Apple Maps Now Using 'Business Listings' Data From Foursquare

[sessamoid]

I use Waze, there's really no other navigation app that gets you through traffic like it. Apple and Google both just give direct routes using main streets/highways. They both alert you to traffic, but don't really do anything to route you around it if there's a faster route .

This is not true of Apple Maps. While using it for navigation, I have had Apple Maps pop up an alert that there is traffic ahead, and offer to route me around it.

I have also noticed it automatically setting an initial route that is clearly not the shortest distance (route that I take frequently) due to traffic on that route.

 

[benji888]

Finally!


...b4 the Swarm garbage, Foursquare was 1000 times more accurate and up to date for POIs over Yelp...and Yelp still sucks 3 years after Apple integrated it into Maps.

 

[duffman9000]

Google has been doing maps for over a decade and people on here expect Apple to have the same amount of data in three years. That said, Apple Maps works great for many people.

It's not just the data set where Apple Maps fails. Start misspelling an address and you will see AM fail. I can ask Google Maps a street name, a city, and a POI and it can find what I'm looking for. AM will sometimes direct me to Japan or Europe.

I just asked GM for "UPS on vernon street". GM found it not far from me in an adjacent city. AM directed me to somewhere near Toronto, Canada. AM is good only for the most of naive of the naive test cases.

 

[Terrinb]

Google Maps. Need I say more?

You don't have to say more, but it sure would help. Otherwise, some of us slower people have no idea what you mean.

 

[Terrinb]

I like Apple's voice navigation, but still don't trust the accuracy. The last time I used Apple Maps was when I tried to drive to Home Depot like 3 years ago. Apple Maps took me to a random residential street in a very choice looking neighborhood where a bunch of 10 year olds stopped in the middle of the street and started mean mugging me in my car. All I could think was WTF did a bunch of 10 year olds try and intimidate me in a car, where did Apple maps take me...

/csb

Wow, talk about discrediting yourself. Apple Map is not the same App is was three years ago.

 

[Terrinb]

Apple maps showing me the speed limit of the road I'm driving on and alerting me of being over that limit would be far more useful to me than this feature.

I would think if Apple maps could offer native speed limit warnings, this would become another good selling point for the iPhone; a ticket saved will go a long ways toward paying for a new iPhone. (As it is, if one wants this functionality, one had to buy an app like TomTom for the iPhone.)

I did really like that feature on my old Navigon App.

 

[ksuyen]

Nope, not for me.

Yes for me, Google map has been either bad or slow in updating, though accuracy is good, it's not near as good as Apple Map. 9 out of 10 people I know who does not have GPS in their car use Apple Map solely for direction.

 

[springerj]

So is this why every time I ask Siri for directions to a business and state the street it's on, it gives me some other location on another street.

I dunno if its just me, but whenever I type a business name into apple maps its starts listing stuff in Pennsylvania or Florida or some place 3000 miles from where I am. If I don't have an address, I just go to google maps. I don't want to go to Pennsylvania.

 

[bpeeps]

Wow, talk about discrediting yourself. Apple Map is not the same App is was three years ago.

How you've managed to illogically jump from A to Z is beyond my grasp. So I'll repeat this for the second time in this thread. I don't doubt Apple Maps has changed, but it still doesn't meet my needs. POIs are still wrong, Apple Maps tells me there's a Corner Bakery down the street when it's been closed for a year. Searching for Halloween stores in October was fruitless when Apple Maps listed locations that weren't there. It's far from perfect. Apple just doesn't have the same amount of data that Google does. Period.

As multiple people in this thread mention, Apple is terrible at searching. There's a restaurant named Versailles. I type it in Google, it shows my city on the map and the restaurants location. I type it in Apple and I'm on my way to France.

Most importantly to me, I need an app that routes me around traffic and will automatically
update with the fastest route as I'm driving. Neither Apple or Google does this. The routes Apple and Google plan tend to be direct routes on major streets that are congested with traffic. I usually shave 10 - 15 minutes off my drive time by not using either app.

Sorry buddy, Apple still isn't cutting it for some people. Great if it works for you.

 

[trajano]

Kind of wish they added support for Yelp or open up the API for third party.

 

[BvizioN]

Blame Apple for the lack of integration. Apple does not allow users to choose default apps.

It's called user experience and Apple wants what it it believes is best. So yes, it is controlled but believe me, it works for majority of the people. They just want to have things done without issues, they don't care much how.

 

[trajano]

This is not true of Apple Maps. While using it for navigation, I have had Apple Maps pop up an alert that there is traffic ahead, and offer to route me around it.

I have also noticed it automatically setting an initial route that is clearly not the shortest distance (route that I take frequently) due to traffic on that route.

Problem with both apple maps and Google maps is they do not provide a way of avoiding till roads by default. So far only Waze is the most popular one that does it that I have found.

 

[pdaholic]

Yes for me, Google map has been either bad or slow in updating, though accuracy is good, it's not near as good as Apple Map. 9 out of 10 people I know who does not have GPS in their car use Apple Map solely for direction.

