Users Noticing Significant Improvements in Apple Maps Data with Quick Corrections

[gavroche]

Look, I posted a simple example- one that anyone can check right now on their own iDevice: Walmart Lake Worth Florida. Check it on the Apple Maps app and check it on the Google Maps app. The former will point dead center in a nearby canal. The latter points dead center in the store.

With that, I shared that 2 other Walmart searches while vacationing took us to empty fields- one in South Carolina and one in Florida.

This thread- and lots of others like it- have ALL KINDS of examples of Apple Maps still not pointing to the right places. Do a search and see for yourself.

Personally, I like Apple Maps. I'd like it to be the best Maps app on my iDevices. I'm glad to see people commenting that improvements are actually being made. But after it let me down several times, I installed Google maps. I still use Apple Maps often because it's the default but when I need to be sure- or when it can't find what I'm seeking- I fire up Google maps and it gets it right more often.

I chip in my point here and what do I get? One person decides to deem the mid-canal pin of Apple maps "more correct" than the Google pin pointing dead center of the store. You decide to join the conversation and shift blame to Walmart for apparently giving Google the correct location information but not Apple. After all, why would Walmart want Apple product users to shop in their stores?

Then, you appear to take offense. If offended, sorry, that wasn't my intent. I just see the "Apple can do no wrong" spin too often here and blaming Walmart for selectively giving Google good info and Apple bad looked like more of that to me.

So you're in the courier business. Great. I would think quality maps are VERY IMPORTANT to your business. When you have a package that needs to get to the right place without delay, what mapping solution are YOU depending on?

Again, i find it completely useless to fight about which service is better. While you seems be of the opinion that Apple Maps is very flawed, and Google Maps is perfect, i am of no such misconception. Because I can say with 100% certainty that Google Maps has flaws too. And if i thought it important to document an instance of it, or if i thought there was even a 1% chance that you would even care or listen to that, i would consider doing so. But I know that it is not, and there is not.
I, for one, can read an article detailing how one particular map product is improving.... and think hey, thats cool... better is better. I don't have a need to attack anyone over it.
Oh, and to answer your question as to which mapping service i rely on... i do not rely on any one. Why would I? Must I for some reason limit myself to only one? When one cannot find something, I use the other. As I said... I have found errors in everything I have used. But I guess by your logic I should not use any mapping service at all... as each has flaws.

p.s. If you seriously read anyone saying "apple is improving their service by periodically updating their POI information"... and you see that as a "apple can do no wrong" spin... you got some serious reading comprehension issues. Or you are just a paid hack in here to stir debate. I regret that that possibility just occurred to me, and I will withdraw back to the sidelines.

 

[Michael Scrip]

People get an Android because it's cheap not because they like Android.

Did you take a survey?

No survey is needed. All you need to do is look at price points.

If you have over $450... you can afford an Android phone or an iPhone.

But if you have less than $450... it's only Android. And that's A LOT of people.

Do you wanna know why Android has 80% market share? It's not because of flagship phones like the Galaxy S5

It's all those $79 Android phones sold in China and India.

Those people aren't necessarily choosing Android... they're buying the only phone they can afford and it happens to be running Android.

 

[John.B]

Once Obama and the car companies make mobile phone maps and turn by turn illegal, you will have to use the $1500 in dash system only. Yes, there is a proposal to do this. It is all about $$, but they will sell it as a safety issue.

The proposal is for rear-facing backup cameras. Every new Honda already comes standard with them, so eventually all manufacturers will have them. Also, CarPlay will continue to move maps and turn-by-turn directions to cell phones and away from proprietary built-in systems. But here's your hat (and one for your cat):

 

[FelixDerKater]

I simply have it stuck in my mind that time that I got directions to a new theater and was directed 7 miles off course to a field nowhere near the true destination. I downloaded Google Maps on the spot, barely made the show, and haven't looked back since.

 

[PocketSand11]

You won because you had to download an extra maps app, and use the one that's not integrated any more???? cool.

Better than using neither of them because one didn't exist, and the other couldn't do car navigation. Better than not having a choice between two map services. All at the small cost (zero in my case) of having to download an app if I want Google instead of Apple map services.

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Not to mention that the graphical part of the UI was much, MUCH better in iOS 6. In iOS 7 they took down the only thing good about this application.

