Apple Exec Explains Why You Should Use Apple Maps

[Shifts]

I would use Apple maps in US. In Europe or E Europe - forget about it.

I use Apple Maps exclusively in Europe. From time to time I cross check something in another app, but that is a fairly rare need.

People must be doing something wrong if they can’t use Apple Maps when navigating.

It is complete and utter BS that it can’t be used effectively in Europe.

 

[RedWeasel]

I just need to see if there's an accident up ahead, or some crazy traffic and I might want to take the back way.

How can an app know what is happening ahead when it doesn’t know what your ahead is, i.e. when it doesn’t know your destination and potential routes?

 

[expectdelay]

Maps is part of the Apple ecosystem and integrates well with other Apple devices and services.

This is why I started using it, integration with my watch. Haven't looked back.

 

[MacsRgr8]

As much as I am an Apple fan, I am in no way an Apple Maps fan.
Waze is far more accurate, up-to-date, has better info along the route, and can simply be active without setting a route.
Works great using Apple Carplay.

 

[Yebubbleman]

So Privacy and because it's Apple are the two reasons Apple is recommending Apple Maps over the competition? Boy, they sure know how to drive a hard bargain! ?

 

[Havoc035]

I like using Apple Maps but POI accuracy and markets outside of the US need serious work.

 

[ethanwa79]

Give me the features that Waze has (reporting and alerting of speed traps, construction, cars on shoulder, hazards, etc) and I’ll switch ASAP.

It’s the only reason I still use Waze.

 

[Christoph_SK]

I like using Apple Maps but POI accuracy and markets outside of the US need serious work.

Living in Germany, Apple Maps is way behind Google. I frequently use it, however if it gets a little bit more complicated (e.g. rural areas, details w.r.t. buildings etc) I usually switch in the middle of my search.

 

[zapmymac]

I use Apple Maps and HERE (offline backup) & the g/f uses Waze. Both run when we drive ?

We just took a trip from socal to San Fran and Apple Maps was great for looking around the city (playing tourists ?)

 

[djgamble]

As for the 3D landmarks added in the update, each landmark is created by hand. "We pick the amount of detail we find appropriate and create a 3D mesh of the building landmark itself. And we apply it to the base map," Frost told CNN.

I use it for directions and stuff. However, it's pretty bland in terms of features. I just hit '3D' for my two houses (Australia + Japan) and there's nothing. There's also no 'street view' style stuff.

Definitely all for dumping Google (I avoid it where possible). However, I'll use it when I need features like streetview and 3D.

 

[Basic75]

Here's why I don't use Apple Maps, it doesn't know half the places I'm going to! Might be a "not in America" problem, but hey, not everybody does (live in America).

 

[400]

I used to use an app for navigation, not google, it was OK but not brilliant but it took a few versions of Apple maps to surpass the dedicated navigation app and only this summer gone Apple maps is still woefully short on certain things especially when you lose mobile coverage but remains my goto navigation app cos I refuse to use google. But it is miles ahead of the POS Ford incorporated in the car.

 

[Kissmo1980]

I use Apple Maps exclusively in Europe. From time to time I cross check something in another app, but that is a fairly rare need.

People must be doing something wrong if they can’t use Apple Maps when navigating.

It is complete and utter BS that it can’t be used effectively in Europe.

How did you end up with this conclusion from what I said?

I said that it’s not near as useful as Waze.
Missing traffic events updated by users.
And no my friend in E Europe (HU, Slovenia, Croatia and Romania) it’s quite useless since roads often don’t show up.

Please keep your Western statements about BS to the region you live in.

 

[kreispendl]

I live in Vienna/Austria - not a small city by any means. But Apple Maps sends me to wrong locations all the time. It doesn't understand addresses here. Google Maps on the other hand is always on point.
I'm sure Apple Maps is great in biger US cities, however in Europe it not up to bar with the competition. And the sad truth is that Apple has neglected non US countries with its services .. well.. always. We get them late and when we do they are often in very bad shape. Apple doesn't seem to invest enough here. We do pay the same or more though - so we are all the same to Apple when it comes to money ..
I would love to use Apple Maps - but it's simply not practical at the moment, and hasn't been for years..

 

[Kalixt]

Slovakia (middle of europe) -

I tried to use apple maps several times but the amount of information about business, hotels, etc is incomparable with google maps. What is even worse is that there a lot of obstacles to add those informations to apple maps compared to google maps.

