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

Google Maps vs. Apple Maps

  • Google Maps

    Votes: 164 53.9%
  • Apple Maps

    Votes: 140 46.1%

  • Total voters
    304

bigjim83

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 14, 2011
470
3
Has Apple maps caught up with google maps yet? What are your experiences? Searching, points of interest, route accuracy?

What I have found is that Google maps searches are better. I am able to find more locations and it gives a broader search radius. I am unsure of routing though.
 
apple map was horrible in ios6, got a lil better in ios7. i will go with google map though, it just works much better
 
Is this even a question? Apple Maps are the worst maps I have ever used... even to the point to where my girlfriend (the fangirl if you will) won't even take her iPhone out for directions.

Always using my SIII for directions.
 
Apple maps will have potential with the m7 chip and iOS 8. For now though, Google Maps.

And the only reason I gave the edge to google is because it has transit directions.
 
Last edited:
Last time I used Apple Maps, I turned off of a main road up a 35º hill, through a back alley, down a 35º hill, and then continued on the main road.

I don't think it's quite ready yet.
 
I never had a problem with Apple's map in iOS 6 and stopped using Garmin's apps for routing. The map in iOS 7 seems just as good, but the routing is terrible. Even in 7.0.4 (before I went to 7.1 b1).
 
UK or at least my local area - no, Apple Maps hasn't caught up. It's based off 5+ year old data and updates to it have been very slow.
 
For turn-by-turn navigation, Apple Maps is hands down the best product I've ever used. It's fast, clean and intuitive. Only thing I miss is map caching for offline usage.

For other tasks I prefer Google Maps. The maps are more detailed and the UI is just better overall.
 
Used Apple maps a lot for navigation round where i am and never had a problem. Used it on Saturday night to pick up the other half in the depths of the one way system in the middle of Sheffield and it worked no problem.
 
For turn-by-turn navigation, Apple Maps is hands down the best product I've ever used. It's fast, clean and intuitive. Only thing I miss is map caching for offline usage.

Agreed. I use it in preference to my dedicated SatNav now, as the instructions are very clear.
 
Has Apple maps caught up with google maps yet?

Not even remotely.

It's actually probably regressed a little bit further.

What are your experiences?

I could have made a better point of interest database with a dartboard.

Searching, points of interest, route accuracy?

Unmitigated disasters.

What I have found is that Google maps searches are better. I am able to find more locations and it gives a broader search radius. I am unsure of routing though.

That's because Google's data is better in every way.
 
The most annoying part of Apple maps for me is searching address. For example, I live in Lithuania country, Vilnius city. When i type address "Saltoniskiu g. 19"- no results, when I type "Saltoniskiu g. 19, Vilnius"- successful... With google maps or other maps application I dont need to write in addition my city, it gives accurate results
 
Map's POI's where I am (Scotland) are terribly inaccurate and out of date. POI corrections that I have submitted since Maps was first released have not been acted on at all. I love Apple's products in general, but Maps just plain sucks in my corner of the world, and Apple is doing precious little about it.

There is a separate thread and poll about Apple's maps that rather highlights that users' experiences of Apple's maps is mixed at best and dependent on country: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1640706/. In that poll, which has over 450 respondents at this point, more people outside the US believe Apple's maps is poor than great.
 
Is this even a question? Apple Maps are the worst maps I have ever used... even to the point to where my girlfriend (the fangirl if you will) won't even take her iPhone out for directions.

Always using my SIII for directions.

Where do you live exactly? Apple Maps works great in Los Angeles. It's dead on accurate for routing and ETA estimates (which are off in Google maps).
 
I'm on a Study Abroad right now, and as far as I can tell, AM works well in the US but not in London or Florence.

But yesterday AM saved our group a lot of trouble by working without a data connection whereas GM only showed the dot and not the map.
 
I'm on a Study Abroad right now, and as far as I can tell, AM works well in the US but not in London or Florence.



But yesterday AM saved our group a lot of trouble by working without a data connection whereas GM only showed the dot and not the map.


Apple maps requires data just like the Google map app.

I unfortunately have a Verizon iPhone so I can't do voice and data. When I'm using Apple maps while on the phone it works unless I miss a turn then it reroutes constantly since there is no data. Very annoying.
 
Where do you live exactly? Apple Maps works great in Los Angeles. It's dead on accurate for routing and ETA estimates (which are off in Google maps).

Milwaukee WI, travel literally all over WI and IL and we always have trouble with her phone and maps lol
 
Apple maps work well for me, the integration with iOS is obviously much better than google maps which is why I almost always use apple maps.
 
here in Austria it's a bit different. If you are in the big cities (there's probably about 5 of those) google offers the better satellite images. However if you are outside, Apple is in front by a lot. Navigating is good but not perfect on both and (where I am) Apple has more POI but most of them are not very accurate. I use Apple Maps most of the time, because Google Maps doesn't offer any improvements.
 
Apple Maps have a terrible UI since iOS 7 and are useless where I live.

Google Maps have an excellent UI on all platforms and work very well where I live.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.