Google Maps Gaining More Detail With New Color-Mapping Algorithmic Technique

[coolfactor]

Apple Maps has never once failed me. It looks a lot nicer too. With that said, I drive like an *******, so I use Waze to look out for cops 99% of the time. lol.

Your honesty is admirable, but please kindly stay out of our town!

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Apple helped them build their mobile product as Iphone was by far the most used for years until Google decided to build a competing phone and then use turn by turn navigation as well as other features to limit the appeal of iPhone against android. They forced Apple into the maps business. When the 3rd party services were not working as they wanted. The embarked on controlling the data too. You have clearly not used Apple Maps in the last 3 years. The experience is far superior to Google.

Yup, Google literally created the competition in this case. I guess Apple COULD have sued Google when they wouldn’t offer turn by turn navigation to Apple. But, what they did instead was to create their own.

 

[thomasluke231]

New Google Maps - 220 countries, Apple Maps - 1 (the US) + 3 more to come “later this year”. Honestly, Apple...

Actually 4. Japan has been updated to New Apple Maps.

 

[LeeW]

It would suit me to use Apple for navigation but the fact is I have tried and Google simply does it better. That is just my personal experience of course.

 

[chachawpi]

Huh. Google Maps once told me to use any lane of the 5-lane freeway I was currently driving upon (at freeway speeds) to make an immediate U-turn. Complete with the screen showing 5 U-turn arrows, one in each lane (I wish I could have gotten a screenshot, but, you know, driving). My destination was 10 miles further along the freeway, there was absolutely no reason to make any lane changes even, for another 9 miles or so. Apple Maps has never ****ed up that bad for me - hell, Apple Maps’ directions have always been fine, the only problem has been getting Siri to understand my destination, from time to time.

I continue to see a lot of hate towards Apple Maps from people who likely haven’t used Apple Maps in recent memory. It started out rocky (it was developed hastily, because Google wanted more creepiness in return for extending the license for Google Maps), but it has improved continuously since. This feature of making the maps reflect terrain better is something Apple implemented a year or two ago.

I haven't used either one in 3 years because like most people I know, I use Waze for navigation. If I'm researching something I use Google Maps. I'm honestly not sure where Apple Maps fits in.

 

[JohnStrass]

It’s cute that the article mentions Apple Maps at the end as if it’s a viable
Competitor. The only reason it’s a competitor is cause Apple includes Apple Naps automatically in all of its devices.

But Google Maps has worked hard over the years to bring us great features.

I don't understand why Apple has done such a terrible job with maps. The simple limitation is that when searching for a business Apple Maps does not take into consideration (easily) my local area. This is baffling....

Worse, they are tied in to Yelp. A website I find revolting because fo the low quality user comments in the ratings.

 

[jonblatho]

Actually 4. Japan has been updated to New Apple Maps.

Sort of, but not really. It’s licensed data that they’re using to mimic the vegetation mapping in areas where they’ve rolled out, and that licensed data is, to put it lightly, imperfect.

Better to have imperfect vegetation data than wrong roads or POIs, obviously, so it’s not like it’s life and death, but the “new map” in Japan mostly wasn’t Apple’s doing.

 

[sofila]

Yup. To me we get best of both worlds. Ironically you get more choice on an iPhone than android.

True, but here in Italy using Apple maps for searches (shops, activities, commecial sites) is frustrating. You may want to use it only for A to B trips

 

[one more]

This feature of making the maps reflect terrain better is something Apple implemented a year or two ago.

In which of the few countries? We are not talking just about adding some random splashes of greenery here and there. Apple Maps 2.0 did improve things in a big way, yet it applies only to one country so far - the US. Google is rolling their new maps to 220 (!) countries worldwide this week. Are Apple Maps useful the way they are right now? Sure. Are they actually excelling in the face of competition? Nope.

