Apple Maps - last mile still awkward

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I've long wanted to be a regular Maps user for navigation but each time I try I seem to get burned by some dodgy data. I'll decscribe the issues here and would be curious to hear if I'm just incredibly unlucky or if others have seen the same issues.

Over the past couple of years I've used Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps (as well as various other country-specific apps while I was outside the USA) and I occasionally switch between those 3 when something bugs the s**t out of me. The resulting usage mix has been about 95% Waze, 4.5% Google, and 0.5% Apple Maps.

Of all the 3, I think I like the Apple Maps navigation the best. I have CarPlay so that helps, but still the Apple Maps in-drive UX is great and the lane guidance is particularly useful when I'm in unfamiliar territory.

But it feels like almost every time I use Maps I am let down by the last half mile. Things like:

• Navigation takes me a block past the address and tells me to turn down the wrong side street.
• Tells me "you've arrived, destination is on your right" when in fact it's 1/4 mile ahead on the other side of the road.
• When Maps parses an address from an email or message and I follow Apple's context menu it often ignores the street address and lands me in the middle of town. Copy and paste the exact same address into Waze and it gets me right to the destination.

If there's one thing I hate, it's technology that pretends to be helpful and yet delivers the wrong result more often than not. That's like talking to Comcast support.

What are other's experiences with Apple Maps? Does it get you to the doorstep, or do you just rely on it for highways and then use your own brain once you get to the destination city?

 

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• Navigation takes me a block past the address and tells me to turn down the wrong side street.
• Tells me "you've arrived, destination is on your right" when in fact it's 1/4 mile ahead on the other side of the road.
• When Maps parses an address from an email or message and I follow Apple's context menu it often ignores the street address and lands me in t

experiencing the same unfortunately.

 

[one more]

Having used the same three apps (Apple Maps, Google & Waze) mostly in France and Switzerland, my observations on the Maps workings are quite mixed.

Positives:
- Nice and clean UI with smooth transitions on iPhone 7.
- Smart route planning, prioritising the ease of drive. Waze would tend to take me along smaller routes in order to gain a minute on an hour journey.
- The advertised AI function of “sensing” the traffic flow seems to be actually working, reflecting the blocked lanes/roads quite quickly. In one particular example Waze failed to alert me of the road closure, whereas the Maps rerouted me correctly.

Negatives:
- The Maps accuracy is often quite outdated/inaccurate and remains so, despite multiple error reports submitted to Apple over the last 12 months (!). Waze had the same location displaying correctly within several weeks without any input from me. This can be quite bad if you drive in an unknown area and Maps offer you to make a maneuvre where it is no longer possible or allowed.
- POI/search function is way behind both Waze & Google Maps.

Overall, I really like the look of Apple Maps, but still cannot trust it if I am driving to an unknown place or am in a hurry.

 

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Overall, I really like the look of Apple Maps, but still cannot trust it if I am driving to an unknown place or am in a hurry.

Agree with that assessment. The en route user experience with Apple Maps is the best of the bunch, but destination search and accuracy let it down.

Waze POI search is quite strong; when returning a rental car to an unfamiliar airport, for example, Waze usually has a bunch of options either as separate POI or parking alternatives. Apple Maps often just has a single POI for a large airport.

Waze also seems to be able to route inside carparks and sprawling commercial areas. Not essential, but often helpful.

I don't like Waze throwing up commercials whenever you're stopped at lights, and routing through some "short cuts" that probably save no more than 1 minute yet take you off the expressway and through some maze.

 

[MozMan68]

ive been so luckyy with Apple Maps where i live (and generally where i travel) Like you guys, i really do think the Apple UI is the best.

i havent had the issues you describe and ive actually found it to have better POI info than Waze in particular. Waze is always so slow for me and sometimes shows too many options...i typicallymwant the most asked for one and Apple has that right at the top.

my main issue is road updates that blth Waze and Google correct almost immediately. Apple really needs to get better about having local isers make certain changes to the map...bjt i guess they're just not set up for that. They actually mpved a road right near my hljse tomturn two intersections into one combined intersection. Waze had the change immediately (I actually helped map the change)...and Google wasn't far behind. Three months later and Apple still shows the old road.

 

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my main issue is road updates that blth Waze and Google correct almost immediately. Apple really needs to get better about having local isers make certain changes to the map

That's interesting. I've not experienced the road update issue yet - just inaccurate POIs. For a brief time I took the time to submit updates and Apple made the changes. The problem is that I struck out too many times - it felt like a 50/50 chance. I still occasionally try it out for destinations that I'm already familiar with, just to see where Apple Maps will take me, but when I'm in unfamiliar territory I use something I can trust.

My benchmark is still the GPS that was built in to my car when I stayed in Korea (5 years working in Seoul). That thing was awesome, even though it was all in a language that I was just beginning to learn. Accurate POIs, traffic avoidance, speed cameras, detailed 3D interchange/intersection maps with lane highlighting. It even warned me about every speed bump in my apartment complex - until I turned off that feature.