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ipoppy

macrumors 6502
Oct 12, 2006
423
9
UK
Sorry Apple....you can't beat Google Street view. Show me that you still can be innovative company and come up with something better than useless 3D feature.
By innovation I mean something ground breaking not shapes changing...like MacPro
 

unplugme71

macrumors 68030
May 20, 2011
2,827
754
Earth
Apple maps has gotten a lot better.

If the address appears wrong. I just move the pin over and go from there. Usually whatever is wrong on Apple is wrong on Google too

Still 5+ years later google refuses to fix the location of my home address

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Sorry Apple....you can't beat Google Street view. Show me that you still can be innovative company and come up with something better than useless 3D feature.
By innovation I mean something ground breaking not shapes changing...like MacPro

Actually the design of Mac Pro is incredible as silly as it may look. One fan pulls all the heat out. Wow!
 

Berserker-UK

macrumors regular
Jan 4, 2012
102
55
Berkshire, UK
I use both.

Google Maps does transit, street view, and has much better UK coverage (and accuracy).

Apple Maps does walking directions better (the prior version of Google Maps was an improvement, but they seem to have gone backwards with the latest update). Flyover is also good (in the few places where it works).
 

skiphunt

macrumors member
Sep 10, 2002
98
3
Google Maps much better

I used my iPhone as my GPS on 2 different motorcycle trips originating from Austin, Texas this last Summer. I used both Apple and Google maps and really wanted Apple to be the winner because it's just easier as the default map app.

The first Southwest trip was for about 5 weeks and went from Texas through, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and back to Texas. The second trip was also about 5 weeks and went through the mid-west from Texas through Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and Louisiana... back to Texas.

The Apple map results were consistently horrible, inaccurate, and got me lost several times. The Google maps were always perfect without exception.

Haven't tried since iOS7, but I find myself not even using Apple maps for quick local directions. I cut/paste addresses from the default Apple map results right into Google maps without even bothering with the Apple maps anymore.

Was curious if things had improved with iOS7, but the incredibly horrible experience of using Apple maps while traveling has me gun-shy to even bother with it at all.
 

dukebound85

macrumors Core
Jul 17, 2005
19,131
4,110
5045 feet above sea level
helps that it is the default and you can't change your default mapping app....

apple maps has steered me wrong (as in not even close to where the location is) so I try not to use it unless in a pinch
 

zaphon

macrumors 6502
Oct 9, 2003
270
130
Is it just me or does this seem like a completely stupid study? I'm sure if you did the same for Android, Google Maps would be the most used (as it comes by default). :confused:
 

maxwelltech

macrumors 6502
Dec 29, 2011
423
104
Irvine, CA, USA
It's more popular because it's better! I use maps and GPS on a daily basis and every time I give Google maps a try it fails me. Apple maps is by FAR the best navigation app out there!
Yep. The best navigation app is the one that leads people onto an airport taxiway.

Seriously, yesterday when I was searching for restaurants around, Apple Maps only returned 2 results while Google returned around 10 results. That is why I always tell people to use Google Maps whenever possible because it is just much more complete.

Flyover is just about the only thing good with Apple Maps.
 
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ctone

macrumors regular
Nov 28, 2006
103
4
The side-by-side comparison of screenshots of Google vs. Apple maps in this article is a clear demonstration of why I don't like Apple Maps as much. There is very little contrast in Apple Maps, which it makes it difficult to see. The background is too light (nearly white background with white roads), the text is too light and it seems smaller.
 

Reason077

macrumors 68040
Aug 14, 2007
3,607
3,644
Google's maps are (still) better than Apple's. They're more complete, more up-to-date, and the satellite/aerial views are far better. And Google's location search is of course still far, far better than Apple's.

But Google's Maps app on iOS just isn't that good. It feels slow and clunky compared to Apple's, even on an iPhone 5s; plus the UI is not as simple and elegant as Apple's.
 
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Corrode

macrumors 65816
Dec 26, 2008
1,003
2,297
Calgary, AB
I really want to like it but if they can't remove the location of our old Children's Hospital from years ago (a change I submitted when maps first came out) then I don't see much hope. Constantly can't find addresses and it seems like their map is from 10 years ago.

Maps sucks in Canada. I bet it's great in the USA.
 