 

[araadt]

I haven't used either one in 3 years because like most people I know, I use Waze for navigation. If I'm researching something I use Google Maps. I'm honestly not sure where Apple Maps fits in.

Has Waze's user interface been redesigned? What a cartoon dumpster fire that is.

 

[one more]

Actually 4. Japan has been updated to New Apple Maps.

Hooray! Let’s be optimistic and imagine Apple Maps adds 10 new countries each year. It will then take them only 21 year from now to catch up with Google. 😋

 

[clive27]

The only time I use Apple Maps is when my iPhone automatically suggests a destination (usually home, work, or a dog park), requiring me to just simply touch the suggestion once to initiate navigation.
All other cases, I either bring out Google Maps (when I have to look around for destination) or Waze (when I foresee heavy traffic or the drive is longer than 30 minutes)

 

[Duane Martin]

Has Waze's user interface been redesigned? What a cartoon dumpster fire that is.

I have never understood peoples' love of WAZE but I also understand different Map Apps excel in different regions. I know here in Calgary, in my experience, WAZE frequently gives exceedingly bad directions. For instance, suggesting a left hand turn across 4 lanes of traffic at an uncontrolled intersection in rush hour where if I drove for two more blocks I could turn left at the lights onto the road I needed to be on (no accident, no slow traffic, no logical reason). I have also had WAZE give me a 5 turn direction to get on a road that all I had to do to get on the road was turn right at the intersection I was at.

That can be true of both Apple Maps and Google Maps as well. Here in Calgary I find Apple Maps superior but a couple years ago when I was in southern Ontario west of Toronto there is no doubt that Google Maps was more accurate. In any case, competition is good, user experience can vary, apps are always improving, and anyone who states one app is superior in all ways to all other apps has a very closed mind.

That said, I use Apple Maps in almost all cases as it suits me just fine, though I do get frustrated when it suggests businesses that are not in the same country as me sometimes. That does need to be worked on.

 

[Jyby]

Am I alone thinking this makes maps harder to read? When I go to maps I want to see where the parks are- this additional green just makes it harder to spot public parks

 

[MauiPa]

how do you get rid of the crappy red lines around Iceland in satellite view? looks like a kid and a crayon interface. I can turn labels off, but I want labels without that dumb red line. Terrain view looks good

 

[archer75]

I actually prefer apple maps. It's never led me wrong. We own a travel trailer and tow a lot so I need a map that's accurate and doesn't send me down a road I shouldn't be on. And i'll run multiple navigation apps across our phones just in case. So far waze is the only one that has screwed up.

Also, we're moving soon. New construction though the roads and some of the neighborhoods have been in place for years. Apple maps was the first one to accurately show the roads and can navigate to the address of our new house that didn't exist only months ago. Google maps still doesn't the streets that have been there for years and as a result can't navigate to that area. If you put in the address google will send you to another neighborhood nearby that's incorrect. Waze does show the roads in the area but can't find the correct addresses.

 

[araadt]

I have never understood peoples' love of WAZE but I also understand different Map Apps excel in different regions. I know here in Calgary, in my experience, WAZE frequently gives exceedingly bad directions. For instance, suggesting a left hand turn across 4 lanes of traffic at an uncontrolled intersection in rush hour where if I drove for two more blocks I could turn left at the lights onto the road I needed to be on (no accident, no slow traffic, no logical reason). I have also had WAZE give me a 5 turn direction to get on a road that all I had to do to get on the road was turn right at the intersection I was at.

That can be true of both Apple Maps and Google Maps as well. Here in Calgary I find Apple Maps superior but a couple years ago when I was in southern Ontario west of Toronto there is no doubt that Google Maps was more accurate. In any case, competition is good, user experience can vary, apps are always improving, and anyone who states one app is superior in all ways to all other apps has a very closed mind.

That said, I use Apple Maps in almost all cases as it suits me just fine, though I do get frustrated when it suggests businesses that are not in the same country as me sometimes. That does need to be worked on.

