Waze. Since it is crowd sourced, real-time traffic data and re-routing on the fly is super accurate. And then there are fringe benefits like stopped car, pothole, speed trap......
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Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: Which Is Better?
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Apple Maps is prettier to look at, but Google Maps has every other advantage.
Advantages I can quickly list for Google Maps:
1) Real time suggestions for alternative routes in CarPlay.
2) Much smarter voice dictation and search capabilities in CarPlay.
3) Much simpler to choose alternative routes in CarPlay.
4) Terrain and Bicycle mapping layers.
5) Much better search results in general.
Advantages I can quickly list for Google Maps:
1) Real time suggestions for alternative routes in CarPlay.
2) Much smarter voice dictation and search capabilities in CarPlay.
3) Much simpler to choose alternative routes in CarPlay.
4) Terrain and Bicycle mapping layers.
5) Much better search results in general.
I want to like Apple Maps, but its been well over a decade and there's still no true street view for many cities and areas across the USA. Street View is the killer feature that Apple can't come close to Google on. I thought after all this time, they'd have the USA pretty well covered, but they've got a long way to go for people who don't live in major cities.
Google Maps is better for searching things (although it gets things wrong too) but Apple Maps with Car Play is better for traveling - my biggest problem with Apple Maps is that it is a little difficult to select among alternate routes presented (at least for me and probably due to my ignorance)
Apple Maps has a nicer (and not so busy) UI. It has come a long way and I use it more often now.
But I am still also using Google Maps for the cycling directions, street view, POIs and public transport directions (especially in non-US countries).
But I am still also using Google Maps for the cycling directions, street view, POIs and public transport directions (especially in non-US countries).
Apple Maps is bad at getting Cajun and French names right. AM also does a poor job with places out in the boonies away from cities, especially if you are one word off for the phrase you are trying to search. AM cannot be trusted with wildlife refuges. Google Maps does a poor job with directions in terms of how things are oriented on the car screen. GM also seems to have a problem sometimes with traffic and seeing traffic slowdowns coming. Both apps lack common sense......
It's still google maps. . . every 7 or 8 months I pull out Apple Maps and check it out. Just got back from a trip to Puerto Vallarta and over nine days there, two of the places to eat recommended to us were no where to be found on Apple Maps (they were on Google maps, w some reviews (not many, but a few)).
Unfortunately Apple doesn't have the relationships w businesses and their location data Google has. While some may argue this may not be the best for businesses overall, it's at least something Google seems to pay more attention to. Also, yeah, get rid of Yelp, Apple if you want me to take those reviews seriously.
Also, it saddened me it took Apple over a decade (nearly eleven years) to add a wedding venue (a somewhat fun and secretish wedding venue in a neighboring town) accurately to its maps. Over a decade ago Apple Maps got me lost and late to a wedding and it was the last straw for me. Every few months I'd pull it out to see if they added/fixed its location, and it was only in 2022 they finally got it right. . . Google had it all along. I just can't take that chance any more.
Apple Maps may be prettier, but it's always been function over form for me. Also, the crowd-sourced police reporting helps. In addition I like that I can share my location for a trip w just about everyone on Google Maps (Android users as well).
Finally traffic seems to be more timely and up to date. My teenage nephew who is a new driver liked to compare when we were in the car. Google seemed to always be right, and he finally made the switch himself as a new-ish driver to Google Maps.
I do wish Apple would grow up and let us default Google Maps already as well.
Unfortunately Apple doesn't have the relationships w businesses and their location data Google has. While some may argue this may not be the best for businesses overall, it's at least something Google seems to pay more attention to. Also, yeah, get rid of Yelp, Apple if you want me to take those reviews seriously.
Also, it saddened me it took Apple over a decade (nearly eleven years) to add a wedding venue (a somewhat fun and secretish wedding venue in a neighboring town) accurately to its maps. Over a decade ago Apple Maps got me lost and late to a wedding and it was the last straw for me. Every few months I'd pull it out to see if they added/fixed its location, and it was only in 2022 they finally got it right. . . Google had it all along. I just can't take that chance any more.
Apple Maps may be prettier, but it's always been function over form for me. Also, the crowd-sourced police reporting helps. In addition I like that I can share my location for a trip w just about everyone on Google Maps (Android users as well).
Finally traffic seems to be more timely and up to date. My teenage nephew who is a new driver liked to compare when we were in the car. Google seemed to always be right, and he finally made the switch himself as a new-ish driver to Google Maps.
I do wish Apple would grow up and let us default Google Maps already as well.
Every time I give Apple Maps a try again it comes up wanting and just isn't on Google's level. I wish it was but alas.