1. The directions in iOS 6 would appear on signs that were personalized for each country/state. Just this alone was a nice touch.
2. The text was actually readable, thanks to the contrast of the UI elements in place.
3. Same for the symbols.
4. The map shown was actually bigger in some way than in iOS7, because it was underneath the directions, now they cut it. You could almost see the sky. It didn't seem like it was cut awkwardly.

Just take a look :

Yes. iOS 7 hit this app and Music the hardest. I now have to guess what each button does. Thanks, Ive. It's a shame that Apple took a great thing, tried to fix it when it wasn't broken, and messed it up.

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Are you sure that feature is coming in iOS 8? I don't think it is. Until Apple lets the user specify a third-party app as the default systemwide app for navigation, I don't think there's any chance that Siri will integrate with Google Maps at all. Letting users specify third-party apps as the default app for certain tasks is the only glaring thing I can think of that's missing from iOS 8. I'm hoping that ability comes to iOS 9.

I misread the iOS 8 feature list and thought that there was a new Siri API for third-party apps. It was actually something about HomeKit. My mistake.

 

[The Man]

Railway station in the Netherlands changed its name ages ago. I reported that Apple Maps has the wrong name maybe 20 times in the last year. It hasn't changed yet. Every other maps service shows the correct name except for Apple. What data are they using and does anybody correct things?

 

[steve-p]

Seems like the title of this news item ought to be revised from "Users Noticing Significant Improvements in Apple Maps Data with Quick Corrections" to "Most Users Noticing No Significant Improvements in Apple Maps Data Despite Quick Corrections".

 

[CTU Kyoto]

I don't expect perfection. I just know that I reported a bunch of POI problems in my part of London where Apple Maps was launched, and as of now, most of them have not been fixed.

I lived in Fulham when it launched so I did a test search to my nearest tube station, Barons Court. IT WASN'T THERE. Neither were several stations in the area. They are now, but Apple treats tube stations weirdly: they don't use the TfL logo which makes them stand out, and I understand the idea behind the feature where different POI on the map disappear and different zoom levels, but tube stations are major landmarks and should almost always be shown. As it is they vanish quite quickly when zooming out, removing the network of landmarks that many people rely on in London!

 

[Mercifull]

I wish Apple also provided their maps online like Google does. It would be a lot easier to mass update local areas. I also think they need to be uses much more of the OpenStreetMap data than they already do. OSM is incredibly detailed, if it got the backing of Apple natively it would be incredible.

Google has the advantage of MapMaker and its data being linked to search and Google+ for businesses but it's not infallible. I've reported this particular incident below of a simple typo 3 times and each has been rejected. *facepalm*

 

[kieranbowley]

I use the simple rule of Apple Maps for in the car as it has better turn by turn directions. Google maps for on foot as it has better POI.

Simples

 

[catandcanary]

I lived in Fulham when it launched so I did a test search to my nearest tube station, Barons Court. IT WASN'T THERE. Neither were several stations in the area. They are now, but Apple treats tube stations weirdly: they don't use the TfL logo which makes them stand out, and I understand the idea behind the feature where different POI on the map disappear and different zoom levels, but tube stations are major landmarks and should almost always be shown. As it is they vanish quite quickly when zooming out, removing the network of landmarks that many people rely on in London!

THIS THIS THIS

Maps in London and the rest of the UK are shameful considering how massive the iPhone and iPad are here.

This is Canary Wharf, full of international bankers, everyone here are Apple's target audience - but EVERY POI, building outline, road, path, park, water outline is incorrect:

Sure, they need Indoor Maps to do this area really well (because of all of the malls), but come on Apple. Apple could pay someone to walk around for a day and fix almost all the issues here. But two years later, Maps is still unusable in one of the wealthiest business areas of Western Europe.

[Edit]
Just to clarify how bad the problems are, across London (where many, many people have iPhones):
The O2 Arena:

This building is huge, you practically have to be on top of it for the building outline to appear. It's also apparently a green park, although there is no green space around it. Don't forget the Blackwall Tunnel, which Apple don't categorise as a tunnel, and therefore appears on top of the building.

The Olympic Park

Full of non-joined-up paths, missing buildings, inaccurate park outlines.

The Tate Modern

The tow path literally appears in the water. And there are tonnes of POIs and green spaces missing.

and one more for luck (because it is so bad), Limehouse Basin:

Buildings are literally in the water. Paths are missing. Green spaces missing. POIs? Good luck with that

Lets not forget the rendering issues when different road types meet:

Or Singapore, one of the richest nations in Asia:

No flyover? Cloud covered satellite imagery at best?

