Apple's New iOS 6 Maps App Drawing Significant Criticism

[aquablue]

But you are wanking about London Freaking England! Have a heart! Probably one of the MOST DENSLY POPULATED cities probably in the universe, with roads nearly everywhere! Getting lost in London has got to be a past time for many foreigners that visit. I was amazed at all of the side streets and alley ways going all over the place. I stuck to public transportation just because I could imagine ending up somewhere in Ireland after getting lost in London City...

I gotta give it to you Londoners, beautiful city, wonderful people, but getting around is crazy. I did love the stuffings out of the tube and light rail systems. If politicians here ever pull their heads out of their asses, we really should do a hell of a lot more in public transportation in this country... It's a damn shame that among other things republicans declared war on, that public transportation is such a huge part.

Actually, for a very large city, London isn't particularly dense at all, check your statistics versus Paris, and other mega cities. Central London is full of space compared to HK, Tokyo, Paris, NY and many others.

 

[olegandbuster25]

didnt think it was horrible... nothing really to complain about in san antonio.
no 3D here but looking at NY was fun

 

[rmwebs]

As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Sorry but this was a purely dumb move by Apple. Google maps were fine and worked as needed. If it needed more functionality, hand it to google instead of writing your own app. The amount of time and money spent just to move to your own map platform is beyond stupid.

 

[T. Durden]

With all the problems maps are creating for Apple I doubt Google will provide a maps app. Its perfect leverage and differentiation for Android. It will take years for Apple to sort out their broken map data and I think this may well be a own goal for Apple, we will have to see how it plays out I suppose.

Mark my word, Google will release a Maps app for iOS. Google needs the revenue from the ads/sponsored POIs in Maps, and they need the millions of iOS users around the world to tap on them.

Remember, ad revenues is what makes Google a multinational billion dollar corporation. Not Android.

 

[NightFlight]

I honestly don't get some of the apologists here. Some of the responses/apologies/defenses I've read here so far are comical.

I travel for a living and I used to the Google powered product nonstop in MANY countries and never had any real issues. I'll be vocal because this affects me more so than many others. I had a product that worked perfectly, and now it doesn't. In the coming weeks when I am out of the country, I'll be forced to use Google through Safari. That's not ideal in the least.

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.

This is a terrible first step and nothing to be proud of, it isn't a working product in many MAJOR areas!!!! See the complaints from people living in NYC and Tokyo.

I am not glad that Apple took the initiative to release a broken product, and why should I be prepared to be disappointed for a couple of years? Ask yourself, does that make any sense? It doesn't, at all.

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

This feels like an alpha release of a product. It isn't ready for prime time and the feedback reinforces that notion.

Google Maps is a fully finished product and has been so for years.

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.

Yes, ONE of their partners. It seems that they've partnered with some weak partners so far, and TomTom is among the worst of them all. What difference does it make? They've released an unfinished product which should never be done, and they've had people beta testing this for a while now.

It isn't an acceptable excuse, PERIOD.

 

[e-coli]

This was such a terrible idea.

 

[scottwaugh]

Seems like international (where a lot of iPhones are sold) is the worst and often unusable while there are lots of issues domestically.

This is a high visibility well used feature of the phone, the brand - and a high visibility blunder by Apple management - guess what's going to be talked about with the iPHone 5 on the news over the next week? How bad the map application is.

Apple should announce and push out an update that restores the Google data version in addition to theirs, make sure Google is porting a standalone and announce that, then label the Apple version a Beta and ask users for their help in identifying issues.

Then Apple can drop the Google data based one when the contract actually expires (probably the end of the year), can make sure a usable (particularly for international) Google version is coming before then and users know it and Apple can get their nose to grindstone and start fixing their data issues - which will take a long time considering how bad the international side of things sounds. This would be Apple taking care of their customers first, which they've forgotten about here. JMHO...

 

[ArkRoyal]

What happened to Apple's OCD about not putting stuff out that wasn't 100% done right? Now it's just about their ego and ditching Google over the customer experience that used to be so important. They are spending too much time worrying about google and samsung these days and not just doing what they did best. Tim Cook is struggling and in over his head it would appear.

