Apple Maps to Include Transit Directions, Improved Points of Interest Data in iOS 8

[Gasu E.]

Last night I typed in "Hollywood" while trying to find a map in Los Angeles, and of course Apple Maps took me to Hollywood, FL instead by default.

It's context sensitive. If you had just previously searched for something in LA, the Hollywood district of LA would have come up. Try it! I think if you don't provide any context, the city or town nearest to you with that name would be the best default. Where were you at the time?

 

[numlock]

Apple Maps quality varies around the world. But actual facts don't always fit the hand-wringing "narrative"

Apple maps: how Google lost when everyone thought it had won
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/11/apple-maps-google-iphone-users

"But a year on, a total of 35m iPhone owners in the US used Apple's maps during September 2013, according to ComScore, compared to a total of 58.7m Google Maps users across the iPhone and Android base."

Those users matter to future quality: they are feeding data to Apple that used to go to Google.

(Even if the majority in the US are happy, it's only natural for people with complaints to complain, and people without to stay silent. And it's strange how the errors we all had--and still do--with Google Maps were just shrugged off. How about accessing my Contacts for navigation without copying the whole list to your servers, tied to my account, Google? Such complaints aren't tasty for the media. But any errors with an Apple logo? Bring the pitchforks!)

And of course Apple's maps are updated far more often than once a year. It's a remote service: the data can change at any moment. That's why the new restaurant down the road from me already shows up.

the same apple that cant even release a mail client that works with the most popular online mail service?

but i agree with those that say its a fallacy to tie app updates like these to an os upgrade and therefore very possibly a device upgrade.

the iphones and ipads are still rather new products categories but to me basing your business model on people having to upgrade devices so often is not smart in the long run

 

[LagunaSol]

How about actually making corrections your users submit to you a dozen times or more, Apple?

 

[nagromme]

How many people actually search for places/business within a mapping app? I personally have always first looked up the place where I’m going, online, to get the address and make sure that’s where I want actually to go. I then plug the address into a dedicated GPS, online map, or map app on a phone. As long as the directions are correct for the address I typed in, that’s all I care about.

Searching for a businesses is my number one use of Maps. Not just for locations: I find it to be the quickest and easiest way to find and call a business's phone number, so I often use it for that, too.

I find Apple Maps fails to find a place about 1/20th of the time--which is enough to notice and care. Then I have to search a different way (variation of the name) or use Safari. However, when I go to Google Maps, I find no greater success rate. I had always thought Google Maps was great, and when errors happened, I shrugged it off: map errors are just life, and it's still an awesome tool! Then, the media storm about Apple had me paying attention to those errors more than ever... so now I notice I notice them in Google, Apple, Waze, and Garmin/Navigon alike. None of those are near-perfect. All are quite good. Apple's is far more usable and friendly. And it warned me about a tree that just fell across my road (reported by police) in time to avoid the resulting jam So did Waze, more awkwardly. Google did not.

So I keep multiple GPS apps on my phone. About once every other month do I launch one other than Apple's. It's usually Google, and for the sake of transit, not accuracy. And in fact, I do my transit searches in Apple's maps because that's easier and has my Contacts. Then I hit the transit button that's already in iOS 7 Maps, and it automatically hands the search off the Google Maps very nicely to get the transit schedule. I can't think of a better compromise Apple could have chosen.

(Side note: I certainly wouldn't have wanted them to cave to Google's demands of putting more ads in iOS Maps and sending more user data to Google. Google wasn't wrong to demand those things--they're in Google's interests. But not in MY interests as a user. So there's no way Apple could agree to Google's demands, and without them, Google wouldn't upgrade the iOS maps app to include the latest vital features like turn-by-turn and vector maps. Apple didn't one-sidedly remove Google Maps. You could as easily say that Google refused to have their latest Maps stuff built into iOS. The two companies simply failed to agree--their goals are too different. I'm thinking Google should have caved! But I'm glad they didn't: now we have actual competition.)

 

[teknikal90]

i just feel that this is so stupid. they're essentially re-doing someone else's work (google's). what a waste of energy

 

[Ballis]

How do those "stations" work? Do you just, like, stick in your credit card and plug in like a regular gas pump, or what? I live in New Mexico. We ain't got that kinda stuff here. People kept ending up in the middle of nowhere with a dead battery. I have to do about a 180 mile roundtrip just to go to a decent movie theater.

At least in Norway, electrical cars charge for free. Tesla have their own stations, and public parking lots are required to have atleast a few chargers.

 

[LagunaSol]

Last night I typed in "Hollywood" while trying to find a map in Los Angeles, and of course Apple Maps took me to Hollywood, FL instead by default.

To be fair, Google Maps does this to me often too. One would think it obvious that I'm looking for the business located 15 miles away and not the one with the identical name 3,000 miles away. Should I really have to enter the friggen city name as well?

 

[timber]

I never use Apple Maps because I still own an iPhone 4 and Apple disabled turn by turn something than Google Maps has but it is nice they keep improving their service

Perhaps someday when I upgrade my phone I will give it a try again

 

[Gasu E.]

Apple Maps quality varies around the world. But actual facts don't always fit the hand-wringing "narrative"

Apple maps: how Google lost when everyone thought it had won
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/11/apple-maps-google-iphone-users

"But a year on, a total of 35m iPhone owners in the US used Apple's maps during September 2013, according to ComScore, compared to a total of 58.7m Google Maps users across the iPhone and Android base."

Those users matter to future quality: they are feeding data to Apple that used to go to Google.

(Even if the majority in the US are happy, it's only natural for people with complaints to complain, and people without to stay silent. And it's strange how the errors we all had--and still do--with Google Maps were just shrugged off. How about accessing my Contacts for navigation without copying the whole list to your servers, tied to my account, Google? Such complaints aren't tasty for the media. But any errors with an Apple logo? Bring the pitchforks!)