Or Kuala Lumpur:

Has anyone from Apple even checked the Capital cities of each country in the world? Just a simple check would do!

In London POIs are sparse, building outlines need to appear at higher zoom levels at the very least.

The ridiculous thing is that these are all fixable problems. All have been reported. Apple could literally give a load of students summer jobs to walk around London and make Maps more accurate. But two years later, it's still the best looking, smoothest, most beautifully rendered map, with the worst data underneath.

 

[VulchR]

My god. Apple actually corrected the POI errors in my small town in Scotland. Finally. Perhaps Maps won't be the steaming pile of poo it has been. At least now Apple is making an effort. Good .

 

[uhaas]

Apple uses Traffic Infos from TomTom, the worst company trying that in europe

I said the same thing when it came out.

 

[happyfun]

Super Common locations missing

I don't understand why the most common of locations in New Zealand are missing from Maps, such as McDonalds or KFC locations. That stuff is so easy to see on a web search, but looking at Maps its like those places just don't exist.

The navigation is excellent however, quite a bit better than Google.

 

[catandcanary]

I don't understand why the most common of locations in New Zealand are missing from Maps, such as McDonalds or KFC locations. That stuff is so easy to see on a web search, but looking at Maps its like those places just don't exist.

The navigation is excellent however, quite a bit better than Google.

The same is true in so many countries. It's baffling Apple haven't employed just a small team of people to find out the top 10 retail brands in each country and make sure they appear correctly.

Another example of high-impact mapping errors are airports and railway stations. The lack of pedestrian level detail for large public spaces or public buildings is laughable. And by the way, I know about MapsConnect for Indoor Mapping that was announced at WWDC. Well I've registered for a major public venue and I get an email saying there is Overwhelming Demand and they can't add me yet.

London Waterloo:

London Paddington:

London King's Cross St Pancras:

The busiest Airport in the world, London Heathrow:

Or how about Grand Central Terminal:

If you're at any of these locations, your a bit stuck if you use Apple Maps. Get it together Apple, you've had two years and Maps is still a catastrophe.

 

[hemanwomanhater]

In general I actually prefer Maps for driving directions. The navigation is quite a bit better than Google's. Sometimes I won't find a landmark that's in Google, but it's pretty rare.

The main reason I keep Google Maps installed on my phone though is the bike directions and bike trail system map, which I use a lot (since I live in the Denver/Boulder area which has tons of bike paths). Maybe if there was a decent app for this out there I could more or less get rid of GMaps forever.

Meanwhile, I don't really care if Apple adds transit directions. I know it will never be as good as the Transit app, so I don't plan on bothering with it.

 

[catandcanary]

The main reason I keep Google Maps installed on my phone though is the bike directions and bike trail system map, which I use a lot (since I live in the Denver/Boulder area which has tons of bike paths). Maybe if there was a decent app for this out there I could more or less get rid of GMaps forever.

Meanwhile, I don't really care if Apple adds transit directions. I know it will never be as good as the Transit app, so I don't plan on bothering with it.

It's funny you mention cycling. NYC, London, Paris, all have cycle hire schemes...Apple doesn't even include any of the bike lanes, docking stations or otherwise, let alone routing. That doesn't even seem like it's on their list of things to do, given the companies we know they've acquired. I guess it'll be even longer before Apple gets to where Google were years ago.

 

[uhaas]

Both Apple and Google have issues

Back in iOS 5, I barely used the stock maps app with Google data because it had too many issues. The search was superior, but the navigation sucked. For that, I launched MapQuest, which had both turn-by-turn (for free) and allowed multiple stops.

When Apple launched its maps in iOS 6, I used it a lot and still do. Sometimes I still use Google, mostly for transit, and sometime I use MapQuest still. I tried Waze and had an absolutely horrible experience. IMHO, YMMV no matter what application you use. They all have errors and inadequacies. I certainly understand that international maps must be an issue, I live in the USA, where data is easily discovered.

Tom Tom was the worst GPS I ever used. I was scared that there would be a disaster when Apple announced they would use Tom Tom data. I had hopes that the rest if the world would be mapped better since they were a European company. Apparently that was also not the case.

I use multiple sources to find where I'm going. No one service is perfect. I have been submitting corrections since day 1 when iOS 6 went GM. Most of them have been implemented. I was surprised a few weeks back, when reporting a correction, that it asked if I would like to be notified when the correction was made. It was a nice back-end improvement.

