You should do the same. I used to deal with satellite imagery and it can be extremely difficult to get clear 3 meter or better images. (By clear I mean no cloud interference or fuzzy imagery.) Additionally, the higher res the image means keeping the camera on the satellite aimed at the same spot for longer. If there are any issues with the pass, you have to not only wait for the satellite to pass over the same spot again (which may be months), but the requesting party may be bumped from priority status.

While satellite imagery is taken for granted these days, getting hi-res imagery can still be difficult, especially over rural towns in the US. Google also has access to government satellites that Apple will never have access to, so cut Apple a little slack. ;)
 

Born Again

macrumors 68040
May 12, 2011
3,996
5,169
Norcal
Maps is like the long distance relative that tries to be impactful to the family but fails. Maps needs to just stop showing up to family events.
 

iolinux333

macrumors 68000
Feb 9, 2014
1,798
73
The question is: Are you just going to the same place every day? I find Maps navigation to be good (better than Google Maps by a slight margin), but the POI search is horrible and often can't find things that Google Maps can find, or it requires me to fiddle a lot with the search keywords to make it work. So I use Maps whenever possible, but I occasionally have to fall back to Google Maps.

----------



LOL, glad to see that joke is still going.



Exactly. Apple needs to get POI info from Google as well. ALL of the new small business owners ALWAYS are sure to see that they are listed on Google Maps. It's hit or miss whether they bother with anything else. Google Maps is the new yellow pages. Until Apple Maps has at least as many accurate POIs as Google Maps, I don't feel like wasting my time to "see what happens."
 

ThunderSkunk

macrumors 68040
Dec 31, 2007
3,774
3,980
Milwaukee Area
More data in an app that still barely useful in use all these years and high-profile firings later. Every time I take another trip, I get the feeling that no one at Apple actually uses their own Maps app, or never travels beyond urban neighborhoods.

If they did, they would immediately discover these basic things sorely missing from Apple Maps and address them:

1. Planning a route of more than one destination. ie: I have 5 errands to run, and I need to do three of them in a certain order, what are some routes? Fastest, shortest distance, bonus points for the least gas guzzling based on speeds, stops & distance?

2. Load and STORE the maps. Out on the road, you cannot count on a steady, stable, high speed cellular connection at your disposal. When a user initially asks for directions, they should have a "Save route" option, whereupon the app begins downloading the maps along that route to LOCAL STORAGE, including the fine detail maps illustrating turns, areas off route to the nearest gas station, and ask the user how long they'd like to store them, a day, week, month, year. Upon completing a route, the app should ask if it's ok to delete that route & maps, or if you'd like to store it, or if you'd like to use it again for the return trip.

3. When a user asks the app for directions, and then proceeds down that route, and the app follows the users location along that route for a quarter mile or more, the app should consider the person en route. Forgetting their route and dumping their maps at some random point (usually when you stop for gas) because they didn't hit a "start" button is a stupid way of leaving people stranded and lost. Less buttons, more usefulness.

4. Show useful map data. A 50 foot view down a straight highway with a semi intelligible note about the next turn, is not useful. The overview should always show the users position. A view that auto-zooms to shows our position on the REMAINING route with a preview of the next upcoming turn so you can get in the correct lane early would be helpful. In-line directions should actively zoom between you and your next turn or exit.

5. Tap on upcoming exits to display how far away their gas and restaurants are. ...better yet, ever-present "GAS" & "FOOD" icons, that at any point can tell you where the nearest options are. Like asking Siri, but able to be performed out in the boonies where there aren't reliable cellular connections, because it should be able to read that data off its LOCALLY STORED MAPS.

6. On-screen toggles for voice instructions volume & mute, independent of the levels the music or podcasts you're listening to are playing at.

Etc. All things that Apple can do or sit back and watch their competition do.

Leaving for another 3-state drive in 6 minutes. Bringing the wifes iPad, and several road atlases.
 
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mrfabio

macrumors member
Apr 11, 2011
72
10
London
I agree that Apple Maps improved a lot and I like it a lot..but I cannot use it because:
1) I live in Italy, and I sent already many corrections about where is my home! I just wanted to try how fast they are...still waiting, after months they still show my address in a fat and incorrect position. I tried the same with Google Maps and after two days I can see my exact location. Apple very bad in this..
But nice app, I would really like to use it..
2) Bug, reported from many people: please could you try to select your Favorite points? Is the app update itself with the new locations or is it still pointing to the first or second point? I was at office and evaluating different restaurants close to a customer office when I found it, my colleagues also opened a ticket describing the bug but after 8.1.1 still not working... I had to switch to Google Maps..
 
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