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Apple's New iOS 6 Maps App Drawing Significant Criticism
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Mapping detail is rubbish in the UK
I would suggest that Apple might have been better reserving their new mapping app for iOS 7. The detail on the hybrid images on much of the UK is rubbish. It looks like the sort of imaging you got from a 1950's vintage Russian satellite and then using a Lomo toy camera. "Not one of your most glorious achievements Apple".
Would a product as unready as this have been released in SJ's day - I doubt it. The development team would have had their botties soundly spanked and told to burn the midnight oil until they got it right.
I would suggest that Apple might have been better reserving their new mapping app for iOS 7. The detail on the hybrid images on much of the UK is rubbish. It looks like the sort of imaging you got from a 1950's vintage Russian satellite and then using a Lomo toy camera. "Not one of your most glorious achievements Apple".
Would a product as unready as this have been released in SJ's day - I doubt it. The development team would have had their botties soundly spanked and told to burn the midnight oil until they got it right.
Even worse in Japan...
Here in Japan, the maps are absolutely unusable. This is going to be a problem for Apple as it is quite embarrassing:
- many train stations are named incorrectly (sometimes it is the name of a local business, like "McDonald's station" as reported by the website below)
- airports are not reported
- address blocs are often incorrect
- many buildings are not included in the map (empty area)
- some names are even reported in Chinese or Korean
There is no street name in Japan, only bloc names and numbers. Most people rely on accurate maps and I am sorry to say that Maps in iOS6 cannot be relied on.
For more examples:
http://www.japanmobiletech.com/2012/09/ios-6-maps-fail-in-japan.html
Here in Japan, the maps are absolutely unusable. This is going to be a problem for Apple as it is quite embarrassing:
- many train stations are named incorrectly (sometimes it is the name of a local business, like "McDonald's station" as reported by the website below)
- airports are not reported
- address blocs are often incorrect
- many buildings are not included in the map (empty area)
- some names are even reported in Chinese or Korean
There is no street name in Japan, only bloc names and numbers. Most people rely on accurate maps and I am sorry to say that Maps in iOS6 cannot be relied on.
For more examples:
http://www.japanmobiletech.com/2012/09/ios-6-maps-fail-in-japan.html
One saving bit of integration there: if you request directions between two points in NYC, and you have a compatible transit app installed (I use and highly recommend iTrans NYC) Maps will hand off your request to that app and it will fetch your directions. iTrans does anyway, haven't tried any of the other connected apps. It shows you a list of the ones supported and offers App Store links if you don't have them installed.
I would assume/hope this works in other cities and their transit apps.
I think a Garmin/Apple marriage would be a good thing.
That way Apple could develop a moving map, iPod type car audio head that would smoke all of the others. They could do 'live' weather radar, and even work on real road radar to help with driving at night and bad weather...
I've always thought that Apple should make a car audio unit with built-in storage and wireless synch. Imagine a car that could automatically synch all of your music, audiobooks, and audio podcasts when it's in your garage, and think that the iCloud Music Match service would be cool too. No more big fees for XM, and the commercials on 'commercial-free' channels.
I think it would be a win-win for Apple... Plus stop them from reinventing the wheel with their maps feature. At some point, Apple is going to run out of money constantly reinventing the freaking wheel...
It doesn't understand UK addresses.
This is completely useless. What on earth were Apple thinking??
Our address is something like:
3 Jones Road
Shinfield
Reading RG5 2QT
There's another 'Jones Road in Reading too - in another area: e.g..
3 Jones Road
Reading RG1 4GT
The new maps app seems to ignore the most important part - the post code, and focus on the Jones Road bit. So when I tap my address in Contacts it brings up the wrong Jones Road in the wrong district.
This is going to affect all sorts of things. 'Siri - remind me to feed the cat when I get home'. I grieve for our poor starving moggy!
Ok - Apple is a US company, but they are an international retailer, with a vast UK office at Stockley Park. Have all the employees there had their heads in the sand for the entire iOS6 beta??
This is completely useless. What on earth were Apple thinking??
Our address is something like:
3 Jones Road
Shinfield
Reading RG5 2QT
There's another 'Jones Road in Reading too - in another area: e.g..
3 Jones Road
Reading RG1 4GT
The new maps app seems to ignore the most important part - the post code, and focus on the Jones Road bit. So when I tap my address in Contacts it brings up the wrong Jones Road in the wrong district.
This is going to affect all sorts of things. 'Siri - remind me to feed the cat when I get home'. I grieve for our poor starving moggy!
Ok - Apple is a US company, but they are an international retailer, with a vast UK office at Stockley Park. Have all the employees there had their heads in the sand for the entire iOS6 beta??
I dont know, I seem to like it so far. 
I haven't had any issues but am only thinking it will get better and better once people start to use it. I'm sure there will be a bug fix in the next month or two for some minor issues. My only gripe so far is when I want to use/find directions, my bookmarks tab is nowhere to be seen. In normal maps mode, I can see my bookmarks and search for them, but there's no shortcut when typing in the directions.
I haven't had any issues but am only thinking it will get better and better once people start to use it. I'm sure there will be a bug fix in the next month or two for some minor issues. My only gripe so far is when I want to use/find directions, my bookmarks tab is nowhere to be seen. In normal maps mode, I can see my bookmarks and search for them, but there's no shortcut when typing in the directions.I think I remember Steve at a keynote saying that they wouldn't enter the search engine market because they wouldn't be able to compete well in it, that you have to be better at something - or something along those lines, help me someone - but they did exactly that with the Maps app. I really have a hard time believing apple was so premature releasing this.