I could not agree more.

 

[SBlue1]

If most of Britain is in black and white - perhaps they just bought a job lot of those old Luftwaffe survey photo's that turned up recently...

Haha, just LOLed in the bus! Thanks!

 

[rnizlek]

The new app seems to have some cool features, but Google is still miles ahead. Particularly in transit directions, which is just not something I can get from any other source. I'm not too worried, I just put an icon to maps.google.com on my screen and I'll deal with that until a real Google Maps app comes out.

 

[The LPT]

I'm calling it now..... Mapsgate!


Wait a minute. No I'm not, that's a stupid ****ing name.

 

[Porcinet]

But seriously, no Osaka station or Shinjuku station? Haneda airport (one of Tokyo 2 international airports) is classified as a "paper factory"?
And don't let me start about smaller cities in Japan (mostly useless).
It's not ready for release in Japan, and from what I read it might be the same elsewhere.
Ready to use Google Maps (webapp or iOS app when it is ready) until Apple Maps gets ready for release...

 

[darkplanets]

I use google maps a fair amount on my current iphone. While not a dealbreaker, I certainly won't be upgrading my phone. They should have sat on this cluster**** longer until it was fixed.

The bright side is that all this negative media attention usually spurns them to do something.

 

[The Phazer]

But Apple didn’t remove Google from its devices. Google has more apps than ever on iOS. YouTube is on iOS, exactly the way Google wants it (with Google, not Apple, in control). iOS 6 still has integrated Google search, still by default, and still has integrated video sharing to YouTube. Maps will arrive if and when Google wishes (and they’ve had plenty of warning). Apple wants to remove dependence on Google, and in fact they simply must. But Apple has no illusions of making people abandon the things that Google does better than anyone. That might include search (I’m no longer sure... their results have sunk to Bing levels) but it definitely includes maps and transit (and street view is truly useful sometimes). Apple wants their maps to be better than Google, but they know very well that’s not true yet (except in limited ways). And when Apple’s maps are consistently great (12 months? 24?) will Apple kick Google Maps off of the App Store? Surely not. They allow iTunes and iBooks competitors, and they’ll allow Maps competitors too.

If this were true Apple would allow Google Maps to offer an system level API to other maps and for it to take OS level redicrection links.

I think we all know they won't.

For my part, if I look up my house there are about 20 POI's nearby. 19 of them are wrong.

19. Out of 20. In central London.

 

[OzyOly]

Some have said apple have got to start somewhere and that things will improve.

I must point out that consumers aren't paid to test or improve apple's map product. People pay upwards of £600 for the iPhone and expect a working product. Apple have billions, get their own staff to test it and suffer the wrong directions, poor maps etc.

I wont be getting an iPhone 5 because of this (unless I can downgrade it to iOS5).

 

[dashiel]

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.

Ad revenue & data gathering. Google is about to lose a massive amount of data points over the next year. Tens of millions of devices that report data for accurate traffic directions, location modification, individual usage for tailoring ads, etc… Google has a big head start and large enough Android user base to mitigate the negative impact of losing so many data points.

The reality is Apple needed to jump off the cliff at some point; they need real people to crowd source the data. It’s going to be unpleasant for a while, but there was never going to be a good time.

 

[caddisfly]

the maps are 99.9% accurate and are getting better every second. It is a matter of original dataset used by apple's partner and then crowd sourcing the corrections.

This dependency on turn-by-turn instructions is so funny. IHMO, it is ironic that folks are complaining about things that you wouldn't actually need a map app to get to or discover anyway. Look out your windshield instead!

stand up!
turn left
walk 10 steps
turn 180 degrees
sit down
flush when done

 

[Oletros]

This has nothing to do with Apple going thermonuclear on Google and everything to do with Google hindering Apple's ability to move forward and innovate. For example, Google restricting APIs that would allow Apple to implement turn-by-turn navigation.



This is Google's doing. What other choice did Apple have?

Ah, because two companies can't have a preferred deal?

