Apple Maps Adds Waze-Like Features in iOS 14.5 for Crowdsourcing Accidents, Speed Traps and Hazards

[Stephen.R]

I’m not worried about tracking that much. I go to work and come home. Not involved in illegal activities.

This is getting kinda off-topic but I'm not really sure "illegal activities" is particularly high on the reasons to use or not use a given GPS/mapping app.

Google tracking, like pretty much everything Google does, is about knowing everything about you, so they can show you more closely targeted ads. Then again, maybe the lawyers do care about that "frequents drug-den neighbourhood" metric, so who knows, perhaps likely illegal activity is something they make a guess about too.

 

[GDF]

And maybe if you read the post you would realize the question isn’t about which app is better, it’s about how quickly Apple Maps will have active users marking events.

With the inference from current Waze users on here that it has “millions of users marking events because the app has been around so long and is so popular.”

I’m only saying that Apple Maps (which is actually used more than Waze at this point even though it is only available on Apple devices) will gain traction with this feature in no time at all…weeks, not years.

There is also an assumption like in your post that “millions of people” submit events in Waze. I’m sure out of the 25 million or so active Waze users in the world, yes, at least 10% are submitting events “regularly”…but that doesn’t mean I’m one of less than 50 in West Michigan that do on a regular basis. And that’s fine…it doesn’t take many to make this a success on ANY app that offers these features.

Waze’s only real benefit over Google and Apple at this point is a few extra more detailed event options (nice to haves, but really won’t be missed by the vast majority) and of course, it’s crowd sourced mapping updates. With Google stealing the most popular options from Waze and both Apple and Google stepping up with quicker mapping updates, I think Waze’s impending death has sped up just a little.

It’s an app that depends on people knowing about it and downloading it…Google Maps and Apple Maps do not. And with it losing exclusivity on features that made it so popular in the first place, I doubt Waze’s active users will number more than 5 million people in a year or two.

I hope you are right, but not sure. I think Google Maps has had reporting features for a while now and when I test that compared to Waze it is no where near as good or as close to as many reports. I think Apple Maps and Google have a ways to go to catch Waze, but like I said, sure hope you are right.

 

[MisterSavage]

This is getting kinda off-topic but I'm not really sure "illegal activities" is particularly high on the reasons to use or not use a given GPS/mapping app.

Google tracking, like pretty much everything Google does, is about knowing everything about you, so they can show you more closely targeted ads. Then again, maybe the lawyers do care about that "frequents drug-den neighbourhood" metric, so who knows, perhaps likely illegal activity is something they make a guess about too.

This is a horrific example of how tracking can be used against you when you've done nothing wrong.

Google tracked his bike ride past a burglarized home. That made him a suspect.

"I was using an app to see how many miles I rode my bike and now it was putting me at the scene of the crime," the man said.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Td1970]

Apple Maps already has "faster route available" prompts while driving (i.e. its not just about showing you the best options when you plan the route), which is presumably tied in with the traffic condition reporting.


This is why I asked if Waze supports voice commands. Saying "Hey <autonomous overlord>, report a disturbance in the force for this location" doesn't take your eyes off the road or hands your hands off the wheel.

In civilised countries, using a phone in your hand while driving is already illegal, but e.g. having a hands-free kit and talking on the phone is not. I don't know if any country has yet criminalised talking to an AI-ish entity while driving but it seems unlikely.


I don't believe Apple do keep this data (they specifically do more work on-device, to make make sure of this), but that is not what I was talking about anyway.


This is what I was talking about. In what universe does "Google discontinues Waze, adding it to the hundreds of other things they've either built or bought and then summarily given up on" somehow mean those employees, will not just be re-assigned to some other as-yet-not-cancelled Google team?

I never said Google is laying off these employees. I’m sure Google will find homes for these employees. I see too much “bye Qualcomm”. Bye Netflix. Is kinda funny but sad. The smaller company’s. People are cheerleading for Tile to fail if and when Apple releases their version.

 

[Td1970]

This is a horrific example of how tracking can be used against you when you've done nothing wrong.

Google tracked his bike ride past a burglarized home. That made him a suspect.

