Revamped Apple Maps Now Available in Texas, Louisiana, and Southern Mississippi

[KazKam]

I really want to like and use Apple Maps, but every time I try it just isn't robust enough, in functionality or detail, when compared to Google Maps.

For me, the main killer feature Google has Apple doesn't is the ability to add multiple locations to directions, not just beginning and end, and the ability to manually tweak the route(s).

 

[MauiPa]

This is a welcome improvement. I want to like apple maps, i really do, but google is so far ahead right now its hard to not use it

LOL. google maps still has two movie theaters sitting in the middle of the ocean here on Maui. Hey I understand its probably not their data, but I reported it to Apple and Google. apple fixed it.....enough said.

I suppose neither is perfect and its more about personal choice than anything else.

 

[konqerror]

Apple still has maps. Why?

Google wouldn't provide the maps data like Apple needed, especially for platforms like the Watch. Why should Google help make iOS better than Android?

Any features that Google introduces will come out on Android first. On top of that, Google would find out any new products that Apple is building, again like the Watch.

Apple thought they could buy the maps data from other people, like TomTom, but it turned out to be far worse than Google's. Go try using Here maps sometime.

 

[MauiPa]

I really want to like and use Apple Maps, but every time I try it just isn't robust enough, in functionality or detail, when compared to Google Maps.

For me, the main killer feature Google has Apple doesn't is the ability to add multiple locations to directions, not just beginning and end, and the ability to manually tweak the route(s).

if it is something you use, the decision is made for you. I wouldn't so its just a big meh! I always say, the best map application is the one you use, nothing beats familiarity. I find google maps confusing - mostly because I don't use it much, I'm sure its fine

 

[jerryk]

Why is there more than one brand of supermarket or gas station where you live?

I find Apple Maps to be quite a bit nicer than Google Maps.

Please list the specific features that make Apple maps superior for you.

 

[MauiPa]

My biggest concern is how they plan on keeping the maps up to date.

It sounds like they have this big pan to survey the entire world, but to actually have good maps they‘d have to continuously survey the same places over and over again.

how do they do ti, how does anyone do it? Maybe google just accesses data on your phone to keep theirs updated. No? hmmm, how do they do it?
[doublepost=1565366460][/doublepost]

Apple can't possibly have the same accuracy of traffic data as Google because iPhone market share is very low (10+ %?). It will be better in US.

You never heard of licensing the data?

 

[jerryk]

Google wouldn't provide the maps data like Apple needed, especially for platforms like the Watch. Why should Google help make iOS better than Android? Any features that Google introduces will come out on Android first.

Apple thought they could buy the maps data from other people, like TomTom, but it turned out to be far worse than Google's.

What data did they need for the watch that is different from other platforms like a phone?

 

[Nicksd84]

How do you know what’s updated and what’s not. Is there a running list with Apple or just tracking by Apple enthusiasts?

 

[BootsWalking]

My biggest concern is how they plan on keeping the maps up to date.

It sounds like they have this big pan to survey the entire world, but to actually have good maps they‘d have to continuously survey the same places over and over again.

I heard they plan to reconfigure their reality distortion field generator to freeze time, which will easily solve the problem of map data getting out of date.

 

[MauiPa]

Please list the specific features that make Apple maps superior for you.

give it a rest. He is stating his personal preference, no one is insulting you. I happen to agree with him, Apple maps is smooth, intuitive and easy to use. Maybe google maps is too, but the few times I have used it, it is not, I suppose that is familiarity not competence though

 

[Nicksd84]

Apple still has maps. Why? What do they offer that Google does not? And how does the accuracy of the two compare for things like traffic, train, and ferry schedules, etc.

Plus Google owns Waze, so is getting real time traffic updates from devices using Waze.

This is why:

https://spreadprivacy.com/duckduckgo-apple-mapkit-js-update/

 

[calstanford]

Wow. Let's do another post for North Mississippi. I'll come back to Apple Maps when they're in Asia. Oh wait.. so. never.. cool

 

[falainber]

I doubt all those owners of $50-100 Android devices even own cars, so how can they contribute to traffic data? Maybe riding their bikes?

How about buses? Very few people in US do not have a car. I think we have more cars than people actually.

 

[MauiPa]

I really want to like and use Apple Maps, but every time I try it just isn't robust enough, in functionality or detail, when compared to Google Maps.

For me, the main killer feature Google has Apple doesn't is the ability to add multiple locations to directions, not just beginning and end, and the ability to manually tweak the route(s).

that is based more on what you are familiar with. It is the opposite for me. I find google maps a bit hokey and hard to use versus Apple Maps. Honestly, I suppose I would get over that in a day or two if there was any reason to use google maps instead. I mean it's only a map. Point a, point b, route, traffic.
[doublepost=1565366783][/doublepost]

give it a rest. He is stating his personal preference, no one is insulting you. I happen to agree with him, Apple maps is smooth, intuitive and easy to use. Maybe google maps is too, but the few times I have used it, it is not, I suppose that is familiarity not competence though

Do it better with local talent, and make money!

