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Apple Plans to Use Data-Collecting Drones in Order to 'Catch Up' With Google Maps
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Apple is one heck of a cheap company. They're so into bean-counting it's a wonder they get anything accomplished. They spend $5 billion on their new Campus 2 Palace with all the amenities anyone can possibly imagine. Let's see what that palace produces from employees. It must have really eaten into their budget and that's why the MacBook Pro doesn't come with any free dongles. How pathetic is that.Apple doesn't need drones. What they need is to pay for up-to-date satellite imagery like Google does. This would be a pretty bad situation if Apple were a tiny start-up with limited capital. But it's sad and embarrassing that the world's largest company by market cap is too stingy to pay for current satellite images.
In downtown Miami, for example, Apple Maps still shows numerous city blocks as parking lots where we now have high rise condos, hotels, and retail developments (one of which will soon host Apple's largest store in Florida.) Some of these satellite images are over five years old.
Example:
Here are Google's and Apple's map views of the Met3 building completed two years ago:
![HAFDyfz.jpeg]()
![g3udi79.jpeg]()
My house hasn't been updated for about five years on Google Maps satellite or street view so maybe they update some areas more frequently than others. Updating maps is a continuous thing as changes are always being made and it must take a heck of a lot of maintenance to update thousands and thousands of cities around the world. My house or neighborhood may only be updated every decade as it's of little value to anyone.
I still find it unbelievable that Apple maps still does not have motorway junction numbers on in the UK.
Why don't they prioritize and release some good computers to catch up with all of the competition?
After using Apple products practically forever, I'm about to buy an Dell XPS to replace my MacBook. The MacBook I want would cost me about $3000 (including Applecare). The Dell with a 4 year Costco warranty would be less than half of that and better specifications.
I make good money, but Apple has jumped the shark in many ways with the new laptops.
I no longer use ANY apple services, so not tied to any "ecosystem", whatever that means. No one in 2016/17 should need to be tied to an ecosystem.
Next phone may be an iPhone, but will see what Google comes up with for their next phone...
Anyway, Apple Maps has been more accurate for me a couple of times, but generally, Apple Maps is not useful. I use it as a backup.
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They are going all in on AI... This will help. It's just a shame to let so many products languish in the meantime... Public perception is everything and it changes like the wind. This has not been a great year for Apple but I wouldn't count them out... Yet.
Apple Maps is a primary product. Yes, it is that important. Apple decided that it would not be held hostage to anyone with a critical app. Other examples: iMessage and Safari. Those apps will not be canceled either, even if better are available.
I like the recent changes in Apple Maps, but the search is still as terrible as always. I gave up using voice search. It's proven to be useless too many damn times. I was looking for "Shin sen gumi" last night and Maps utterly failed to find the place. Of course Google Maps worked correctly.
It's not just that Apple Maps failed. It's how it failed. It's as if 2 totally different microphones were being used. Google Maps perfectly understood the query while Apple Maps made up strings.
Google maps isn't best for everything. They are much better for verbal directions to a known destination. Waze even better.
Google maps is a cash cow driven by advertisement. They also are much better at driving you to their advertiser base.
Alternatives exist for a reason; Transit, Pocket earth, CycleMaps, even Apple Maps. Without alternatives, companies like Google aren't above making their app' ****** on a competing platform to push you to their platform. If you like Google maps, thank the competition.
Not sure whether Google would be willing to sell Waze to Apple:
"In June 2013, Google bought Waze for $1.1 billion."
Maybe it's just me, but I never seem to like the UI of Google apps.
So, Apple should have bended over backwards and given in to Google's demand to more access to user data?
Exactly this.
I own a house in a suburb of Atlanta. 20 minutes from downtown. Apple Maps has never displayed its address correctly. I have been submitting the corrections for that address regularly since Apple Maps went public. It's STILL not fixed.
I recently tested Siri. I asked google to find "Brea, California". Google found it in maps. I turned on Siri and asked and it started to call one of my contacts (that sounded nothing like what I asked.
Promptly turned off Siri.
And why can't we turn of Voice Control? How dumb is that?
I will say that Apple Maps has been more accurate that Google at least twice for me for random checking. I was trying to find a place in WA, DC and Google led me to a bus stop. Apple was spot on. Also, Google had dated business info in my city, but Apple was accurate, up to date.
For everyday use, Google Maps is my go to app. Apple Maps is backup when I can't find it on Google Maps.
For everyday use, Google Maps is my go to app. Apple Maps is backup when I can't find it on Google Maps.
Apple doesn't need drones. What they need is to pay for up-to-date satellite imagery like Google does. This would be a pretty bad situation if Apple were a tiny start-up with limited capital. But it's sad and embarrassing that the world's largest company by market cap is too stingy to pay for current satellite images.
In downtown Miami, for example, Apple Maps still shows numerous city blocks as parking lots where we now have high rise condos, hotels, and retail developments (one of which will soon host Apple's largest store in Florida.) Some of these satellite images are over five years old.
Example:
Here are Google's and Apple's map views of the Met3 building completed two years ago:
![HAFDyfz.jpeg]()
![g3udi79.jpeg]()
That's not outdated satellite photography, its outdated 3D scan (photogrammetry) data from an aircraft. Having outdated aerial scans is exactly the sort of problem drones would be used to solve, because they are cheaper and more nimble (physically and beaurocratically) than planes. A single drone could fix that block in a few minutes. With a plane, they'd end up scanning several square miles of city just because the aircraft's turning circle.
I prefer Maps over Google Maps because it's far better integrated into the OS. Having a presence on Lock Screen is great. However, around here Maps is using 2-3 year old data so Maps can't be completely trusted. It would be great if they at least came close to Google Maps.
So by your logic turn by turn directions are unnecessary too? After all we already have street signs that have worked for decades.
Your problem is that you've been to airports all over the world. Now think of the general population that hasn't. People aren't glued to their phones in an airport. They spend most of their time trying to navigate around looking at foreign signs that they rarely see and sometimes not in their native language. Navigation by phone would a welcome optional addition in any airport.
Crazy idea to have internal spaces of large buildings and structures like airports or malls mapped out to make things simpler, kind of like crazy ideas to start cars without having to put a key into them, or change the channel on a TV set without getting up.