Users Noticing Significant Improvements in Apple Maps Data with Quick Corrections

[w00master]

Apple Maps is improving, but it has a very very very long way to go against Google Maps.

Before folks say: "well Google Maps has screwed up on me before!"

Yes, NO MAPPING service is perfect, but when push comes to shove IMHO Google Maps is far more consistent, provides more valuable data, and is far more reliable.

Again, Apple Maps has improved, but it still has a very long way to go.

Apple fans (and yes, I'm on of them), is it so hard to recognize that Apple isn't the leader in everything? There is nothing wrong to admit this! Heck, maybe SOMEDAY they'll get the cloud right.

w00master

 

[FieldingMellish]

Just came back from eastern north shore of Long Island, where Apple’s turn-by-turn essentially got me roundabout into the vicinity and then had me doing circles in a residential area searching for a Starbucks. I bailed.

Fired up Google’s version that got me to the destination no problem.

I know, I know. Apple’s map loosened the jar lid for Google to easily spin it off.

 

[Laird Knox]

Google Maps tried to take me to the wrong destination 10 miles off a week ago in Yucca Valley, California, while Apple Maps gave me the correct location, and it also gave me wildly inaccurate ETAs in Los Angeles while Apple Maps gave pretty accurate ETAs.

It must be a California thing. Garmin delivered me 132 miles off course and Apple Maps saved the day. At least the wrong destination was basically along my route so it only added about 20 minutes to my travel time.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Google is so far ahead of apple maps it's embarrassing and they're pulling further ahead every day. In countries other than the US it's even more lopsided. Apple is in way over its head on this one. Way out of their league.

yeah they may as well not even try, right? i mean, just look at how Windows turned out, despite being a total dog turd crummy clone of the original Mac OS in the '80s...oh wait. oops.

 

[catandcanary]

I've found another amazing Maps anomaly. At Zoom Level 4, in Armenia the nations largest body of water, the Sevan, has obvious right angles in it:

On closer inspection you realise it's painfully bad:

It looks like they've done some kind of automatic path finding from the satellite imagery, but didn't put in any data validation:

This was reported last year.

 

[garrekds]

Maps in Osaka, Japan

I live in Osaka, which has been undergoing massive construction projects throughout the city for the past decade. Apple Maps does not list most of these new buildings, despite some of them being open for a couple of years now. I submitted reports, but nothing was fixed. Now that it seems Apple is paying more attention, I will try submitting corrections again.

 

[Mtmspa]

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):

Image

You know every proposal out there? What I am talking about has been on the news.

 

[NY Guitarist]

Google wouldn't allow turn by turn navigation on the iPhone, so Apple spent hundred of millions to acquire and implement their own maps service in under a years time. It was an arms race, and of course Google then immediately allowed turn by turn for IOS.

I've used Waze for traffic information and directions with excellent results, and I thought it was owned by Google.

I like that it's crowd sourced info which keeps the results relatively updated in almost real time.

 

[Tech198]

We all like improvements...

Particularly, when it takes from the launch of iOS 7 to finally catch-up...

Welcome to the rest of the world Apple... You're doin' alright

 

[jweinraub]

I understand why people *wanted* Apple Maps to begin its public life as a perfectly formed service but I don't know why people *expected* as much. It is great that they are making clear strides and I expect that they will keep it up. I have had more problems with the service than I would like but I think it works pretty well overall.

It is not so much I expected perfection, but at the very least it should be nearly as good as Google and the fact the mapping data comes from a third party anyway, it was shameful to see the amount of errors as I did. And when submitting errors to Google, I got a response within 24-48 hours and resolution a day or two after that. It took me emailing Tim Cook to get any sort of acknowledgement and now I have a direct email with a mapping escalation team member who promised me it will be solved "soon". This was over a year ago, and I did reply back and he did say he hadn't forgot about me. This is why Apple Maps sucks. Why does it take sooooooo long to fix a street spelling error? They already got the proof, they believe me with the evidence shown but I don't get why it can't be fixed immediately? I don't get why in-house apps can't be updated via appstore as well, as why do I need to upgrade the entire iOS firmware to get a newer better version of Maps when they choose to update it? This is why it sucks and why I still prefer using Google. I just wish Google was default with Siri (which I did tell Tim about that too since I was already complaining might as well make it count)

 

[sk1wbw]

A lake with right angles is sure to get you lost. How does that impact turn by turn navigation at all?

 

[rdlink]

People are comparing Apple Maps to Google Maps. Google Maps is much older. Wait until Apple Maps has been out for as long as Google Maps, then compare.

When Apple Maps have been out for 10 years Google maps will have had another 10 years to develop further. I know that accuracy and POI differences will close between the two, but it may well be that Google Maps will always objectively be more advanced than Apple Maps. However, Apple Maps works for me for the time being, and it has two huge advantages for me:

It's completely integrated into my Apple ecosystem, and more importantly Google doesn't know when and where I go somewhere.

 

[hemanwomanhater]

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.

