Google Maps for iOS Gains Quick-Access Traffic, Transit, and Local Info Tabs

[MacRumors]

Google has updated its iOS Maps app with three new quick-access options that Android users have had access to for over a year now. The new tabs sit across the bottom of the home screen and are called Explore, Driving, and Transit.

Swiping up on the shortcuts reveals further details. For example, in Explore users can find a description of the local area, dining choices, and options to search for gas stations, ATMs, convenience stores, drug stores, and other amenities.

The driving tab provides a traffic summary for the area, including information on possible delays that might add time onto a commute. This tab will also include current ETAs for the user's home and work addresses if they are saved in the app's settings. Finally, the transit tab offers estimated bus and train schedules at stations in the vicinity.

Google Maps can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Google Maps for iOS Gains Quick-Access Traffic, Transit, and Local Info Tabs

 

[Aluminum213]

Imagine a world in which Apple allowed us to use Google Maps as a default map service on iOS. Instead of the harsh reality of being stuck with trash like Siri and Apple Maps as being the ones that are baked into the iOS system.

 

[heov]

Apple is being stretched too thin. They have too many products and services now, and some of them are suffering... like Maps and Siri.

In 20 years, at this rate, theyll be like Samsung in the sense they'll probably have fridges and appliances in addition to consumer electronics.

 

[ILikeAllOS]

Imagine a world in which Apple allowed us to use Google Maps as a default map service on iOS. Instead of the harsh reality of being stuck with trash like Siri and Apple Maps as being the ones that are baked into the iOS system.

Imagine a world in which you have to wait a year for a company to update that 3rd party maps app and then you'll realize why Apple has their own Maps app baked into the iOS system.

 

[DaPizzaMan]

Imagine a world in which you have to wait a year for a company to update that 3rd party maps app and then you'll realize why Apple has their own Maps app baked into the iOS system.

Wait what? Google Maps updates quite frequently, though. Unless you're saying it would only get updated with each new version of iOS?

 

[Blaze4G]

Imagine a world in which Apple allowed us to use Google Maps as a default map service on iOS. Instead of the harsh reality of being stuck with trash like Siri and Apple Maps as being the ones that are baked into the iOS system.

Prepare for the backlash. Some people have the opinion that Apple Maps is leaps and bounds better than Google Maps.

 

[69Mustang]

Imagine a world in which you have to wait a year for a company to update that 3rd party maps app and then you'll realize why Apple has their own Maps app baked into the iOS system.

Imagine a world where one realized that default app choice has nothing to do with whether or not Apple has their own Maps app baked into iOS.

 

[rrahimi]

Imagine a world in which you have to wait a year for a company to update that 3rd party maps app and then you'll realize why Apple has their own Maps app baked into the iOS system.

That has nothing to do with the comment you responded too though. I guess you had to twist the argument because there is no good answer to the actual ask which is letting users choose the default, be it Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze or whatever.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Prepare for the backlash. Some people have the opinion that Apple Maps is leaps and bounds better than Google Maps.

Right. Imagine Apple deciding to box Air. An awful lot of guys would subsequently smother to death in lieu of breathing that inferior non-Apple air if they happened to run out.

 

[boswald]

Prepare for the backlash. Some people have the opinion that Apple Maps is leaps and bounds better than Google Maps.

I prefer Apple Maps because it’s clean, simple, and works. Not saying the competition sucks, but I believe there’s nothing wrong with the default if you’re happy with it.
[doublepost=1518790645][/doublepost]

Imagine a world in which Apple allowed us to use Google Maps as a default map service on iOS. Instead of the harsh reality of being stuck with trash like Siri and Apple Maps as being the ones that are baked into the iOS system.

Siri definitely needs a little love.

 

[itsmilo]

Imagine a world in which you have to wait a year for a company to update that 3rd party maps app and then you'll realize why Apple has their own Maps app baked into the iOS system.

Imagine a world in which you have to update a whole OS to get default App updates

 

[gwhizkids]

Imagine a world where the company you depend on for a map produces it to, among other things, collect data on your travels. I still use it as I have nothing to hide, but a lot of people are not so accepting.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Imagine a world in which Apple allowed us to use Google Maps as a default map service on iOS. Instead of the harsh reality of being stuck with trash like Siri and Apple Maps as being the ones that are baked into the iOS system.

give me a break. neither siri nor Maps are trash. ive been using them exclusively for years and somehow have managed to thrive

 

[neutralguy]

Apple is being stretched too thin. They have too many products and services now, and some of them are suffering... like Maps and Siri.

In 20 years, at this rate, theyll be like Samsung in the sense they'll probably have fridges and appliances in addition to consumer electronics.

You forgot car, tv and movie studio.

 

[Blaze4G]

Right. Imagine Apple deciding to box Air. An awful lot of guys would subsequently smother to death in lieu of breathing that inferior non-Apple air if they happened to run out.

Lol! Well Apple would report 100 billion revenue on air so they would use that as their proof that Apple air is better than regular air.

 

[AlumaMac]

give me a break. neither siri nor Maps are trash. ive been using them exclusively for years and somehow have managed to thrive

Same here, I've use Apple Maps on mobile exclusively since launch and haven't had any memorable issues. I recently used Google Maps on the desktop to try and plan a big trip and was surprised at what a crap experience it was, so I don't really feel compelled to try their mobile offering.

 

[M0rpheus]

I don’t care about any updates to Google Maps until the changelog miraculously says one day “CarPlay support”. It’s the only thing missing and I wish Google and Apple would get off their high horses and let us have it, because let’s face it, Apple Maps sucks.