 

[chimpboy74]

But you are wanking about London Freaking England!.....

Can't say I've tried it myself. But, each to their own...

 

[jafingi]

I like the overall speed and drawings..

But the fact that:

• There's black&white satellite images in my area!
• A big CLOUD is covering 1/3 of my city (3rd largest i the country)
• No public transit info (!?!?!?)

Is just stupid! Seriously.. You can't replace something good with something even WORSE. People pays a premium for these iPhones... Why make the user experience worse?

Apple should have kept this one in their bag for one more year, and put all their efforts into it the next year. Getting satellite images, more flyover (at LEAST flyover in all the capitals of the countries the iPhone is sold in)..

Seriously.. How much money can it cost to send out 100 planes in one month to take these pictures?

Looks like Apple has rushed more than good to get Apple Maps "ready" for iOS 6.

Really not the finish I would have expected from Apple.

 

[shartypants]

I really wish Apple wasn't trying to be a map company. I do like its readability better, but I also found a lot of missing towns and places. Their 3D doesn't quite replace Google Street View either. I wonder if they will be able to fix all the problems and keep up with changes.

 

[Celf]

I'm really excited Apple has stuck two fingers up to the naysayers and rolled out the new Maps app to the entire iOS universe. They need to start from somewhere, and this innovative mapping technology will improve the more we use it, and help improve it.

This is a good solid 1.0 release. Remember Google Maps has been going for several years and more. Google won't be laughing today. They know they are about to be eclipsed by Apple.

there's nothing wrong being a fanboy but calling this "a good solid release" is a fanboy with high fever

 

[photomatt69]

Old Maps

The map of my house is from 2 years ago when a tornado hit. I work for Amazon and the building is not been built yet.

 

[jrswizzle]

The people who cry "Steve would never have allowed this" are funny. Steve probably was one of the ones who pushed this given they had to have decided more than a year ago if they were going to build a brand new maps app from the ground up.

There are some HUGE assumptions people make and HUGE facts people miss when crying about the new maps app:

1) Apple just decided to drop Google on a whim or out of some personal vendetta - WRONG. Google restricted the API. Apple wants to add turn-by-turn, Google says no. And why would Google say yes? It's long since been advertised as a competitive advantage for Android phones over iPhones.
2) The way the app runs on day 1 is what we'll be stuck with forever - WRONG. Apple has a plan I'm sure to improve the app data over time, and probably a lot quicker than Google or other mapping data companies have done theirs. Which leads to...
3) It's not that difficult to create a mapping app from the ground up - WRONG. It seems like people here think Apple should have this app as polished as Google's (which has been around 7+ years). Apple obviously decided to switch sometime between the first iPhone and now giving them much less time than that.

Here's how I think things went:

Apple goes to Google and wants to add turn-by-turn or make other changes/innovations to the mapping app. Google, of course, says no (don't fault them for that) as they have Apple at their mercy. At some point Apple looks at it and says, "Man we're paying Google a boatload of money for a mapping app we have no control over and can't advance." They weigh the pros and cons of creating their own app. Pros: Complete innovative control, CHEAPER, and yes it spites Google. Cons: polish, TIME and effort.

In the end Apple said pros outweigh the cons, got together a bunch of partners and went to work. The timing of their releases is relatively set and they decided to go ahead and release the maps app as soon as they felt they could as to cut ties with Google, and introduce new features as soon as possible.

It will take time. But Google Maps, aside from the data, hasn't been updated in forever. The loading mechanisms are slow and sometimes rendered the app useless. Apple decided to create their own vector-rendering system thereby giving the app a better base to build on. The data will come with time. It's taken Google AT LEAST 7 years (since that's only how long it's been out in the marketplace) to compile the data they have. Apple's app is in its infancy, but at least they are able to advance it on their own terms as opposed to being stuck under Google's thumb - unable to update the app as Google wanted to keep it an Android advantage.

I don't fault either company in any of this.

 

[aquablue]

I'm considering the iPhone 5 for my first smartphone purchase, but these maps have prompted me to look at Android now. maps are something I value highly.