And of course Apple's maps are updated far more often than once a year. It's a remote service: the data can change at any moment. That's why the new restaurant down the road from me already shows up.

The same article notes that on the iPhone, only 6M users used Google map over that same period.

 

[ng-design]

Some rules (that I use) when using gadgets:

1. I usually try to be smarter than the device I use.

2. It would we wise to verify the gadget's answer at least once to build confidence in said gadget within a particular context.

3. When I doubt, go back to 1.

Apple is working to become integrated into all modern cars. It's going to require more intuitive results to really be effective. The examples I gave were very broad, but they do illustrate that the software gave odd results for major landmarks. In order to be useful and intuitive enough for users to really trust it, a lot of progress still needs to be made.

 

[Todd B.]

the same apple that cant even release a mail client that works with the most popular online mail service?

but i agree with those that say its a fallacy to tie app updates like these to an os upgrade and therefore very possibly a device upgrade.

the iphones and ipads are still rather new products categories but to me basing your business model people having to upgrade devices so often is not smart in the long run

Don't get why you're blaming Apple when it's Gmail that makes it difficult instead of using the standard version of IMAP....

 

[neuropsychguy]

Will we ever have a report that states: "Apple is preparing to significantly worsen its Maps application in iOS 8"?

 

[Gasu E.]

To be fair, Google Maps does this to me often too. One would think it obvious that I'm looking for the business located 15 miles away and not the one with the identical name 3,000 miles away. Should I really have to enter the friggen city name as well?

He was complaining that Apple didn't select a FAMOUS neighborhood 2000 miles away over a medium-sized city 900 miles away. I agree with you that proximity and recent search context matter; it is a map application after all, not an encyclopedia. The OR was complaining it should weight fame over proximity, as an encyclopedia should.

 

[giantfan1224]

i just feel that this is so stupid. they're essentially re-doing someone else's work (google's). what a waste of energy

Google would not update the native app to support turn-by-turn navigation so Apple was forced to do their own. I'm sure they got a little cocky and thought with their resources they could spit out a decent app. I'm glad they've realized their shortcomings and are trying to make it better.

 

[numlock]

Don't get why you're blaming Apple when it's Gmail that makes it difficult instead of using the standard version of IMAP....

thats irrelevant. its apple that releases the client. apple knows very well how its users use mail and gmail has been the most popular for quite some time.

so basically apple dosent care if its users can use the client or not?

if apple wants to be a standard enforcer than they should do that behind the scenes and deal with the appropriate people and not let the end user suffer.

but im not blaming apple. i was responding to a poster who assumed just because that apple receives data they will improve.

 

[goobot]

Google would not update the native app to support turn-by-turn navigation so Apple was forced to do their own. I'm sure they got a little cocky and thought with their resources they could spit out a decent app. I'm glad they've realized their shortcomings and are trying to make it better.

I'm pretty sure google was willing to do it but they wanted a little more of their branding in the app.

 

[hansonjohn590]

Translation: In iOS8, Apple will be where Google was at 5 years ago.

 

[LagunaSol]

I wish Apple would just go back to using Google Maps. Their maps app is just ridiculous.

Thank you, no. Some of us prefer not to have every detail of our lives hoovered into Google servers until the end of time.

I used to rely on Waze for my mapping (and loved it), but now that Google has slurped them up I'm back to Apple Maps and Navigon.

 

[Oletros]

Glad to see the same people who don't use Apple Maps are still loudly complaining about them and being proven completely wrong.....


No thanks. I don't want to have to sign up for a terrible social network just to get directions......

Oh, the irony of that comment is really funny

 

[giantfan1224]

I'm pretty sure google was willing to do it but they wanted a little more of their branding in the app.

I'm pretty sure Google was asking for more than they deserved. If they didn't get what they wanted with the native app then turn-by-turn would've still been an Android advantage. I don't think they quite expected Apple to call their bluff but I'm sure they were pleased with the fracas that resulted.

 

[a0me]

In the UK, right now. The business listings are absolutely APPALING for Apple Maps.

It's a deal breaker for me. They need to have the same coverage as Google for it to work out!

I could understand if it was just business listings. Google isn't perfect either.
The deal breaker for me is that 2 years later, their map of Tokyo is still missing buildings, roads, rail stations, and so on. The road that's outside my place has been here for at least 60 years. Except in Apple Maps.

 

[mazz0]

Couldn't agree more. I've been telling Apple since the first beta of Apple Maps that there isn't a McDonalds at the end of my road (in London) and it's still there. I thought I would be a good cyber citizen and reported lots of changes in my neighbourhood (restaurants and shops that closed down in some cases YEARS ago) and very very few of the changes I submitted have been actioned. I've stopped bothering now...

That's my experience exactly. Having accurate data isn't something that's rolled out with an an update once a year, for crying out loud. They just don't get it do they?

 

[giantfan1224]

Translation: In iOS8, Apple will be where Google was at 5 years ago.

With Android or Maps? Well, you'd be wrong on both fronts so I guess it doesn't matter.

 

[numlock]

I'm pretty sure Google was asking for more than they deserved. If they didn't get what they wanted with the native app then turn-by-turn would've still been an Android advantage. I don't think they quite expected Apple to call their bluff but I'm sure they were pleased with the fracas that resulted.

what about what we the customers (you know the ones that keep this game going) deserve? do we deserve to wait years for something still playing catch up because of an ego trip for executives in cupertino?

apple by trying to do so much in house is spreading itself too thin.

 

[Oletros]

I'm pretty sure Google was asking for more than they deserved

Or not, the only thing we knew is that they didn't agree so they parted