I know it's been reported in forums here that people are surprised that maps wasn't a keynote topic at WWDC this year. Did it need to be? Was there relevant developer API changes that needed to be addressed at a developer's conference? Remember when the new devices are released in a few months and iOS 8 has a keynote for the public, there are often new features that aren't highlighted at WWDC. Maybe the Mac Rumors are true that these new mapping features didn't make iOS 8 due to internal troubles, maybe they are awaiting a release to the general public with a new phone and public launch.

I really don't care. I use Apple, Google and others when traveling abroad. I check directions with locals to make sure the directions are accurate. It's naive to think that maps are accurate in some parts of the world, even if you buy a paper version.

It's a decent product for me that has shortcomings, as is Google's version, as is MapQuest's. I find all three superior to Waze.. I try many. I recently tried Garmin's new system, only to have it crash when resuming from a call on a trip. That's a 1.0 product.

Is it worth getting all huffy over as to who is the best? I don't think so.

I'd like to see transit come to Apple Maps, but I hope they'll wait until it's ready after what happened last time.

 

[rish]

I've raised issues more than 3 times and there were a number of problems with those. At least 6 were highlighted with only 1 being addressed.

While the maps look great Apple isn't giving me many reasons to continue using it's service. Don't want to use maps supplied by a competitor but if you're not solving the issues fast enough and user experience isn't great there's little choice. No one wants to go to the wrong place and when it happens you don't forget.

 

[sixrom]

It's been excruciating, but slowly a year at a time Apple is incrementally improving their maps.

Meanwhile Google races ahead, demonstrating the mastery they possess.

 

[Stella]

If that is true, then people would have stopped using Google a LONG time ago after things like the Google+ issue, the Safari cookie issue, and the other things in a long line of privacy snafus.

I don't use Apple Maps for this very reason. I've given it several chances but the routing / mapping data just isn't reliable.

The tech community severely underestimates the amount of people that use Apple Maps.

Probably true in the States, outside, Apple Maps is much worse.

Except people are trusting Google less and less with every day. By then, who knows what will happen.

I think this is different kind of trust. Depending on Apple Maps to get something achieved differs from Google. I can use Google Maps, or, Google search and will know I'm getting probable reliable data. I'm not touching Google+ with a barge pole.

 

[nealh]

I recently used Apple Maps to find a Wal-Mart. The directions were awful since the location of the store was incorrect and had me go Aldi store.(they did not have the same address)

I was stunned when I drove up the rode and the Wal-Mart was on my right, 1/2 mi up

 

[Twimfy]

I've been on vacation in the northern part of the UK this week and let me tell you POI locating is TERRIBLE. It couldn't find my B&B and obviously google maps finds it perfectly. Directions are okay, navigation is excellent when compared to google maps. Apple maps are incredibly light on battery when compared to google while navigating which I like. Once Apple gets it's POI locating down I'll switch to it full time.

Snap. Just come back from a trip to Newcastle and it was great for road navigation but I gave up using it for POI

 

[planeBrad]

Neither Apple or Google are perfect

I've had issues with both Apple and Google. However, Apple Maps has had a few issues that were show stoppers. While Google may have minor bugs such as having an address at the right location, but on the wrong side of the road, in several instances Apple has given me horrible navigational errors even though the final destination was correct.

Just last week I was on I-485 in NC when it told me to get off at an exit ramp, which I complied with. It then had me take a left, get back on I-485 going the opposite direction for 6 miles and then had me do the same thing, heading back in the original direction. It took me on a 12 mile loop, ending up at the same place I exited the interstate and then just had me continue going in the original direction of travel. When I initially got off the exit ramp, I sort of knew it was giving me wrong directions, but I thought it might be routing me around traffic. I should have trusted myself.

I've seen these wild routing problems several times now and I just can't trust Apple Maps. To me, having trust is the most important issue when using mapping applications. I'll have to stick with Google for now.

 

[eyehop]

Apple maps data is still horrid in rural areas. Maybe after they fix the Bay Area they'll move onto the rest of the world, but even in rural Bay Area parts, whole towns are 10 miles from where they should be (San Gregorio for example) and many back roads shown on Google don't yet exist for Apple. And when I search for something obvious in a local map view, why am I taken to a town by a similar name in Botswana?