This is not true. I plan my drives well in advance - sometime a week out. You can also change the starting location. I have planned an entire days events driving through wine country to go from one winery to another - using the last winery as a starting point. It's actually called Plan a Drive. You can also have it use your calendar and it will put those locations into your planned drives - if you have an address in the calendar appointment.
I once used Google Maps exclusively. Now I use Apple Maps most of the time. I like that it's integrated with my watch, and it's improved to the point that it's eminently usable now. I do still occasionally use Google for getting around, usually when there's heavy traffic about and I suspect that there is a better way to reroute around it.
I also still use maps.me, because I occasionally am in areas with no cell coverage and that's a lot easier to manage in such conditions.
I also still use maps.me, because I occasionally am in areas with no cell coverage and that's a lot easier to manage in such conditions.
Apple Maps by far and it has been for years. I honestly don't think anyone in the U.S. (other countries may vary) who think Google Maps is better actually tried Apple Maps in the past 6 years.
Some of the nicest things about Apple Maps is that in most roads it shows you which lane to take as well as the speed limit. Plus Apple Watch integration.
The only plus for me in Google maps is that it has more POIs. But that’s not enough to switch back.
The only plus for me in Google maps is that it has more POIs. But that’s not enough to switch back.
The question is rhetorical as we all know the answer; but your evasive, non-answer is .. interesting.
While I have them both installed, I use Apple Maps almost exclusively. As with all things Google, their data collection/sharing policies bother me. Not only do they collect a ton of data from any app of theirs that you use, they make it very complicated to opt out of what you can, and even then they are still collecting more data than Apple.
But Apple Maps has come a very long way since first launched and I like the clean interface.
But Apple Maps has come a very long way since first launched and I like the clean interface.
Google Maps is much more accurate, especially in Europe. I want to love Apple Maps, but it has sent me on too many wild goose chases.
Apple Maps has been providing navigational guidance to Apple users for almost 13 and a half years now, and much has changed about the app in that time. However, according to data from Canalys, the overwhelming majority of iPhones in the U.S. still have Google Maps downloaded as an alternative to Apple Maps, which comes preinstalled on all iPhones. We want to hear from MacRumors readers. Which do you prefer to get you from A to B?
Launched in September 2012, Apple Maps was quickly criticized for having incomplete and inaccurate mapping data, which led some iPhone users on dangerous routes. Apple CEO Tim Cook offered a rare public apology for the frustration it caused customers, and iOS chief Scott Forstall was ousted just one month later.
Since then, Apple has made significant improvements to Apple Maps, building in new features and correcting lingering errors. Real-time traffic information and navigation options for pedestrians were added to Maps in 2013, which is also the same year Maps was extended to OS X. In 2015, Maps was updated with "Nearby," a feature that offers up local points of interest and transit directions in a handful of cities.
In early 2020, Apple completed an overhaul of its maps in the United States, adding significantly greater detail including updated buildings, parks, sports fields, pools, and more. A Look Around feature in select cities is similar to Google's Street View, and the updated maps have been rolling out to more countries in the time since. In iOS 15, Apple introduced immersive walking directions shown in augmented reality, curated guides for select cities, real-time transit updates, and more road details for enhanced driving navigation. In iOS 16 it gained multi-stop routing. And in iOS 17, Apple made it possible to download maps for offline use – something Google Maps users have been able to do for quite some time.
Have Apple's incremental improvements been enough for it to be considered an equal to Google Maps in users' eyes? Of course, Google developers have not stood idly by watching Apple Maps' gradual evolution. Google has introduced several enhancements aimed at enriching the user experience through advanced AI technology and more immersive visualization tools, and has even taken a leaf or two out of Apple's book.
One notable recent update in this regard is the Immersive View for Routes, which provides a comprehensive preview of a user's journey, whether they are driving, walking, or cycling. Launched last year, the tool combines billions of Street View and aerial images to create an intricate digital representation of the world, allowing users to visually navigate through bike lanes, sidewalks, intersections, and parking spaces along their route. It also includes a dynamic time slider indicating how conditions such as air quality and weather change throughout the day, helping users plan their trips with more precision.
Another significant improvement is the integration of Lens in Maps, an evolution of the Search with Live View feature. Leveraging AI and augmented reality, Lens in Maps helps users get their bearings in a new location by providing information about nearby amenities like ATMs, transit stations, and dining options. The feature has since been expanded to over 50 cities.
Google Maps has also rolled out updates to make navigation maps more reflective of real-world conditions. These include more detailed and realistic representations of buildings and improved lane guidance on highways. For electric vehicle owners, Google Maps also offers information on charging stations, including compatibility details, charger speed, and the last usage time.
Despite these concurrent improvements to Google Maps, their combined effect hasn't stopped users coming away impressed by how far Apple's navigational guidance has come. Based on anecdotal reports, the app is increasingly recommended by users for its cleaner view versus the more cluttered design of Google Maps.
