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Google Maps for iOS Updated With Spoken Traffic Alerts

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Google today updated its Google Maps app to version 4.12, adding spoken traffic alerts in navigation mode as well as the ability to easily add new or missing businesses from the app's sidebar.

googlemapsspoken.png

Spoken traffic alerts will tell users about traffic congestion and incidents on a user's route. Additionally, users will get traffic descriptions summarizing traffic conditions before they set off on their journey. The feature is similar to Google-owned Waze's notifications, which also verbally points out traffic congestion, incidents and the location of police in the area.

Google Maps is a universal app available for free in the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Google Maps for iOS Updated With Spoken Traffic Alerts
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/11/04/google-maps-spoken-traffic-update/
I've been using Apple Maps since it came out. I live in the SF Bay Area, so I've never had any issues other people experience. However, this is one feature that Apple's map solution is seriously lacking. This just might have me switch back to Google Maps
 
KALLT said:
It’s such a shame that Google owns these two applications, they are simply the best in their class. Pity, I don’t want to have anything to do with Google.
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In most cases I can replace Apple Maps with Google Maps but some apps just don't want to write any extra code and put embedded Apple Maps in it. :confused:
 
I don't even think we should be comparing Google maps vs Apple maps all the time. Obviously we all know the winner here, and Apple has years I means years literally to catch up. But Apple has improved a lot for a very short period of time and I give them credit for that. Besides this Google map improvement is from Waze anyways. That means Google bought the company and ported it to their map. It is not something they just develop themselves.
 
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joueboy said:
But Apple has improved a lot for a very short period of time and I give them credit for that. Besides this Google map improvement is from Waze anyways. That means Google bought the company and ported it to their map. It is not something they just develop themselves.
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Apple bought at least one company (PlaceBase) before they released Apple Maps. It is also built upon TomTom’s cartography and most of the POI data comes from third-party services like Yelp. It’s a patchwork of technologies and services.

It doesn’t really make a difference anyway. Either they have employees specialised in this or they buy or hire companies that have these employees. Google has the right people and the early investment into the service really paid off. Apple just never bothered with Maps before they had to.
 
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joueboy said:
I don't even think we should be comparing Google maps vs Apple maps all the time. Obviously we all know the winner here, and Apple has years I means years literally to catch up. But Apple has improved a lot for a very short period of time and I give them credit for that. Besides this Google map improvement is from Waze anyways. That means Google bought the company and ported it to their map. It is not something they just develop themselves.
Click to expand...

Apple maps will never catch up by virtue of the fact their sandboxed model is not conducive to the sort of crowdsourcing that keeps Google maps up to date. This is not to mention the fact that businesses go first to Google maps to update their locations for advertising purposes. Apple needs to open up 3rd party map support to Siri.
 
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KALLT said:
It’s such a shame that Google owns these two applications, they are simply the best in their class. Pity, I don’t want to have anything to do with Google.
Click to expand...
shame you are missing some of the best iOS apps due to what reason?



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Apple maps has gone from super bad at the begging to meh it works where I am vs google maps that has all the road/rivers/places.
 
If Google Maps were not available on iOS, I would not bother with iPhone.

It is my most critical application after email, text, and voice calls.
 
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Apple maps already does this... It popped up yesterday when I was using it and says something like "An unexpected delay has occurred on your route" and it offers an alternate route choice just by tapping the banner at the bottom of the screen. So I'm not sure what the big advantage is here? It's nice Google offers it on iOS also I guess. Apple maps works fine for my area. Never really bother with Google anymore, in fact they have allot of incorrect information and while Apple did have SOME incorrect information I submitted corrections and they fixed all of those AND responded to me to let me know they fixed them. Pretty awesome IMO.
 
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mejsric said:
If there is no Apple Map then iPhone users probably won't receive this update...
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iPhone users actively using the Google Maps app benefit Android users. The more users providing traffic data, the better. Being better than Apple Maps or whatever likely didn't even enter into the consideration about whether the iOS app should receive the new update or not. Google only cares about getting more data, and discouraging one of the largest user-bases from providing that data wouldn't be good business.
 
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Carlanga said:
shame you are missing some of the best iOS apps due to what reason?
Click to expand...

Google’s business model and attitude towards user privacy for a start. They are ruthless in their collection of data and I’m not going to hand over a steady supply of GPS data along with persistent identifiers for them to store forever and analyse. This data is too sensitive and Apple promises not to do this. Google Maps is a carrot and stick for what they are really after and for me it isn’t a relationship I want to have.
 
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KALLT said:
Google’s business model and attitude towards user privacy for a start. They are ruthless in their collection of data and I’m not going to hand over a steady supply of GPS data along with persistent identifiers for them to store forever and analyse. This data is too sensitive and Apple promises not to do this. Google Maps is a carrot and stick for what they are really after and for me it isn’t a relationship I want to have.
Click to expand...
Who says Apple promised not to do it though? Have you adjusted your ad settings In Notification Center. There are a few others as well. And afaik Apple does use your info wout sensitivte for data collection
 
MacRumors said:
The feature is similar to Google-owned Waze's notifications, which also verbally points out traffic congestion, incidents and the location of police in the area.
Click to expand...

At least Google Maps has appropriate privacy settings when you shut down the app. The only location privacy settings for Waze are "Always" (exactly what it sounds like) or "None" (meaning the app won't function).
 
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