Again, exact opposite for me. Would never trust Apple maps.

 

[pdaholic]

Problem with both apple maps and Google maps is they do not provide a way of avoiding till roads by default. So far only Waze is the most popular one that does it that I have found.

Google maps always asks if I want to avoid toll roads when I head north toward San Fran.

 

[ErikGrim]

Can we just agree to the fact that Apple Map and Google Maps usefulness still depend heavily on your local data? Apple Maps never tried to take me down one way streets for me, but Google Maps insisted I could turn right into traffic on the highway next to my house.

Find out what works for you and what compromises you can make. Have less sh"t-fights.

 

[oliversl]

Apple Maps development is too slow. I hope people come back form the iWatch devel team and help the maps team again. Or just fire whoever is in charge of Apple Maps.

 

[dk001]

Good to AM improving especially with the number of iPhone owners who just use the default whatever Apple has in iOS.

 

[Carlanga]

This is fantastic news - Foursquare's location data is second to none, especially on new and recently opened places.

Second to google IMO

 

[Smith288]

The traffic congestion view still sucks compared to googles maps. So I'll still continue to use it.

 

[Terrinb]

Ditto... I find Apple Maps very useful for my area and seeing more detail come is always a good thing.

For my work I travel a lot in the Detroit, Ann Arbor, Michigan area. I walked out of an office last week in an obscure residence part of Ypsilanti Michigan, and the Apple Maps truck was driving by. 40 miles away I saw the Apple Maps truck in down town Detroit this week. About four weeks ago I saw it again.

Apple is aggressively working on Maps. When it first launched, it had some issues, but it was also stronger in a lot of ways. It was faster, and had a better interface. It has come a long way to address many of the early short comings.

I use it daily with no issues.

How you've managed to illogically jump from A to Z is beyond my grasp. So I'll repeat this for the second time in this thread. I don't doubt Apple Maps has changed, but it still doesn't meet my needs. POIs are still wrong, Apple Maps tells me there's a Corner Bakery down the street when it's been closed for a year. Searching for Halloween stores in October was fruitless when Apple Maps listed locations that weren't there. It's far from perfect. Apple just doesn't have the same amount of data that Google does. Period.

As multiple people in this thread mention, Apple is terrible at searching. There's a restaurant named Versailles. I type it in Google, it shows my city on the map and the restaurants location. I type it in Apple and I'm on my way to France.

Most importantly to me, I need an app that routes me around traffic and will automatically
update with the fastest route as I'm driving. Neither Apple or Google does this. The routes Apple and Google plan tend to be direct routes on major streets that are congested with traffic. I usually shave 10 - 15 minutes off my drive time by not using either app.

Sorry buddy, Apple still isn't cutting it for some people. Great if it works for you.

Nothing like an ad hominem argument. I am not sure how I am being illogical. Unless, I am mistaken you claimed to last have used Apple Maps three years ago and then claim it still isn't useful for your needs. Then you list all these complaints, that by your own admission you haven't verified yourself in three years.

You are right though, Apple Maps does suit my needs, and unlike you, I actually do try out other services like Google Maps, and Waze just to compare. I also have Navigon.

 

[bpeeps]

For my work I travel a lot in the Detroit, Ann Arbor, Michigan area. I walked out of an office last week in an obscure residence part of Ypsilanti Michigan, and the Apple Maps truck was driving by. 40 miles away I saw the Apple Maps truck in down town Detroit this week. About four weeks ago I saw it again.

Apple is aggressively working on Maps. When it first launched, it had some issues, but it was also stronger in a lot of ways. It was faster, and had a better interface. It has come a long way to address many of the early short comings.

I use it daily with no issues.



Nothing like an ad hominem argument. I am not sure how I am being illogical. Unless, I am mistaken you claimed to last have used Apple Maps three years ago and then claim it still isn't useful for your needs. Then you list all these complaints, that by your own admission you haven't verified yourself in three years.

You are right though, Apple Maps does suit my needs, and unlike you, I actually do try out other services like Google Maps, and Waze just to compare. I also have Navigon.

You are mistaken. I clarified in my second response to you, but you are still jumping to conclusions and ignoring deductive reasoning. I'll clarify once more. The last time I used Apple Maps as my primary navigation app was in 2012. I have used it sparingly since. As I stated in my previous reply, I used Apple Maps right before Halloween (October 31st, 2015) to find Halloween stores in my area and received an incorrect listing. The store didn't exist when I drove there. Navigationally the app is fine, POIs still need a lot of work.

 

[atmc]

This seems huge, because foursquare POI data is much better than most of the existing services. I always thought Apple could just buy Foursquare, but they've done it this way. The only problem is that it doesn't seem to be working, at least in my country. I search for venues that do exist on 4sq and I don't see the correct result. I hope this is not live yet, or there is some sort of bug, because Google Maps still appears to be much better regarding POI search. Apple needs to get this work correctly, because 4sq data is huge and very accurate.