"I was using an app to see how many miles I rode my bike and now it was putting me at the scene of the crime," the man said.

www.nbcnews.com

Honesty this could help solve a crime. This is exactly the same as the Apple Watch helping to catch a criminal. See the post I. This forum. Are you opposed to helping catch criminals?

 

[spazzcat]

Why? Really curious. Waze works great me me.

The directions will get you there, but I always Apple Maps have better directions.

 

[Stephen.R]

I see too much “bye Qualcomm”. Bye Netflix. Is kinda funny but sad. The smaller company’s.

You think Qualcomm and Netflix are “smaller companies”? They both have revenues of about $24B a year. That is not small by anyone’s definition.

 

[Stephen.R]

People are cheerleading for Tile to fail if and when Apple releases their version.

You’ve really lost me on how this relates to Waze or their parent Google.

 

[Steve121178]

Again…what is the percentage of active Waze users that actually input data? Versus those that just download the app and “use” it…getting the benefit of folks that actually mark events?

Clearly very, very high.

 

[MisterSavage]

Honesty this could help solve a crime. This is exactly the same as the Apple Watch helping to catch a criminal. See the post I. This forum. Are you opposed to helping catch criminals?

The "it helps catch criminals" is a weak excuse for terrible ideas. Adding backdoor access to iPhones which would weaken the ability to secure iPhones with encryption is an example. Apple has fought that.

 

[MozMan68]

I hope you are right, but not sure. I think Google Maps has had reporting features for a while now and when I test that compared to Waze it is no where near as good or as close to as many reports. I think Apple Maps and Google have a ways to go to catch Waze, but like I said, sure hope you are right.

Something is up with Google though in my experience. First, they are supposed to be pulling some info from Waze, yet as you mentioned, they do not show up.

I tried to test the reporting features on an 800 mile trip in August. Passed many construction areas, police, etc. and Google didn’t show any of them.

Google Maps kept “crashing” on me though…would stop the route without warning and I would only notice if I looked at the map and directions were gone. I gave up about 300 miles in after the third time it stopped on me.

Switched to Apple Maps with Waze on the background for reports and it worked great.

We were discussing in the Maps thread that Google Maps also requires you to sign in to utilize the reporting features? I haven’t verified that yet though…but I’m always signed in when I open Google.

 

[MozMan68]

Clearly very, very high.

Clearly you have no data to back that up…and yet I am able to give a very logical explanations as to why it doesn’t take many to have a well functioning app.

Either way, Waze works quite well at the reporting function and in my opinion, Apple will as well with a very fast rate of usage.

 

[Td1970]

The directions will get you there, but I always Apple Maps have better directions.

Never a problem with waze. But if Apple Maps has crowd sourcing like waze I’m open to using it.

 

[Td1970]

You think Qualcomm and Netflix are “smaller companies”? They both have revenues of about $24B a year. That is not small by anyone’s definition.

You’ve really lost me on how this relates to Waze or their parent Google.

I know that those aren’t small. I didn’t make that clear in my response.

The Tile comment was how when air tags were announced. Lots of poster here where say bye Tile. Your product is crap. Apple Will do it right.

that all I was saying. I don’t understand cheerleading for a company that only wants your money. I love my Apple products. Use lots of them. But they aren’t any different than Samsung, General Mills or any other large company. They want you to spend money. That’s it

 

[Td1970]

The "it helps catch criminals" is a weak excuse for terrible ideas. Adding backdoor access to iPhones which would weaken the ability to secure iPhones with encryption is an example. Apple has fought that.

I agree with you to a point. So your saying it’s ok if your Apple Watch tracks you but it’s bad if waze does. That’s a odd outlook.

 

[Td1970]

Clearly you have no data to back that up…and yet I am able to give a very logical explanations as to why it doesn’t take many to have a well functioning app.

Either way, Waze works quite well at the reporting function and in my opinion, Apple will as well with a very fast rate of usage.

That will be seen. If it works better for me. I’ll move to Apple Maps

 

[Td1970]

Clearly very, very high.

Far more than Apple Maps has currently. That may change.

 

[ohthehorror]

Day late and a dollar short.

 

[MozMan68]

Far more than Apple Maps has currently. That may change.

