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New Apple Maps Cars Spotted in Los Angeles

Here in Europe Apple Maps is now great for travelling between cities.

But within historic cities with many winding streets and strange obstacles Waze is absolutely the way to go. It picks out creative shortcuts all of the time that neither Apple nor Google come close to (they just route down the main throughfares, even if they are at a standstill), and it's also kind of important that it picks out speed traps and other obstacles with remarkable timeliness and accuracy.

An interesting thought on crowdsourced mapping. Obviously it's the only way to get sudden updates when something "happens". But have been wondering if it's the only risk-free way a large maps provider can provide creative backstreet routing. Meaning, if the computer calculates a better but "highly original" route then there is a chance that there'll be an unforeseen problem with it. Now if you're Waze, you'll discover that pretty quickly because you'll see users bouncing back out the way they came. But if you're Apple or Google you're going to continue sending people down a "bad" route, potentially causing chaos on a massive scale. So, in other words, the big mapping providers are never going to risk being creative with their routing. 🙁 That's my theory anyway!
 
I saw an Apple Maps vehicle in Colorado City this past summer. Upon asking, they said they are mapping the area. Bout time, my family that uses AM can't find my house, I tell them Google maps takes you right to it to use it instead and they look at me dumbfounded. They'd rather call and say they're lost, come find us and show us the way. Lol.
 
Very encouraging. I’ve gotten a few encounters of poor directions from apple maps, but I certainly like their UI better than google. This is stuff they don’t get ROI from Wall Street but they do it anyway.
 
maflynn said:
Waze has yet to let me down, and while apple maps is decent, I find I get better results and directions from Waze.
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Waze gives mixed results at best in my city. Sometimes Apple Maps is stubborn about sticking to freeways or direct routes, and occasionally Waze will give me a useful detour onto city streets. But more often than not it simply takes me on circuitous routings that, in retrospect, clearly were not faster. Someone actually did a randomized controlled trial of Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze in my area and indeed found that Waze isn't any faster (here), it's just overoptimistic. But perhaps it "feels" faster because it involves more turns and detours. That could be worth something.
 
Like every stock app that comes pre-installed on the iPhone, the only way to upgrade it is upgrade the whole OS. That means a new iPhone every few years if you get addicted to Apple Maps. Google Maps on the other hand can be downloaded from the App Store anytime.
 
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They are using a Mac Pro inside to handle all the data? Lmao, with how outdated it is, I'm surprised it can keep up!
 
The whole apple maps thing is such a sad joke. They will never catch up or compete with google maps. Why not put that energy and money somewhere else?
 
400 said:
Saw one in S Wales as well. I did smile.
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As in UK Wales?
[doublepost=1539283880][/doublepost]Looking at it, it looks like a set up more suited to mass manufacture. In hindsight, it seems obvious that they needed to simplify the set up for what is presumably going to be a massive global mapping effort.
 
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MacRumorUser78 said:
I saw one two days ago in Palos Verdes (SW peninsula in greater Los Angeles). Was turning a corner away from me so didn't get a good look, but I was surprised that it wasn't an SUV. It had the Apple Maps decal.

I generally use Apple Maps for navigation now as I prefer the interface. But it's accuracy in the UK this fall left much to be desired. Couldn't rely on any one nav system. The multiple names of places in Scotland didn't help (Gallic and English of various spellings). Didn't help that we were using throttled T-Mobile.
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[doublepost=1539285454][/doublepost]I saw one passing through our Harbor City, CA neighborhood a few days ago and recorded a video of it from our surveillance cameras.
 
Scottsoapbox said:
Apple maps data in my city is now on par with Google maps, but I still use Google for the traffic data as that matters more here than getting the park paths and other minutia right (which is the only difference on the map data now).
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Which city do you live in?
 
now i see it said:
Like every stock app that comes pre-installed on the iPhone, the only way to upgrade it is upgrade the whole OS. That means a new iPhone every few years if you get addicted to Apple Maps. Google Maps on the other hand can be downloaded from the App Store anytime.
Click to expand...

I’m pretty sure (but not 100%) that since iOS 10 enabled stock apps to be deleted and reinstalled from the App Store, they can be updated independent of an OS update.
 
I have been seeing the older Apple Mini-Vans near where I live in Christian County Kentucky. So they have made it a long way from CA at this point lol. They are in the middle of no-where 😉
 
Does Apple Maps have the ability to search for things on your route yet? How about that gets taken care of before street view. I couldn't figure it out on my last road trip. I've found Google Maps to be infinitely more useful, except that it doesn't work with Siri (though that might change with Shortcuts).
 
2 weekends ago in LA (visiting) Apple Maps didn't have a very critical Freeway to Freeway exit as being blocked. So I did a highway exit U turn to hit the opposite way exit and that was also blocked. So I went to Waze and they had the same thing. Google Maps had both being blocked and routed me the correct path to get on the correct highway.

In general, Google Maps killed Apple Maps in LA, the second biggest city in the US. Got a lot of room to improve.
 
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