Of course a picture is data. What else is it? Even if Apple’s solution results in a better “picture”, it’s still just a view of the street. What additional, relevant information is Apple’s street view going to provide? Bottom line, the best data set wins and Apple is nowhere close to matching Google in this department, especially outside the US. They’re wasting their time and resources trying to reinvent the wheel for no good reason.
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Apple Maps to Be Rebuilt 'From the Ground Up' With First-Party Data Over the Next Year
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Of course a picture is data. What else is it? Even if Apple’s solution results in a better “picture”, it’s still just a view of the street. What additional, relevant information is Apple’s street view going to provide? Bottom line, the best data set wins and Apple is nowhere close to matching Google in this department, especially outside the US. They’re wasting their time and resources trying to reinvent the wheel for no good reason.
It should be interesting. I am hoping they "fix" two aspects:
1) location searches are executed from map POV outward instead of the search they have today.
2) that this is a factual working model, not another "beta" that only works sometimes and in some location.
Still, the one thing that drives me to Google Maps and Waze besides current accuracy; AM ONLY works on Apple.
I am not, an all Apple device person.
My concern, or fear, is that the focus it will be set to look "purtty" over location accuracy.
1) location searches are executed from map POV outward instead of the search they have today.
2) that this is a factual working model, not another "beta" that only works sometimes and in some location.
Still, the one thing that drives me to Google Maps and Waze besides current accuracy; AM ONLY works on Apple.
I am not, an all Apple device person.
My concern, or fear, is that the focus it will be set to look "purtty" over location accuracy.
Google Maps on an iDevice vs. other devices is different. I find more flexibility on Android and PC's.
I suspect it is a design limitation imposed by iOS.
Honestly, why bother? Google Maps/Waze is hands down the best, just go back to using them by default and abandon Apple Maps as the failed project that it is. I am all for competition, but even I know when a company should say enough is enough and given how bad Apple Maps is, they should have stopped a long time ago.
I suspect most are wondering of this is just another pig in a poke.
Funny, that is what Apple Maps does to me and my friends, Google Maps will say everything in advance and even say things like "Turn Right at Del Taco", which gives you a good point of reference.
Apple Maps has always been behind Google Maps in its point of interest and search ability. Navigation is improved a lot, but is still not as good.
However, it is just not safe to use Google Products because their business is to sell your data.
Location data, and searching or POI is some of the most sensitive stuff you can tell a company about. Any improvements to the quality of Apple Maps makes it easier to avoid Google.
However, it is just not safe to use Google Products because their business is to sell your data.
Location data, and searching or POI is some of the most sensitive stuff you can tell a company about. Any improvements to the quality of Apple Maps makes it easier to avoid Google.
This is untrue, and continuing to repeat it invalidates just about anything you say.
it's not bad to be questioning about how companies use your data. But to repeat this FUD shows you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.
Google has never sold your data. They use your data to compile aggregrate information in order to sell advertising space to you. But their business model is so dependant on this, that selling your personal data would essentially give away their business.
Nevermind the fact that in virtually the entire world now, except the US, selling of personal data is illegal.
if you want anyone to take you seriously. Don't say stuff like this.
Ugh. Google does NOT sell your data. Stop spreading lies. Google sells access to your eyeballs. Third parties pay Google for targeted advertising. At no point does Google sell your data to anyone.
Every app or service that helps me get away from Google is welcome to me. I use Apple Maps constantly and have for years. It's gotten MUCH better in the past few years. I will have the occasional search fail (put in part of a nearby address and it gives you a place VERY far away) -- but those have gotten much less frequent. Whenever I've used it in a car, here in the US, directions are very solid and accurate. Lane guidance is a welcome addition. Transit info, at least here in NYC, is great all the way down to the subway station exit level, which is pretty granular.
The only real complaint I have is that the number of businesses on the map is pretty anemic next to Google's. But then again, I'd hate for it to get as ad-infested as Waze.
The only real complaint I have is that the number of businesses on the map is pretty anemic next to Google's. But then again, I'd hate for it to get as ad-infested as Waze.
Did anyone else notice that the Apple Mapping Van uses an iPad with an Anker lightning cable?
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Yes they have Lidar
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Waze is no longer a startup it’s a Alphabet company AKA a Google Company.
To clarify, I expected that to be it but when I took the Apple Maps route, I didn't find any significant traffic en route and arrived at the estimated time that was way earlier than Google's.
It seems like you live in Toronto so I can be specific: I was leaving King/Spadina to go somewhere in North York. Google Maps sent me along the Gardiner to the 427 backtracking considerably, then up to the 401 and along that to my destination. Apple Maps sent me up University/Avenue Road all the way to my destination in 3/4 of the time.
People treat Google Maps as perfect. I rarely hear anybody complaining about Google Maps' quirks but when Apple Maps has the slightest imperfection, it's piled up on.
I know that Apple Maps is flawed in certain regions but in Toronto, it works incredibly well so I have little to complain about.