Considering it hasn’t been introduced outside of beta users, that’s not a fair comparison. Hah

 

[Stephen.R]

Lots of poster here where say bye Tile. Your product is crap. Apple Will do it right.

Ok, so people are glad that Apple is (if the rumour holds true) going to produce a product to compete with one that's already in the market, and perceive that the Apple one will be of higher quality?

that all I was saying. I don’t understand cheerleading for a company that only wants your money. I love my Apple products. Use lots of them. But they aren’t any different than Samsung, General Mills or any other large company. They want you to spend money. That’s it

I think you're reading a lot into what people are saying. It's a not-uncommon thing that people (here, in MR at least) wish for Apple start producing/return-to-producing a product in a given segment of the market, because Apple products typically have a quite high attention to detail, and ease of use to them.

For example, a lot of people want Apple to re-enter the (con/pro)sumer display market, rather than "suggesting" the LG UltraFine series. Those people aren't.. <checks notes> "cheerleading for LG to fail" - they simply want a better quality product.

I have no idea of the quality of Tile product(s? do they have more than one product?), but I don't see how you equate people saying quite literally that the product is terrible and that they expect a higher quality product from Apple, with "cheerleading for them to fail".

The intention of the company may not be any different, but I think it's regardless either way. I think you'e interpreting poster's desires for a better quality product, with malice towards Apple's theoretical competitors.

 

[Lynucs]

RIP Waze

How though? Apple Maps is not cross platform... you would miss out on a swath of reports from android users. Sadly, Waze will always be the only choice.

 

[Td1970]

Ok, so people are glad that Apple is (if the rumour holds true) going to produce a product to compete with one that's already in the market, and perceive that the Apple one will be of higher quality?


I think you're reading a lot into what people are saying. It's a not-uncommon thing that people (here, in MR at least) wish for Apple start producing/return-to-producing a product in a given segment of the market, because Apple products typically have a quite high attention to detail, and ease of use to them.

For example, a lot of people want Apple to re-enter the (con/pro)sumer display market, rather than "suggesting" the LG UltraFine series. Those people aren't.. <checks notes> "cheerleading for LG to fail" - they simply want a better quality product.

I have no idea of the quality of Tile product(s? do they have more than one product?), but I don't see how you equate people saying quite literally that the product is terrible and that they expect a higher quality product from Apple, with "cheerleading for them to fail".

The intention of the company may not be any different, but I think it's regardless either way. I think you'e interpreting poster's desires for a better quality product, with malice towards Apple's theoretical competitors.

I guess we disagree. I understand that this is a Apple centric site. But there a a few people here who literally worship Apple. Defend at all cost. That’s silly and childish. But to each there own I guess. That’s the behavior that turns so many people off here. Apple is more than capable of screwing up. They have and will again.

 

[Td1970]

Considering it hasn’t been introduced outside of beta users, that’s not a fair comparison. Hah

I’m playing with Apple Maps on my work drives this week. Today I see the option to mark police or hazards. I tested with a hazard and nothing showed on the maps app. I am using CarPlay.

is there a delay before it’s shown? This is a beta so understand bugs are probable. With waze there pin is marked/visible almost instantly(within 1-3 sec) on my CarPlay or phone screen

 

[Td1970]

How though? Apple Maps is not cross platform... you would miss out on a swath of reports from android users. Sadly, Waze will always be the only choice.

If Apple Maps works like waze with crowd sourcing. It will be a success for iPhone users. Though you are correct on the cross platform thought.

IOS integration is Apple Maps biggest feature. The way it works can never be replicated by 3rd party apps. Unless apples opens the doors for some reason.

 

[Stephen.R]

But there a a few people here who literally worship Apple.

I don't disagree with that, but your example so far was:

Lots of poster here where say bye Tile. Your product is crap. Apple Will do it right.

That's a long way from "worship", or "defending Apple".

Apple is more than capable of screwing up. They have and will again.

Agreed, every company in the history of the planet has ****ed up, it's inevitable.
That's also likely why people are displeased with the product from Tile, and are hopeful Apple will release something more to their liking: they believe Tile "screwed up" with their product.


I really can't see how you're reading "this product is crap" as "I hope the company that makes this crap product goes out of business".