Likely thanks to its disastrous launch, Apple Maps still gets a bad rap among some users, but Apple's continued efforts to improve the app appear to have helped reverse some of those opinions. "Maps has come a long way, and people have noticed," Craig Federighi, Apple's head of software, said at WWDC 2023. Are you more or less likely to use Apple Maps these days? Let us know in the comments.
Article Link: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: Which Is Better?
I use Apple Maps on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Watch. I'm in Los Angeles, and it gets me into the correct lane well in advance (when I don't already know, which is rare 🍸🙀). I tried Google to get a walking route to a nearby store, but it went COMPLETELY WACKY and I could not re-adjust the route. Google took me half a mile out of the way -- not that great for a walk? I DO use Google when I want to get a street view in a distant area of the country. But even Google does not go all the way out to the end of Mere Point Road in Brunswick Maine. I have to wonder ... what is out there?
I like Apple Maps better when I'm driving, as the turn-by-turn instructions are much better. I also like it better when I'm walking in a different city, as the wrist tap and directions are much clearer.
Apple Maps has been providing navigational guidance to Apple users for almost 13 and a half years now, and much has changed about the app in that time. However, according to data from Canalys, the overwhelming majority of iPhones in the U.S. still have Google Maps downloaded as an alternative to Apple Maps, which comes preinstalled on all iPhones. We want to hear from MacRumors readers. Which do you prefer to get you from A to B?
Launched in September 2012, Apple Maps was quickly criticized for having incomplete and inaccurate mapping data, which led some iPhone users on dangerous routes. Apple CEO Tim Cook offered a rare public apology for the frustration it caused customers, and iOS chief Scott Forstall was ousted just one month later.
Since then, Apple has made significant improvements to Apple Maps, building in new features and correcting lingering errors. Real-time traffic information and navigation options for pedestrians were added to Maps in 2013, which is also the same year Maps was extended to OS X. In 2015, Maps was updated with "Nearby," a feature that offers up local points of interest and transit directions in a handful of cities.
In early 2020, Apple completed an overhaul of its maps in the United States, adding significantly greater detail including updated buildings, parks, sports fields, pools, and more. A Look Around feature in select cities is similar to Google's Street View, and the updated maps have been rolling out to more countries in the time since. In iOS 15, Apple introduced immersive walking directions shown in augmented reality, curated guides for select cities, real-time transit updates, and more road details for enhanced driving navigation. In iOS 16 it gained multi-stop routing. And in iOS 17, Apple made it possible to download maps for offline use – something Google Maps users have been able to do for quite some time.
Have Apple's incremental improvements been enough for it to be considered an equal to Google Maps in users' eyes? Of course, Google developers have not stood idly by watching Apple Maps' gradual evolution. Google has introduced several enhancements aimed at enriching the user experience through advanced AI technology and more immersive visualization tools, and has even taken a leaf or two out of Apple's book.
One notable recent update in this regard is the Immersive View for Routes, which provides a comprehensive preview of a user's journey, whether they are driving, walking, or cycling. Launched last year, the tool combines billions of Street View and aerial images to create an intricate digital representation of the world, allowing users to visually navigate through bike lanes, sidewalks, intersections, and parking spaces along their route. It also includes a dynamic time slider indicating how conditions such as air quality and weather change throughout the day, helping users plan their trips with more precision.
Another significant improvement is the integration of Lens in Maps, an evolution of the Search with Live View feature. Leveraging AI and augmented reality, Lens in Maps helps users get their bearings in a new location by providing information about nearby amenities like ATMs, transit stations, and dining options. The feature has since been expanded to over 50 cities.
Google Maps has also rolled out updates to make navigation maps more reflective of real-world conditions. These include more detailed and realistic representations of buildings and improved lane guidance on highways. For electric vehicle owners, Google Maps also offers information on charging stations, including compatibility details, charger speed, and the last usage time.
Despite these concurrent improvements to Google Maps, their combined effect hasn't stopped users coming away impressed by how far Apple's navigational guidance has come. Based on anecdotal reports, the app is increasingly recommended by users for its cleaner view versus the more cluttered design of Google Maps.
Likely thanks to its disastrous launch, Apple Maps still gets a bad rap among some users, but Apple's continued efforts to improve the app appear to have helped reverse some of those opinions. "Maps has come a long way, and people have noticed," Craig Federighi, Apple's head of software, said at WWDC 2023. Are you more or less likely to use Apple Maps these days? Let us know in the comments.
Article Link: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: Which Is Better?
But that said, Google Maps is much better for looking things up and finding things, so for me there is a clear need for both apps.
This^. Going off to the Yelp app is an awful way to do reviews. Only thing that makes me stay with Google.