Do you think Apple maps will ever include transit directions, or will it exclude it forever?
Last edited:
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Will Maps ever have transit?
- Thread starter GrandPhrase
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It's only one extra click now...the only thing I see happening fairly easily is if someone has a default transit app that the use everyday as being able to be linked to the transit button right on the map as a default instead of opening the third party list and then selecting the app of choice.
Again, it's only one extra click and IMHO, the third party app I have used so far (HopStop) is way better than the "integrated" Google info I used in the past.
Again, it's only one extra click and IMHO, the third party app I have used so far (HopStop) is way better than the "integrated" Google info I used in the past.
Yes, that's just what I want...
Apple has already forced us into finding and using one. The step would be, once millions of users are accustomed to using it daily, for Apple to buy it out, close the app down, and integrate the functions of the app into Apple's own maps... which would work perfectly on the iPhone 5 (and later), but, for some excuse or another, wouldn't work on the 4S or earlier.
HopStop is free and works in a ton of cities...using it right now while I'm in Chicago.
Name me one transit app which works for more than one country!
I think it's generally a good idea that transit directions are "outsourced" to specialized transit apps. What would be cool though is if a third-party transit app could overlay it's information directly onto the map in the Maps app. For example, I start a route from my current location to a street address and I'm requesting transit directions. This request is given to a third-party transit app which calculates the route from the two nearest stations at the two given addresses, giving that information back to the Maps app. The Maps app can calculate walking directions from my location to the starting station and from the final station to the destination address, and possibly between two stations when I have to change. It could display all this information on top the map, just like with walking directions.
It just needs a good API to do that!
+1 to this idea, it'd be great to have a transit app installed that hooks into Apple Maps and overlays transit info. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's happening anytime soon.
Apple wants the transport providers to take up the option to engage the consumer direct instead of them complaining all the time that these companys are ripping off thier data. Let the 3rd party guys take the punt on providing a better user experience to drive the provider to keep customers happy.
Which should lead to more accurate data, even live updates of running time and delays. Once that is in place maybe ticket sales will follow via passbook. Apple could do deals with Bus and Cab companies to feed back live traffic data. Think how quickly they could build up ground level info to the 3D maps if they had cameras on cabs.
I could see Apple opening up the map database to app sourced info in the future. Maybe in the future transport apps linked to maps will tender on time and route cost in the list.
Still I think they'll always defer to another app, even if they do streamline the transition.
Isn't an integrated Transit patented by Google, therefore unable to be integrated into Apple Maps, at least I thought I read that somewhere? Can anyone confirm?
That was a part of my point when I posed the question "why hasn't Apple acquired a third party app?". I was implying that there isn't one good universal app. HopStop seems really good, but it serves, what, 50 or 60 transit systems?
If Apple maps is constantly kicking you out to different 3rd party apps (because no one app covers all transit systems) with different UIs that you have to learn, that would be awful. If there were standardized APIs, maybe that would work better, but then it's less of a 3rd party app and more of an outsourced supply of info to Apple maps.
Regards,
Tom