I have traveled 13,000 miles in my RV and Apple Maps is all i used.
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Google Maps and Waze Updated With New iPhone and CarPlay Features
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That would be welcomed to have it all in one app but Waze's reason to exist is exactly traffic realtime info for driving.
My main gripe with any of them in the context of carplay is the additional tap to access all controls. I need to be as focused on the road as possible, and any extra unnecessary step is problematic to me. I get the additional taps for keyboard etc, it's easier to pull over for that, don't expect a full keyboard and full map visible. It would also be nice if more buttons were side by side instead of stacked top to bottom. It's easy to accidentally tap above or below your target with sporadic bumps on the road.
Agreed
Apple and Google really need to fix that; until they do, Waze is what I will stick with for now
Only thing that's failing for me with it right now, but to no fault of Google/Waze is that some functionality of it is not working on CarPlay for me right now (namely the ability to report an incident or confirm if one previously reported is still there or not; that's just a bug of the current iOS 18 developer beta 4/public beta 2)
As you will see from the below ChatGPT summary, Waze’s “independence” was part of their acquisition agreement:
“Google acquired Waze, a community-based traffic and navigation app, for $1.1 billion in 2013. Here are the key conditions and details of the acquisition:
1. **Price and Structure**: Google purchased Waze for approximately $1.1 billion in cash.
2. **Autonomy**: One of the significant conditions of the acquisition was that Waze would remain a separate entity. This allowed Waze to maintain its distinct brand, culture, and user experience.
3. **Employee Retention**: As part of the deal, Google aimed to retain Waze's workforce, including its key talent and developers. This retention was crucial for continuing the development and improvement of Waze's unique features.
4. **Integration of Features**: While Waze operated independently, there was an integration of certain features between Waze and Google Maps. For example, Google Maps incorporated Waze's real-time traffic updates, and Waze used Google’s search capabilities.
5. **Location of Operations**: Waze's headquarters remained in Israel, ensuring that the company continued its operations and development from its original location.
6. **Competition Concerns**: The acquisition was scrutinized by various regulatory bodies for potential antitrust issues, given Google's significant presence in the online mapping space. However, the deal was ultimately approved.
7. **Community Engagement**: Maintaining the engagement and contributions of Waze’s active user community was a priority, as these contributions are integral to Waze's real-time traffic and navigation data.
These conditions helped Google expand its mapping services while preserving the unique aspects that made Waze popular among its users.”
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That's a good point. Maybe Apple needs a special CarPlay driving app, that's separate from generic Apple Maps.
Thanks very much for this post! It explained a lot.
I’ve recently discovered and have been enjoying turn-by-turn (TbT) instructions for Apple Maps displayed in my MY2024 car’s display behind my steering wheel while the normal CarPlay screen display runs in my car’s main media screen. And I’m also seeing the same TbT instructions in my heads-up-display too which is fabulous.
I hope Apple shares the API with Google to they can make this work in GMaps and Waze!
P.S. Was this feature a recent Apple Maps upgrade, an iOS upgrade (I’m on iOS 18 Beta) or a car upgrade (I just had my car’s firmware updated by my dealer).
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I find that Apple Maps is the least cluttered of the three, tried all three of them today and AM CarPlay interface is by far the cleanest.
Apple Maps has four different view modes (explore, driving, public transport and satellite) and, surprise-surprise, it automatically switches to the driving mode when you use it with CarPlay. 😉
Well, I've tried them all.
Apple Maps i never really liked - the UI is boring, reporting enything is a pain and there is actually only three thing to report - Crash, Hazard and Speed Check.
Google Maps - much better than Apple Maps - but I've never gotten over the strange UI choice. The giant and red Exit button. Red colour is supposed to be reserved for alerts only - and when I'm using this app while driving, I can still peripherally see something red on the display which makes me think there is some alert to check. Just use a different colour - blueish, for example!
Waze - has been my choice for years. I never want its UI to change to generic Apple look - as somebody here suggested. Do you really want all the apps to look the same? Navigation app to have the same/similar look as Messages, for example? I find Waze's UI the least obtrusive, colours are chosen wisely, it shows lanes in a better way than the other apps, I can report virtually anything to help other drivers, and most importanly - I can clearly see the arrival time at the destination - which for me is more important than the time spent on the road. Which is Google Maps main info in this case. Waze does also much better job when it comes to speedometer and speed alerts.
Just check these two screenshots - Waze clearly shows me the next turn and it's direction. With Google I really have to look for that right arrow and it shows no cities for the navigation, only the road number.
Well, anyway - the experience with these apps will definitely vary depending on your locations. And I think that Apple Maps might be very good in US but not here, in the heart of Europe.
Apple Maps i never really liked - the UI is boring, reporting enything is a pain and there is actually only three thing to report - Crash, Hazard and Speed Check.
Google Maps - much better than Apple Maps - but I've never gotten over the strange UI choice. The giant and red Exit button. Red colour is supposed to be reserved for alerts only - and when I'm using this app while driving, I can still peripherally see something red on the display which makes me think there is some alert to check. Just use a different colour - blueish, for example!
Waze - has been my choice for years. I never want its UI to change to generic Apple look - as somebody here suggested. Do you really want all the apps to look the same? Navigation app to have the same/similar look as Messages, for example? I find Waze's UI the least obtrusive, colours are chosen wisely, it shows lanes in a better way than the other apps, I can report virtually anything to help other drivers, and most importanly - I can clearly see the arrival time at the destination - which for me is more important than the time spent on the road. Which is Google Maps main info in this case. Waze does also much better job when it comes to speedometer and speed alerts.