 

[_Spinn_]

I use Apple Maps all the time. Never bothered to install any other navigation app. Maps does everything I need it to do.

 

[44267547]

According to Dorn:

1. “Privacy is central and Apple isn't tracking your location for data purposes when you use Apple Maps.”

This I actually agree with. Even though it’s not really a crucial aspect to most consumers who are using the likes of a ‘destination app’ for the sake of traveling, I do think it’s important to take this into consideration. Does it change the user experience of what they prefer? Probably not. Props to Apple where they protect the consumers privacy, even in something as trivial as using Apple Maps.

 

[Kove]

So far, I think it depends on where you live. If you live in a city where it is well integrated and you use the Apple ecosystem, I think that it can work great. Otherwise, google maps is more detailed overall.

 

[Dan Pandrea]

Until Apple Maps becomes faster at updating new roads, I'll stick to Waze. So far they're one year late.

 

[44267547]

So far, I think it depends on where you live. If you live in a city where it is well integrated and you use the Apple ecosystem, I think that it can work great. Otherwise, google maps is more detailed overall.

I would agree with you only to an extent. Google maps used to be ahead of Apple Maps for years, but in the last two years, Apple Maps is almost just as detailed as Google maps is now. And this from somebody that’s in North America, that uses primarily Apple Maps, but uses both of them exclusively. Google maps will probably be more popular in terms of just more of a longevity factor, but Apple Maps has provided just as much detail as Google maps with feature parity with some significant updates. Again, I use both of these in comparison almost every day in a city over 700,000 people.

Actually, there’s one thing that nobody’s mentioning, is how quickly Apple Maps actually updates with points of interest, surrounding features, and layout over Google maps. But there again, maybe it’s based on somebody else’s geographic location they might have a different experience.

 

[robvalentine]

I use apple maps as it actually has my house on it. google shows the outline of my house, but when you press in it you get gps Co-ordinates instead which isn’t useful

 

[anthony8400]

I have to say that I like Apple Maps and especially the integration with the Apple Watch. However, I do not like that there are no cycling directions available where I live - Frankfurt am Main in Germany is not exactly a small town.
However, I just use the walking directions instead; works equally as well for cycling.

 

[cdrider]

None of those 3 reasons are actual reasons to use Maps.

 

[Kove]

I would agree with you only to an extent. Google maps used to be ahead of Apple Maps for years, but in the last two years, Apple Maps is almost just as detailed as Google maps is now. And this from somebody that’s in North America, that uses primarily Apple Maps, but uses both of them exclusively. Google maps will probably be more popular in terms of just more of a longevity factor, but Apple Maps has provided just as much detail as Google maps with feature parity with some significant updates. Again, I use both of these in comparison almost every day in a city over 700,000 people.

Actually, there’s one thing that nobody’s mentioning, is how quickly Apple Maps actually updates with points of interest, surrounding features, and layout over Google maps. But there again, maybe it’s based on somebody else’s geographic location they might have a different experience.

Yes in North America, there is no disputing that Apple has made remarkable progress in updating everything. Some features, such as the turn reminder when you are driving, I actually prefer in contrast to google. It is more precise and gives a more natural reminder as opposed to google maps.

If you go outside of North America however, I think there is still a lot more work to be done. I had experiences with some businesses missing as well as public transport routes show up as unavailable when Apps display them. I hope Apple keeps making the strides to keep improving Maps internationally as it has done in North America.

 

[WingingIt]

There is a huge fault with it in the UK at least. The fault is that even if the POI location is right, in my experience the entry point to the POI is super wrong (as in, sometimes literally miles wrong!) maybe a third of the time. So if I'm navigating to a POI, once it shows me the route, I zoom in on the end of the blue line and see whether it is actually taking me to the POI or just a random place in the middle of nowhere. If the latter, I drop a pin by the real entrance to the POI and navigate to that instead. I also report the incorrect entry point to Apple, and they sometimes get around to fixing it eventually, but not every time.

This is all well and good (though obviously clunky, and most people wouldn't bother to do it all) if I'm pre-planning a route on my phone, but no good if I'm navigating to somewhere on the fly using CarPlay. So in those situations I tend to switch to Google Maps because I can trust it to route me to the POI without me having to double check it first.