Google Maps has its own issues. I remember once I drove into a small town and asked Google Maps for the location of my hotel. I faithfully followed the directions which led me downtown to an old historical hotel which had long ago turned into a museum. Thanks Google. I fired up Navigon and it routed me correctly back to the edge of the city where the hotel was.
(And, in a classic case of "don't just rely on the technology", if someone had simply told me "The hotel is across the street from the Wal-Mart", I would have known exactly where to go without needing any GPS mapping at all.)
That said, I have come to trust Google Maps, issues and all. I will hold off upgrading my iPhone to iOS 6 until a replacement Google Maps app is released.
(And, in a classic case of "don't just rely on the technology", if someone had simply told me "The hotel is across the street from the Wal-Mart", I would have known exactly where to go without needing any GPS mapping at all.)
That said, I have come to trust Google Maps, issues and all. I will hold off upgrading my iPhone to iOS 6 until a replacement Google Maps app is released.
Yeah, good luck with that.
Google is the undisputed king in this arena, no one else really comes close other than Microsoft. Apple decided to partner with TomTom and they are not even a major player anymore, even when they were they had significant issues of their own. Those issues are again rearing their ugly head.
Apple dropped the ball here, big time.
I doubt very much that Apple's use of Google Maps was governed by just the standard licensing agreement.
I like the new maps.
Were Google maps perfect right from the go? no, Apple were never going to release their first 'maps' app and it be perfect. For a first release i think it's pretty good.
Besides, Google maps have inaccurate data. Everyone should just get over it
Were Google maps perfect right from the go? no, Apple were never going to release their first 'maps' app and it be perfect. For a first release i think it's pretty good.
Besides, Google maps have inaccurate data. Everyone should just get over it
Precisely...Google has to be loving this. One thing I don't understand is why Google would release a map app for iOS. Unless we have to pay for it, why bother? This could be a big selling point for them if they want to make it iOS maps versus Google maps.
Report a problem
Just noticed there's a little "Report a problem" link when you swipe up the bottom right corner of the maps app. You can then select:
Search Results are incorrect
Street or other label is incorrect
Location is missing
Problem with directions
Problem with Satellite image
My problem isn't listed
Apple/TomTom will likely get a flood of these, but will be able to let users fix the information over time.
Just noticed there's a little "Report a problem" link when you swipe up the bottom right corner of the maps app. You can then select:
Search Results are incorrect
Street or other label is incorrect
Location is missing
Problem with directions
Problem with Satellite image
My problem isn't listed
Apple/TomTom will likely get a flood of these, but will be able to let users fix the information over time.
Hahaha!
And to clarify my previous statement, I've been using Navigon as my primary navigation tool because of it's offline 3Dmaps, turn-by-turn, Zagat incorporation, routing options, live traffic etc.
It's not a bad start on Apple's part - that is something to be proud of - however, this isn't an overnight endeavor by any stretch of the imagination. Be prepared to be disappointed for the next couple of years.
I'm glad Apple took the initiative to create their own in house mapping.
I'm glad Apple took the initiative to create their own in house mapping.
You're only "sure" that maps experience depends on where you live.. Strike me down, Sherlock lives....
I'm not a google hater. Gmail & Gmaps are two things I rely on to make my life easier...along with my iPhone. They USED to work seamlessly. In Apple's blind rush to purge itself of anything google, it broke its #1 motto "it just works" they need to edit to: "it just works-except for maps" they don't even have train directions. I live in NYC where even wealthy people use the train to avoid traffic. Hope google makes an app ASAP.
they don't even have train directions. I live in NYC where even wealthy people use the train to avoid traffic. Hope google makes an app ASAP.
Tom-Tom is ONE of their partners....there are unnamed others as well. Judging an app's potential after 1 day on the market is silly.
But to each his own.
Very Poor Alpha
Cut me in half and it days I LOVE APPLE so it's with a very heavy heart I agree with all the haters.
This would never of happened with Steve at the helm.
Maps are a pretty big part of the usage for many people and now apple are officially 2nd Place(At best).
They need to fix this quick the UK maps are appalling!!
Satellite imagery is falling a long way short.
Normal maps are poor.
NO street view!
No bus routes to town???(There was in Google)
Oh and I suspect it's related when I ask Siri
Where is my nearest ASDA 22 Miles away, WRONG
Where is my nearest TESCO 16 Miles away, WRONG
Where is my nearest McDonalds 4 Miles away, Correct
1 out of 3 and it only listed 1 of the 2 local McD's so only half Correct.
Hay but at least it doesn't say it can only search for businesses in the USA now!!! even if it is wrong most of the time
Cut me in half and it days I LOVE APPLE so it's with a very heavy heart I agree with all the haters.
This would never of happened with Steve at the helm.
Maps are a pretty big part of the usage for many people and now apple are officially 2nd Place(At best).
They need to fix this quick the UK maps are appalling!!
Satellite imagery is falling a long way short.
Normal maps are poor.
NO street view!
No bus routes to town???(There was in Google)
Oh and I suspect it's related when I ask Siri
Where is my nearest ASDA 22 Miles away, WRONG
Where is my nearest TESCO 16 Miles away, WRONG
Where is my nearest McDonalds 4 Miles away, Correct
1 out of 3 and it only listed 1 of the 2 local McD's so only half Correct.
Hay but at least it doesn't say it can only search for businesses in the USA now!!! even if it is wrong most of the time