 

[konqerror]

What data did they need for the watch that is different from other platforms like a phone?

One, no place to show ads. Google Maps exists because they sell ads.

Two, pedestrian navigation, so you need to know things like walkways, foot paths and crosswalks. This wasn't as well developed back in 2015.

Very few people in US do not have a car. I think we have more cars than people actually.

It's roughly 1 to 1 when you subtract out children too young to drive.

 

[jayhawk2112]

Southern Mississippi?! Glad they are starting with the most populous areas first, eh. Probably dozens of people will find this useful....

(I am joking a bit, it is nice they finally have Austin updated in a state where people actually live

 

[TotalMacMove]

Looks like I actually work in a forest or a field of grass! Below is a screenshot of a developed industrial area since 2008. Little to no trees or grass lol. Houston,TX

 

[citysnaps]

Apple still has maps. Why? What do they offer that Google does not? And how does the accuracy of the two compare for things like traffic, train, and ferry schedules, etc.

Plus Google owns Waze, so is getting real time traffic updates from devices using Waze.

Because many millions of people, such as myself, prefer Apple Maps over google maps.

Please...post a more difficult question.

 

[jerryk]

This is why:

https://spreadprivacy.com/duckduckgo-apple-mapkit-js-update/

Not following. According to the article it is Duck Duck Go that is not sending the information to Apple. Nothing to do with Apple.

And Duck Duck Go acknowledge that their privacy policy may cause issues with maps providing you useful and accurate information.

"Unfortunately, this process is not always accurate enough, especially on mobile phone networks that route traffic through a central hub, making you appear to us to be hundreds of miles away from where you actually are! To get around this issue and improve the location accuracy of search results, you may see a prompt asking you if you’d like to opt-in to share your current location with DuckDuckGo."

 

[gaximus]

I guess this depends on where you live. I use Apple Maps and find the traffic to be very accurate. I’ve even approached road construction and had Siri respond “There’s single lane traffic ahead, however you are still on the fastest route” when my initial reaction was “Why did you route me through construction?” The only thing missing for me is police.

The police is a big one for me. I speed a lot.

 

[ipedro]

My biggest concern is how they plan on keeping the maps up to date.

It sounds like they have this big pan to survey the entire world, but to actually have good maps they‘d have to continuously survey the same places over and over again.

I love Apple Maps, but since I started using Waze, I can't go back, having crowd sourced data for traffic, car accidents, and police, makes my drives so much better. And there are a ton of things I hate about Waze, but I still use it for those features.

Apple's POIs still suck. It's not an issue with the roads, it's the destinations. Google has much better business visibility in part due to their high-dollar advertising operations, reviews on Maps, tracking Android users (e.g. their busy charts), leading search technology, and heavy crowdsourcing (Waze).

Apple have this, they just rely on manual reports, tiny anonymized snippets, and data bought from Yelp.

iOS 13 pings iPhones anonymously and automatically builds real time traffic maps for everyone, just like Waze but in this case, iOS does it natively for every iPhone, not just those with the Waze app running. This will also serve to continuously update maps data. If a road has changed, it’ll use the pool data to update the map.

In the new Maps introduction, they mentioned how cameras on Apple surveying cars aren’t just capturing the roads but all the storefronts. They then use machine learning to interpolate business addresses in their database with actual storefronts, providing a very accurate location for each business. Changes in a storefront signs in future passes will flag that location to be looked at more closely by a human, to update businesses.

 

[cocky jeremy]

I love Apple Maps, but since I started using Waze, I can't go back, having crowd sourced data for traffic, car accidents, and police, makes my drives so much better. And there are a ton of things I hate about Waze, but I still use it for those features.

I love Waze for this. I hope Apple adds it eventually. Not a fan of the hidden piggies.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Apple Maps used to be very inaccurate: I remember right around where I live, it showed roads going through that didn't, it would fail to mark one-way streets, it showed curvy windy roads as straight lines, etc. Those issues have been fixed in the years since. But Apple Maps still doesn't show many hiking and biking trails that Google does show and it lacks Street View in most places (for now). For those reasons, I still prefer Google Maps but I'm glad that Apple Maps is improving.

 

[truthertech]

Did they use an air boat in the swamps and catch all of the "roads" in those parts?

I am not sure, but since the terrible start for Apple Maps, it's now the consensus and acknowledged that they have now surpassed Google Maps in accuracy, interface, Look Around versus Street View, and of course privacy. Google Maps search is still considered to be superior.

I travel frequently and put them to head to head tests and those results duplicate the above results as well.

 

[hagar]

Wake me up when I can reliably use Siri for navigation to POI.

 

[truthertech]

Apple can't possibly have the same accuracy of traffic data as Google because iPhone market share is very low (10+ %?). It will be better in US.

LOL, you don't really think that traffic data comes solely from phones? And as far as traffic data accuracy, tests show that Apple Maps is more accurate than Google Maps.