Apple Collecting Data to Improve Augmented Reality Location Accuracy in Maps

[maszaikasza]

Apple should try to make sure data in maps are up-to-date outside US. Also, without natural sounding voice in navigation mode, Apple Maps will always be a second choice after Google Maps.

 

[StuBeck]

Why is this opt in then. Their data is poor enough without handicapping themselves on purpose.

Because people will rightfully be upset to unwittingly be helping a multi-trillion dollar company fix their mapping software for free. The minimum they should do is give a bounty program so if you help them with their mapping software, you get some discount on iCloud membership.s

 

[Karma*Police]

It would be nice for Apple to offer a crowd-sourced improvement of Maps.

You already can add public images to locations on Maps but it isn't a very easy or obvious process. That base of crowd-sourced images and reviews is what gives Google Maps an edge in certain cases.

Apple is clueless. The fact that they can anonymously track every other car on the road yet not know if there’s traffic or not in real time is laughable.

 

[zach-coleman]

I find AR pointless if a compass and gps functions properly. Apple's compasses are so much better than any galaxy phone I've owned but I don't think they support dual frequency GPS.

I agree… but there are plenty of places it barely works. Manhattan comes to mind. I haven’t been back with a dual band GPS phone, although I doubt that will do much about the compass getting lost.

Last time I was there and experiencing this problem I wondered if it would be possible for them to embed compass calibration equipment under the street or on the sides of buildings, sort of similar to how location is partially approximated by the strength of WiFi networks. Not sure if that would be possible even with ultra wideband, though.

 

[victorvictoria]

Whats your car?🤔

2022 Volvo XC40.

 

[EsTriFee]

This is all great, but Maps is just sorely lacking in current business and point of interest information. I'm an enthusiastic user of Maps for navigation, but I end up looking up places in Google Maps quite frequently because Apple Maps has such spotty data. I hope Apple buys up or develops a really good database of this stuff and keeps it current because it's the one area in which Google Maps still has a huge advantage.

The issue is that even if you report stuff, it doesn't always get fixed... and when it does it takes ages. Otherwise the interface and direction giving is way nicer than google maps.. just have to make sure when you press "GO" that it doesn't swap you to the road next to your destination instead for some random reason...

 

[zach-coleman]

The issue is that even if you report stuff, it doesn't always get fixed... and when it does it takes ages.

I had to report that a local park was not a fire station, nor was it anywhere near a fire station, 6 times before they actually fixed it instead of making as resolved. I had to move a business twice before they actually put it in the right place, even though I put it in the right place the first time. They refused to move a business that relocated across the street and kept closing my ticket while leaving it as permanently closed... their system is busted.

 

[ignatius345]

The issue is that even if you report stuff, it doesn't always get fixed... and when it does it takes ages. Otherwise the interface and direction giving is way nicer than google maps..

I report errors and omissions in Apple Maps quite frequently. In my experience, I always see a message or followup about it within a few days.

just have to make sure when you press "GO" that it doesn't swap you to the road next to your destination instead for some random reason...

Yes. I've had this issue many times as well. If I choose a specific route (say, to take a more scenic or easier drive) it will often take any deviation from the route as an opportunity to default to what it considers "better". Not a fan of that, but otherwise quite happy with the directions and how things are displayed on the map.

 

[EsTriFee]

I report errors and omissions in Apple Maps quite frequently. In my experience, I always see a message or followup about it within a few days.

alas that happened once... all the other times it didnt work and i sort of gave up on caring, just use google maps to look stuff up... I reported that a gas station near my house was incorrectly placed 300 meters down the road... i had to do it 3 times and by the end they just deleted it... without placing it in the correct spot... then i reported that its missing and they just closed the report... without fixing it.. gave up after that.. Also tried to add a store once to maps that i frequent because apple maps doesnt even know it exists and they closed my ticket saying "this store doesnt exist" which is funny cause they could have just opened google maps to see it... or you know even go on their LookUp feature and see that its there?.... I'm not aware how to easily solve their issues but whatever they're doing now is not it...

Yes. I've had this issue many times as well. If I choose a specific route (say, to take a more scenic or easier drive) it will often take any deviation from the route as an opportunity to default to what it considers "better". Not a fan of that, but otherwise quite happy with the directions and how things are displayed on the map.

it's more so that when you find a place it shows it in the correct spot but once you press go it decides that even thou it had it perfectly placed on the map when you looked it up that actually you want to drive to some spot 50/100/500 meters off it... and sometimes what happens then is that instead of going to the place it gives you some backroad... especially happens with businesses in industrial estates which sometimes ends up being an extra 5/10min detour to actually drive into the place around.. which is annoying to say the least.

I had to report that a local park was not a fire station, nor was it anywhere near a fire station, 6 times before they actually fixed it instead of making as resolved. I had to move a business twice before they actually put it in the right place, even though I put it in the right place the first time. They refused to move a business that relocated across the street and kept closing my ticket while leaving it as permanently closed... their system is busted.

yeah whatever they're doing is not working... adding some "communication" or something would probably make it less horrible.. like saying "actually could you provide details" or something instead of just randomly closing tickets and saying "its all good" and then you're like questioning why would you report it if it was good.. but i've kind of given up on doing it honestly

 

[ric22]

Who uses Apple Maps? I've never seen a human do it since that diabolical year they thrust it upon us