Just check these two screenshots - Waze clearly shows me the next turn and it's direction. With Google I really have to look for that right arrow and it shows no cities for the navigation, only the road number.
Well, anyway - the experience with these apps will definitely vary depending on your locations. And I think that Apple Maps might be very good in US but not here, in the heart of Europe.
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One kind of big navigation feature missing from Apple Maps for me is the ability to lock the map with north up. Every other guidance system or app I’ve ever used in the last 35 years has had this. In fact, it seems to be what they usually have if they only have one mode. But Apple only offers a spinning, disorienting map.
I still use Apple Maps 99% of the time for various reasons, but the fact this basic feature is still missing after all these years bothers me almost every single trip.
I still use Apple Maps 99% of the time for various reasons, but the fact this basic feature is still missing after all these years bothers me almost every single trip.
I think Apple Maps UI is the best of the bunch. It's nice and clear where you can easily identify the road you are driving on and surrounding roads. You can clearly see store, restaurant, gas station names and icons that are around you. Google doesn't quite do it and if it does it's not done well. Vavigation wise, I have never been misled by Apple but I have heard outside of USA it's hit or miss. I do keep Google maps on my phone to mix it up from time to time. I may check out Waze again as well but the interface in the past was too plain.
I don't use Google Maps or Waze to navigate, but my impression was that they offer different styles of navigation.
When I was taking a car service in LA once, the driver asked me if it was ok if he used Waze -- the point being that if he did so we'd be taking a faster, but much more winding and labor-intensive route through neighborhoods and smaller streets, versus the Google Maps route which was more likely to be more straight-line driving on bigger roads, freeways, etc.
The road condition reporting feature is a colossal mistake!
- Allowing the users to report incidents/issues/radar/camera is invitation to abuse. Yes! There are people who very much enjoy being the source of misinformation even if it brings them absolutely no benefits.
- With 100% of the times, it takes at least several seconds for a person to see something, until they tap to make a true report. By that time they would have travelled quite a distance making their report wrong as far as locations go. I've seen these items on my routes many times and the reported location is up to 1-2 miles off.
- Allowing anonymous data contribution also allows ill-intended information to be initiated from competitors
- Most important of all: Taking your eyes off the road to report an incident is a physical risk that can result in immediate accidents.
- Allowing the users to report incidents/issues/radar/camera is invitation to abuse. Yes! There are people who very much enjoy being the source of misinformation even if it brings them absolutely no benefits.
- With 100% of the times, it takes at least several seconds for a person to see something, until they tap to make a true report. By that time they would have travelled quite a distance making their report wrong as far as locations go. I've seen these items on my routes many times and the reported location is up to 1-2 miles off.
- Allowing anonymous data contribution also allows ill-intended information to be initiated from competitors
- Most important of all: Taking your eyes off the road to report an incident is a physical risk that can result in immediate accidents.
I too am partial to Apple Maps and for the most part it's a perfectly fine piece of navigation software for finding me the quickest route between Point A and Point B, rerouting me in an appropriate amount of time, etc. The only thing I wish they would improve, and I was hoping they were going to in iOS 18 this year, is being able to report traffic slowdowns, road hazards, police doing radar and so on without having to be in an active nav guidance.
No pig alerts = no go for me.
I don't consider Waze to be amazingly wonderful, but that one feature is absolutely critical. Before Waze, I used Trapster, but switched when it got discontinued.
The other great feature of Waze is the ability to fix map problems yourself. I don't have to use it much, but I've had a few times where I've had to add a road or fix turn directions.
The thing I hate about ALL of them is the annoyance when I decide I'm going to ignore the suggested route. Whether that's a fuel stop or deciding I'd rather not take the interstate, the "make a u turn" nags are really annoying. At least add a "pause navigation" button, ideally add a "reject route" button that will make it more quickly realize that I'm NOT going the way it wants me to.
And I'd really like routing options like "avoid Indiana" or "Don't get me anywhere near Indianapolis" without having to manually add fake "stops" along the way.
I don't consider Waze to be amazingly wonderful, but that one feature is absolutely critical. Before Waze, I used Trapster, but switched when it got discontinued.
The other great feature of Waze is the ability to fix map problems yourself. I don't have to use it much, but I've had a few times where I've had to add a road or fix turn directions.
The thing I hate about ALL of them is the annoyance when I decide I'm going to ignore the suggested route. Whether that's a fuel stop or deciding I'd rather not take the interstate, the "make a u turn" nags are really annoying. At least add a "pause navigation" button, ideally add a "reject route" button that will make it more quickly realize that I'm NOT going the way it wants me to.
And I'd really like routing options like "avoid Indiana" or "Don't get me anywhere near Indianapolis" without having to manually add fake "stops" along the way.
Using Waze since 2011. Never used Google. Try once in a while Apple Maps but while improved over the years I always turn back to Waze.
Well good. I drive delivery a lot and periodically run Apple Maps to check out the latest. So far I've always had to quickly revert to Google maps, usually parked on the roadside tryin' to figure out where TF I am.
One day I fully hope and expect I'll be able to flip entirely to Apple Maps but that day is still yet to arrive, and it doesn't seem even close at this point, last time I checked.
Don't get me wrong, I implicitely mistrust Google what with their privacy issues etc and I would prefer to be able to rely on Apple Maps. One way or another, this darkness got to end.
One day I fully hope and expect I'll be able to flip entirely to Apple Maps but that day is still yet to arrive, and it doesn't seem even close at this point, last time I checked.
Don't get me wrong, I implicitely mistrust Google what with their privacy issues etc and I would prefer to be able to rely on Apple Maps. One way or another, this darkness got to end.
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I can’t tell if you are looking for sympathy or not. But if not, you should check out Waze