 

[gwhizkids]

Wow, a lot of "Apple Maps Suck" people here. For my part, I concede that it lacks some of the bells and whistles of Google Maps but not so much that I would reject Apple Maps. It does what I need it to do and seems more or less indistinguishable from Google Maps at this point.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Imagine a world in which Apple allowed us to use Google Maps as a default map service on iOS. Instead of the harsh reality of being stuck with trash like Siri and Apple Maps as being the ones that are baked into the iOS system.

Personally I like Apple Maps.

Transit for Toronto, linking to Calendar meetings/appointments with the ability to alarm before 'travel time' is critical to me. I cannot get that with Google Maps on iOS and I'd rather NOT have my travels sold out. Sorry I'm my own pimp, not pimped out for free (location, routing, and other data). I prefer the cleaner UI layout.

Yes Google Maps has more accurate data for addresses by search. Funny enough there are a LOT of places with Street View, here in Toronto, that haven't been updated in years.

I'm curious if Apple uses Satellite camera imaging for Fly-Over for more accurate proper/address views? (several days vs weeks/months for a car to be driven by). It' all about convenience, features and benefits.

 

[Mi1lion]

I LOVE Google Maps and this update impresses me even more. Apple Maps is so far behind. What I love most is offline maps with Google Maps. Now with a tab bar and instant travel times, it's just amazing.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Imagine a world where the company you depend on for a map produces it to, among other things, collect data on your travels. I still use it as I have nothing to hide, but a lot of people are not so accepting.

The same state of dialog 'I have nothing to hide' is always used for free features vs giving up privacy. I honestly think this is used just to push privacy into oblivion. Many people that state that always believe they truly do NOT have anything to hide yet I don't believe they really understand what it is they have to loose.

examples (relative or not)
- birthday suit. Let's say no charges will be given to you if you walked outside for anything everyday of your life in your birthday suit and shoes. Some people would automatically say "I would" and would not care or nothing to hide.
- Location data, where you go for entertainment (partying), work, shopping, road trips and other commutes.

^ Yes these are wolds apart and at first reading them ANYONE would think ... "you're off your rocker man!" Yet think just a few things that can affect these situations/viewpoints and just how their TIME SENSITIVE.

- You wouldn't want to walk into work naked (if you're a male) with a hard-on would you?
^ sexual harrassment?
- you wouldn't want to be completely out of shape, wrinkly (at any age), heavily scarred (tissue or from burns), or even vitalago (pigmentation adverstity)?
^ there are MANY people that have NO CHOICE but to be in the public eye where their skin (vitalago) cannot be hidden and feel so judged based on this and it affects their employment chances, their self confidence and outlook on life. Not everyone affected by this has it occur to them at birth, thus time sensitive.
- What if what you shop for to eat or drink is surveyed and rated against your life insurance and health plan packages and potentially disbarred from coverage? All this due to where you where?
^ we already have seen car insurance company's offer reduced monthly/yearly rates to those that accept using a car OBD-II adapter, yet only to find the following year their rates skyrocket more than ever before due to: harsh braking, non-gradual acceleration, turning/switching lanes without turn signals, not coming to complete stops are intersections required by law, parking sensor that indicates a bump, collisions in high accident areas (even bumps not reported), any or all of these combined. This is always time yet also location sensitive.

Again at first read many would shake their heads ... yet non of us would think prior to 1980 many would be buying bottled water or using filtered water in major cities in our homes as a daily norm.

My argument ... privacy is not just about our own perceptions on how it does or doesn't affect us and to be discarded as non-consequential. It's the act of ignoring it and no realizing many of our perceptions are time sensitive or situationally affected. Enjoy the laugh.

 

[ILikeAllOS]

Imagine a world where one realized that default app choice has nothing to do with whether or not Apple has their own Maps app baked into iOS.

Imagine a world where one realized that the article has nothing to do with default app choices and instead is about a company taking a year to bring features from their android app to the iOS app.

That has nothing to do with the comment you responded too though. I guess you had to twist the argument because there is no good answer to the actual ask which is letting users choose the default, be it Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze or whatever.

Uh no. My comment is on topic with the article, which talks about Google finally bringing features to the iOS version that the android app has already had for a year.
It is the comment I replied to that was offtopic and "twists the argument" by whining about the iOS Maps.app, something that the original article has nothing to do with.

 

[Radon87000]

Outside the US, Apple Maps is a steaming pile of garbage. It’s much better only in the US.

 

[one more]

Outside the US, Apple Maps is a steaming pile of garbage. It’s much better only in the US.

Largely agreed. If you need an accurate up-to-date road layout and a solid POI database, in Europe it’s pretty much between Google & their owned Waze. I have tried them all and while Apple Maps offers the smoothest, easy to follow routes vs Waze/GM, the accuracy of Maps is way behind the other two. So still not up to a task, really.

 

[burgman]

I use both, each one has it's strong points. Traffic on Apple maps is a joke compared to Google's, so that's what I use most of the time. I have watched older cars with camera's attached on the the trunk and roof driving around parking lots filming licence plates in several states. I researched that, companies advertise jobs for drivers to do this, lots of them. Read up on this it might piss you off, it should. Then add the government/University local, state, federal plate readers. This doesn't even cover WiFi and Bluetooth tracking. Location Privacy is dead deal with it, to me Google is transparent and I know the bargain i'm making, I use the best tool for the task at hand. Imagine a world loop was pretty funny thanks