Nilhum
macrumors regular
So time to use Google Maps anyway since it’s superior as a maps program.
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Apple Announces Ads Are Coming to Apple Maps
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cateye
macrumors 65816
Strawman argument.
I bet Google wishes it had Apple's thick hardware margins. Or did you think that what you paid for an iPhone was just enough to design and build it?
Google makes on average $50 from a user using Google Maps with ads across several years.
how much of the $ price a user pays for iOS goes towards the Maps revenue? Not $50.
If you want Apple Maps to be better than Google Maps, Apple would likely need to invest at least as much as Google. Google has ad money which exceeds more than the portion of the device purchase that's set aside for Maps.
The only other option is to offer Apple Maps at a price or increase some iCloud subscription price to pay for Apple Maps. That's worse than just adding ads to Maps.
The economics doesn't work.
canadianreader
macrumors 68000
Crapifification of the Apple ecosystem is real.
pigeonguy
macrumors member
All their income from other sources. Not like there's a shortage...
npmacuser5
macrumors 68020
Clearly define Ads. Tracking Ads a big no and will be blocked. If Apple Maps does not allow blocking of Tracking Ads, not acceptable. Static ads will just be annoying. However if static Ads fall into the block Ad category, Apple needs to allow blocking.
theinstructor
macrumors 6502
I will stop using the already stupid Maps app. It just keeps getting worse. Good job Apple and Timmy.
running a service as a charity for billions of users is not how it works.
You never use it, and you conclude it's the worst. Hmmm, nice logic. 🧐
surferfb
macrumors 68030
Just because they say "you're not the product" doesn't mean it's true. If Apple customers are not the product, what exactly are businesses paying for?
cateye
macrumors 65816
Another strawman. Where has anyone argued for receiving hardware or services from Apple for free? What do you believe the cost-of-goods-sold of an Apple product covers? Do you believe advertising is the only avenue for Apple to recoup product costs, or do you believe Apple has other levers to pull?
If Apple believes in the utility of its Maps app and is convinced users should directly subsidize its development, then charge for it. Fold it into AppleOne. Let's see how that works for them. Because "charging" for it via advertising is not materially different, except it removes control from the end user to decide what that utility is actually worth to them.
Not really, no. OP is asking to use a portion of that billions of dollars instead of the revenue of what Google makes from ads to run Apple Maps. Literally on point.
Do you really believe Google just straight up invests that every last dollar back in maps? It’s not how a business operates.
iMac The Knife
macrumors 68000
surferfb
macrumors 68030
So do you think Apple should start putting ads in Mail? Messages? Notes?
Maybe stop taking the argument literally and swap out "free MacBook Pro" with "free Mapping services"
Apple are so desperate, it’s actually embarrassing. I absolutely hate the awful ads in news. They look so out of place and have no relevance to me whatsoever. Another sad day for Apple.
canadianreader
macrumors 68000
Organic Maps is great works offline, no account or telemetry collected.
Don't give them ideas - but I wouldn't put it past them to insert 'featured apps' on your home screen like Windows 11 Start menu.
Yes, but you only need ONE app. It would be a kind of internet proxy filter. Your device connects to this service, and then the service connects to the "real Internet". The service's job is to remove objectionable content like ads in maps.
The other part is that you, the user, have to own the "blocklist". It must be under your control. I would imagine there could be a big social media site where people add and share blocklist content.
As a user of both, and also an Android user, I disagree.
Apple Maps lags behind in crowd sourced data such as police reports, items on roads / etc, But in my travel (I am mobile 2 weeks per month) across the US, I find (oddly) the traffic report to be more accurate from Apple.
On top of that, the reroute suggestions to be a little better, and I like how it clearly defines which light to turn at in dense city sections. Some of the vocal prompts, letting you know what lane to be in and such are Far superior to google which is great because I prefer to watch the road, and listen to directions.
I have also found that each system does a better job in different cities.
As always though, YMMV.
Jumpthesnark
macrumors 68000
Not really. Microsoft fought the use of other browsers and argued in the antitrust lawsuit that IE was inseparable from their OS and that it had to stay the default browser, which is part of what led to them losing in court. Apple has done no such thing. I haven't touched Apple Maps in years because I have options, and Apple has never claimed that their Maps app is the only one I could use.
'With the privacy that Apple's users deserve, on device AI scans your messages and inserts appropriate ads into your chats without ever giving away your identity.'
Nope. That's paid for in part by iCloud subscription for storing their user generated content. User sees value in paying for this service.
Users don't really generate content on Maps so there's nothing to really pay for. Asking the user to pay for the service of providing mapping directions doesn't make sense when Google Maps is, so far, better by miles. It's a live expensive service to run and maintain, it requires tons of $ to improve it.
So how else do you expect Apple to do better than Google Maps with a smaller budget?