That's Google Maps' one killer feature for me too. Used it in South America last year when I only had wifi at hotels -- I'd cache a big chunk of map and know I could use it offline. Apple Maps' coverage in Chile was not so hot anyway, so in this case it was a no-brainer to use Google.
If Apple Maps doesn't work for you, it's not Apple's fault. You're just living in the wrong place 
Solution: Move to a place better covered by Apple Maps.
Solution: Move to a place better covered by Apple Maps.
Well they've got a looonnnnnnngggggg way to go. I'm glad they aren't giving up but it seems very naive of them to think that they're anywhere near. They've improved a lot over the past 6 years but they're still nowhere compared to Google. Give me one reason why anyone should use Apple Maps over Google. It has a slightly nicer and more responsive interface. That's it.
Apple Maps still can't reliably auto-complete addresses or even understand them if they are partially entered or contain spelling mistakes. With Google, you can type pretty much whatever the hell you want and it will always know exactly what you mean, no matter how incomplete it is.
Oh and if I'm in a city right now, and type in a street address without specifying the country or city, then for the love of God, search in the city I'm in right now, and not in China, or Korea, or in Uganda, or some totally random country across the globe, just because 2 out of 18 letters happen to almost match! This drives me insane.
Also, don't offer me 19 other choices that are somewhat similar in other cities and countries. Except in rare cases, there should always be one obvious solution to an address. It's rare that there are two roads of the same name in a city. It happens, maybe once out of 100 cases, but that's about it.
Also, if I type the name of a famous street, it should assume that's what I mean. Not some shop that sells ice cream that happens to have a similar name. And please try to know the difference between street names and business names.
It feels like Google Maps is in 2018 while Apple Maps is in 1999 in terms of search term parsing and resolution. I guess Google being Google knows how to deal with human-entered search terms. But it's easy to underestimate just how much we've become used to it. Just Google anything and you instantly get what you want, or else it probably doesn't even exist. There's a lot of hard work behind that, and Apple doesn't have that kind of experience.
Apple Maps still can't reliably auto-complete addresses or even understand them if they are partially entered or contain spelling mistakes. With Google, you can type pretty much whatever the hell you want and it will always know exactly what you mean, no matter how incomplete it is.
Oh and if I'm in a city right now, and type in a street address without specifying the country or city, then for the love of God, search in the city I'm in right now, and not in China, or Korea, or in Uganda, or some totally random country across the globe, just because 2 out of 18 letters happen to almost match! This drives me insane.
Also, don't offer me 19 other choices that are somewhat similar in other cities and countries. Except in rare cases, there should always be one obvious solution to an address. It's rare that there are two roads of the same name in a city. It happens, maybe once out of 100 cases, but that's about it.
Also, if I type the name of a famous street, it should assume that's what I mean. Not some shop that sells ice cream that happens to have a similar name. And please try to know the difference between street names and business names.
It feels like Google Maps is in 2018 while Apple Maps is in 1999 in terms of search term parsing and resolution. I guess Google being Google knows how to deal with human-entered search terms. But it's easy to underestimate just how much we've become used to it. Just Google anything and you instantly get what you want, or else it probably doesn't even exist. There's a lot of hard work behind that, and Apple doesn't have that kind of experience.
They definitely have. A popup will arrive on your screen when you're in turn-by-turn directions, telling you you can save X minutes by taking an alternate route. You get the opportunity to accept or decline it, until you pass the highway exit or whatever.
My wife and I were on a long road trip last year and going through some local rush hour traffic and construction in a particular area, and Apple Maps seamlessly routed us a new way through secondary (and tertiary) roads for a couple hours so we didn't have to sit and stew on the highway. We ended up hitting our rest point for the night very close to the estimated time it had given us at the start of the day's driving. I was well impressed.
The other feature I really loved on that trip: we set Apple Maps to avoid highways and it gave us a longer and much much prettier route through all kinds of obscure rural roads. I think Google Maps can do that too? Not sure, but it was a great experience and impressive feat of routing, I thought.
I would probably use Maps more often if it integrated real time traffic and police information the way Waze has. There is no reason Apple can't add the ability of users to create usernames and update traffic/police/hazards etc the way Waze allows. Until then, I'll continue to use Waze instead of Maps.
And it is always somewhat amusing when they announce these new feature and updates to Maps like subway transit is so useful. Add realtime situational awareness features and more people will use Maps.
And it is always somewhat amusing when they announce these new feature and updates to Maps like subway transit is so useful. Add realtime situational awareness features and more people will use Maps.
Okay...for you...and all the other naysayers on here...get over the past and simply read the full article (the link is in the story).
You can either believe it or not, but I'm a map nut and have been tracking this progress for years. And like the MacRumors story states, this is NOT a secret.
Read the article, see what and how they are doing this, and then tell me how Google will be better.
Google's strength is time (past time) and people....not necessarily tech. Apple admits Maps sucked...they have invested in the tech as well as people...Apple Maps will be better in many ways and the article is very clear as to why they will be. It's not that complicated.
In a nutshell, they are taking the best of the latest tech and combining it with the "people" and creating the best maps.