VulchR

macrumors 68040
Jun 8, 2009
3,383
14,255
Scotland
Why don't we look at user satisfaction?

Exactly. I ran a poll about Maps in another thread (here), and more people outside the US said maps was poor than maps was great. I love Apple's products in general, but maps outside the US shows a serious lack of attention to detail. Moreover, Apple is not correcting errors that people have been submitting since Maps was first released. Apple has a lot of cash. There are lots of unemployed people who could check the accuracy of Maps and/or error reports. I don't get why Apple is poring effort into iCloud but not updating Maps....
 

eecyclone

macrumors regular
Jul 10, 2013
105
0
I prefer google maps on iOS most of the time. The address entry and business search always works a lot better for me than with Apple's app.
 

neilmacd

macrumors 6502
Apr 18, 2010
301
24
UK
As mentioned many, many times, it's crap in the UK.

Satellite imagery for my area recently 'updated' from 2011 to 2006 and places/landmarks/businesses are often way off.

It's bearable but still needs a lot of work.
 

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
It's not perfect in the US.... but neither was Google. Apple has worked better for me.

As a Google user we got bad info all the time and shrugged it off--it was still awesome for the 95% good info! But slap an Apple logo on an error and suddenly it's a war crime :p

I thought I'd miss Street View but I don't: blurry, awkward, and so... slow...

Exploring a neighborhood in fast-gliding Flyover (where available) is so much nicer for the same purposes. Except reading small signs... which Street View allows maybe half the time at best?

I'm imagining if Google Maps had had Flyover all along, and not Street View. Then imagine Apple came out with Street View as it exists: awkward to navigate, slow to load, full of glitches, double images, blurs, blinding sun flares and noisy shadows. Click... move 20 feet. Click... move 20 feet. Apple would be a laughing stock! But since Apple did NOT make Street View, bloggers pretend it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

And it was useful, and still is where Flyover is missing. But not that great.

And now, for future improvements: Apple's getting a ton of mapping data that Google is no longer receiving.
 

PatriotInvasion

macrumors 68000
Jul 18, 2010
1,643
1,048
Boston, MA
I'm always one to give Apple first crack at my usage, but even I have had to go with Google Maps for the following reasons:

  1. Google traffic data is way more accurate and presented in a much cleaner way than Apple's dotted line approach which I hate.
  2. Google Maps offers the double tap to zoom in AND out feature - very convenient for checking the map in traffic with one hand and keeping as much focus on the road as possible.
  3. On many occasions, Apple Maps has given me directions to go the wrong way down a one-way street which are very common here in Boston. Unacceptable.
 

wovel

macrumors 68000
Mar 15, 2010
1,839
161
America(s)!
You do realise thats a completely (statistically) false argument don't you?

What I mean is, that whilst Apple maps may be better for your usage that does not mean it's better for the world's usage. Statistically Google maps are more accurate world wide. So whereas Apple maps may have 'pockets' where it's good, as a whole, it's still very inaccurate - still to the point where they are not fixing issues reported on launch day (We still have shops that have been closed for 20+ years listed for example).

It's silly to declare "X is the best - FACT" as its more a case of "having tried both options, in my location X seems to give more accurate results".

Your milage may vary - no mapping app is "the best".

You know you made the same mistake. Your "statistics" are just based on Internet anecdotes...
 

currentinterest

macrumors 6502a
Aug 22, 2007
682
664
I have run three side by side tests comparing the apps while traveling. Apple maps was better for two and the same for the third. In one case, Google maps was 160 miles off.
 

proline

macrumors 6502a
Nov 18, 2012
630
1
I use both.

Google Maps does transit, street view, and has much better UK coverage (and accuracy).
I think for a lot of people transit is the #1 complaint about Apple Maps. Fortunately, Apple Maps will do transit in iOS 8, along with indoor location tracking and mapping.
 

deputy_doofy

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2002
1,460
390
I *WANT* to like Apple Maps, but I can't. If I'm looking for a street that may be a few blocks away, but can't think of where it is, Maps will find the street... well, a same-named street in another state. Something is SERIOUSLY wrong with the data and/or algorithm if it cannot find the street that may be a few blocks away or a neighboring town, but can find one 100s of miles away.
 
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