Yep, I've never heard anything about bike directions being included in Apple Maps now or ever. It's pretty sad for us non-car-owning people, though I understand that Apple has bigger fish to fry with Maps at the moment.

 

[John.B]

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.

Last I checked, Google and Mapquest both had bike directions on their desktop map websites but not their iOS apps.

That said, there are some obvious issues with Google's bike directions, including one glaring error a mere stones throw from one of their own facilities, so I wouldn't bank to heavily on the accuracy at this point.

 

[catandcanary]

It is not so much I expected perfection, but at the very least it should be nearly as good as Google and the fact the mapping data comes from a third party anyway, it was shameful to see the amount of errors as I did. And when submitting errors to Google, I got a response within 24-48 hours and resolution a day or two after that.

There are number of high profile issues that haven't been fixed yet.

Take the most upvoted Maps post on reddit's r/apple, about Bowling Green State University. Posted 1.5 years ago. Surely someone in Apple has seen this and wanted to fix it?

In iOS compared to 6:

And now iOS 7 (and iOS8):

Apple has had two years now, as far as we know, they haven't go to the core problem - Data Collection. They just aren't collecting and consuming enough data to ever catch up any of the competition.

They have all the pieces, they could do 3D Streeviews with C3: https://www.macrumors.com/2011/11/0...s-also-offer-street-views-and-interior-views/

The could pay armies of people to find and make corrections, build satellites, acquire companies.

Until any of this happens, Apple will keep taking the brand damage for Maps.

 

[dallardice]

A lake with right angles is sure to get you lost. How does that impact turn by turn navigation at all?

Let's have a look at the detail mapping for one of the towns around the lake... and that might suggest why poor mapping is an issue... Zoom in a bit further and you'll get a lot more detail on Google... that's as good as you're going to get on Apple Maps.

 

[Richardgm]

Well, I got a notification that a POI pin error I submitted last week was 'fixed'.

A road I submitted for correction 2 years ago still hasn't been fixed.

 

[sk1wbw]

Let's have a look at the detail mapping for one of the towns around the lake... and that might suggest why poor mapping is an issue... Zoom in a bit further and you'll get a lot more detail on Google... that's as good as you're going to get on Apple Maps.

Uh, you're still driving on the road, right?

 

[dallardice]

Uh, you're still driving on the road, right?

Yes, but quite likely on one of the many roads not featured in the Apple Map.... Thus rendering the perfect turn-by-turn not very useful...

 

[Ries]

Uh, you're still driving on the road, right?

Did you even look at the picture? 98% of the town, including all the roads, is missing in apple maps.

 

[Ries]

Really? Google maps is perfect and trustworthy it seems if I got a dollar for every google maps bs over the years I wouldn't need a job by now.

Apple maps is as useful as a printed map with the USSR on it.

 

[sk1wbw]

Did you even look at the picture? 98% of the town, including all the roads, is missing in apple maps.

Apple doesn’t MAKE the maps. Apple takes data from other sources. I’ve seen some new roads and roads that were closed that haven’t been updated in either Apple maps or Google maps. Same goes for the car based gps units like Garmin. And once again, I stand by my statements that people are lost every time they get in their car. Do people not know where they’re going?

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Yes, but quite likely on one of the many roads not featured in the Apple Map.... Thus rendering the perfect turn-by-turn not very useful...

Well then I guess you’re just lost. I’ve managed to drive for 30 years without having to constantly rely on these things. Trust me, it ain’t that hard to do.

 

[dallardice]

Apple doesn’t MAKE the maps. Apple takes data from other sources. I’ve seen some new roads and roads that were closed that haven’t been updated in either Apple maps or Google maps. Same goes for the car based gps units like Garmin. And once again, I stand by my statements that people are lost every time they get in their car. Do people not know where they’re going?

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Well then I guess you’re just lost. I’ve managed to drive for 30 years without having to constantly rely on these things. Trust me, it ain’t that hard to do.

I have a pretty good sense of direction. Also, I don't have a car so turn-by-turn is irrelevant to me. But London's a big city and when I'm going to a new restaurant, or bar, or theatre for the first time I will use a map to find out where it is. Sure, I could use a paper map, which is what I did for 30 years. I don't use Apple Maps on my Mac because too often the restaurant, or bar, or theatre isn't a POI. I can Google the address and then lookup the address, which sometimes works, or I can go to Google Maps. Once I know where it is, I know where to go... I rarely use a map app on the move, but I do use it at home when planning a journey.

But to come on a thread about Apple Maps quality and say "actually, it's all rubbish, you should know where you're going" is pretty pointless. The point of a Maps app is to help someone who doesn't know where they're going. I'm glad that your world is small enough that you can hold it all in your head.

 

[MacrumoursUser]

Apple maps is as useful as a printed map with the USSR on it.

Really? You think continents have moved since then?

 

[dallardice]

Really? You think continents have moved since then?

Knowing where you'll need to present your passport because borders have changed might be useful... Knowing that some towns and cities have changed their names might be useful.... A USSR-era map will help you get to Leningrad, but only a newer (or much older) map will get you to St Petersburg...