I'm also in Calgary and switch between Apple Maps and Google Maps depending on where I'm headed. If I had CarPlay in my car I'd almost exclusively use Apple Maps as I find the UI a lot easier to work with when my attention is divided.

Though I can't say I've done a ton of driving these last six months—I rarely leave the Beltline or the riverbank these days, haha.

 

[archer75]

I have never understood peoples' love of WAZE but I also understand different Map Apps excel in different regions. I know here in Calgary, in my experience, WAZE frequently gives exceedingly bad directions. For instance, suggesting a left hand turn across 4 lanes of traffic at an uncontrolled intersection in rush hour where if I drove for two more blocks I could turn left at the lights onto the road I needed to be on (no accident, no slow traffic, no logical reason). I have also had WAZE give me a 5 turn direction to get on a road that all I had to do to get on the road was turn right at the intersection I was at.

That can be true of both Apple Maps and Google Maps as well. Here in Calgary I find Apple Maps superior but a couple years ago when I was in southern Ontario west of Toronto there is no doubt that Google Maps was more accurate. In any case, competition is good, user experience can vary, apps are always improving, and anyone who states one app is superior in all ways to all other apps has a very closed mind.

That said, I use Apple Maps in almost all cases as it suits me just fine, though I do get frustrated when it suggests businesses that are not in the same country as me sometimes. That does need to be worked on.

I don't get waze either. We were in Calgary last summer and noticed the same thing. Apple maps worked wonderfully. Being in a foreign country and city we were a bit paranoid and ran both apple maps and google maps and didn't have an issue with either and eventually just used only apple maps.

 

[macduke]

Could this technology be implemented to detect how much of our forests are being lost due to deforestation every year? And track progress planting trees to build new ones? Would be cool to have a meter that updates with every satellite pass, lol. Maybe it could also more accurately track ice melt in glaciers and polar regions, although I think satellite coverage in polar regions is a bit more spotty. Data is important, especially if it's something we can automate so scientists can spend more time coming up with projections and solutions rather than pouring over satellite images.

 

[Mr. Awesome]

Apple: We rebuilt our map from the ground up to show more detail and more accurately reflect the real world.
Google: Work smarter, not harder. Just use AI.

 

[nickgovier]

.

 

[Jxdawg]

I may be in the minority to here, but I think AM is far superior to GM.

I have been forced to use GM on my work phone and I have had nothing but issues. I go to lots of remote locations and Google often tries to route me the absolute wrong way. When this happens, I pull up my personal phone and AM guides me there with no problem.

I also prefer AM UI as it is smoother and better detailed.

I’m sure GM excelled in some areas, but for me, in Southeastern part of the US, I’ll stick with AM. Though this update does look good!

 

[nylonsteel]

goog has been the killer app of map apps

 

[kesennnnn]

do you Like to get lost or use the most inefficient way to get somewhere?

Google Maps in Canada is horrible for walking or transit directions in Van for sure. It can’t seem to focus the GPS and just spins around the navigation is not near as smooth as Apple maps.

Google is for sure better at finding a place tho, but I’ll then use Apple Maps to get there.

 

[Moyapilot]

Google Maps in Canada is horrible for walking or transit directions in Van for sure. It can’t seem to focus the GPS and just spins around the navigation is not near as smooth as Apple maps.

Google is for sure better at finding a place tho, but I’ll then use Apple Maps to get there.

I live in Vancouver. Never had issues navigating metro area or any part of BC with GoogleMaps. Perhaps its a device or carrier issue? I will say that the AI does go a bit overboard trying to save me 1 or 2 minutes on a commute, but complicating my route in the process. I generally ignore last minute redirects and just keep going, as I can see on my phone that the time saving is not worth it.

I dislike Apple Maps because its AI is kind of stupid. Not intelligent at all actually or very predictive. It is getting better though, but still too US centric.