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Universal Apple maps or Google maps

J

Janeilfen

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 11, 2018
286
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I would really like to use Apple maps and have done until now. Just as a test I asked Apple maps for walking directions to a pub near to me. It’s within 130yards and Apple maps says it will take 2 hours 45 minutes.
Google maps is spot on - 2 minute walk.
Are there known problems with Apple maps?
 
As much as I would like to stick to using Apple apps, there is no competition. Google maps is the BEST. Period.

Today I was going somewhere here in Dubai, due to the traffic, the time to reach was 30 minutes. Then Google Maps took me through a diversion into roads I've never seen before, I had no clue where I was, but basically I reached my destination in half the time avoiding all the traffic.
 
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Janeilfen said:
I would really like to use Apple maps and have done until now. Just as a test I asked Apple maps for walking directions to a pub near to me. It’s within 130yards and Apple maps says it will take 2 hours 45 minutes.
Google maps is spot on - 2 minute walk.
Are there known problems with Apple maps?
Click to expand...

Are you outside the US ?
[automerge]1575748034[/automerge]
Super Spartan said:
As much as I would like to stick to using Apple apps, there is no competition. Google maps is the BEST. Period.

Today I was going somewhere here in Dubai, due to the traffic, the time to reach was 30 minutes. Then Google Maps took me through a diversion into roads I've never seen before, I had no clue where I was, but basically I reached my destination in half the time avoiding all the traffic.
Click to expand...

Outside of the US, I think that Google maps is best.

In the US, I believe it is more of a toss up.
 
It all depends upon where you are and where you are going. Near me there is a town that isn't on Google maps but exists on Apple. I'm sure there are plenty the other way around
 
Janeilfen said:
I would really like to use Apple maps and have done until now. Just as a test I asked Apple maps for walking directions to a pub near to me. It’s within 130yards and Apple maps says it will take 2 hours 45 minutes.
Google maps is spot on - 2 minute walk.
Are there known problems with Apple maps?
Click to expand...
What directions were given by Apple Maps to correspond to a much longer walk?
 
C DM said:
What directions were given by Apple Maps to correspond to a much longer walk?
Click to expand...
The directions took me on what I would term as a very long circular route. Perhaps Apple realise I need the exercise!
And I am in the UK.
 
I'm in the UK and in the main i use Apple Maps primarily because i have a lot of stuff in my Calendar and for CarPlay it works well popping up where i'm heading etc. Occasionally i use Google Maps to compare going to and from work to try and cover all the options for routes. Apple Maps is definitely getting a lot better.
 
I also only used Apple maps previous to this issue. The only reason I asked for directions for such a small distance was as a test, because earlier that day Apple maps wasn't repeating to my Apple Watch. I reset the watch and tried this test. I think I might now also do a compare with Google maps.
 
I've found that Google Maps is usually more up-to-date than Apple Maps and give better directions.
I do really like Apple Maps but I've been burned by them before, leading me around my elbow to get to my thumb or taking me to a store that closed down a couple years ago....
 
So I'm actually curious about this question. For me, I'm heavily in the Apple Ecosystem and I love how it just all works - most of the time. I would say Apple Maps would be the definite winner, what with Siri and Apple Watch integration. But what gets me coming back to Google Maps is how they actually depict the direction of traffic AND its severity. I live in the Los Angeles area so traffic is very important factor. But what say you all?
 
If i'm reading the Apple iPhone user guide correctly there is a traffic feature in Apple Maps as of iOS 13.2.

“Find out about traffic conditions
From map or satellite view, tap .

If you’re in transit view, tap , then choose Map or Satellite.

Turn on Traffic, then tap .

Orange indicates slowdowns, and red indicates stop-and-go traffic.

To see an incident report, tap an incident marker (not available in all regions).

Incident markers show information such as lane closures , road closures , road construction , accidents , and more.”

Excerpt From: Apple Inc. “iPhone User Guide.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/iphone-user-guide/id1464778115
 
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The only time i need navigation is when i go to Winston Salem and need a hotel. Any maps app works. I try to stay away from Google (it took the scary route through some high speed traffic). I've used Apple (back on iOS 6--wasn't the failure everyone made it out to be), Navfree/mii, and Genius Maps. The latter two are offline maps.
 
Apple Maps gives crazy direction, turning the wrong way into a one way street, always showing me the back way into a store, and told me to go through a closed gate. Still going to use it and hoping it will improve over time. I like the interface improvement on iOS 13. I'm hoping one day they will allow offline navigation.

Here Maps is improving over time too and can be a decent Google Maps alternative, although the app does dial to "graph.facebook.com", which I block using Adguard.
 
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I haven't had 'bad' directions like that since i had a TomTom. In fact, it was not only the first, but last time i used the thing. It kept trying to take me on roads that hadn't existed in the last 10 years and I had to force it to redirect.

Offline navigation is neat if you go in areas with little to no coverage or have a limit on data, but you lose traffic and 'fastest route' calculations. Genius Maps has live traffic and so on but you can't use it offline that way and it takes a fixed and not as efficient route. Same with Navfree/Navmii

Looking forward to using Maps on my Watch the next time i visit my girlfriend. I loved it on Android Wear before Google went and broke it. It is still broken. Just ends with 'couldn't start navigation' and my Gear/Galaxy watch didn't have built in Nav for more than just walking.
 
I haven't used Apple Maps since iOS 6.0. It wasn't nearly the travesty I've read about though. But i only used it twice before 7 came out and my devices stupidly auto-updated to it.

The last time I used Google Maps the Android was on version 2.3. It wasn't even called 'Google Maps' then it was just called 'Maps'. There wasn't Play Store then either. Android Market.
 
MichaelMidnight said:
But what gets me coming back to Google Maps is how they actually depict the direction of traffic AND its severity.
Click to expand...

Agreed and it's really accurate from what I've seen. If it says +7 minutes delay that's usually the case. I can't give up street view either (way more coverage than AM currently has).
 
With the rate Google kills things i won't use Google anything since they kill it as soon as i get used to how it works or needlessly change the UI every other week meaning i can't even develop muscle memory. (Reader, Allo, Hangouts, etc are dead.)
 
nickdalzell1 said:
With the rate Google kills things i won't use Google anything since they kill it as soon as i get used to how it works or needlessly change the UI every other week meaning i can't even develop muscle memory. (Reader, Allo, Hangouts, etc are dead.)
Click to expand...
Seems that something like Maps (along with some other services like Gmail for example) are fairly safe when it comes to getting "killed".
 
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Because of Apple map I nearly crashed off on the Jersey turnpike like a year ago, that was the last straw, before that I found the UI distracting and not as clean as google map, now everytime I get a new iPhone I delete Apple map ASAP
 
C DM said:
Seems that something like Maps (along with some other services like Gmail for example) are fairly safe when it comes to getting "killed".
Click to expand...

Maybe but Navigation is still in 'beta'. Most of the time Google doesn't hang on to a feature if it remains beta long term. They might consider Maps a core product but not the Navigation component. Heck with the outlash over Reader being cancelled they obviously don't care about the people using any service.

Maps before Google on Android 2.3 looked as skeu as Maps on iOS 6 back then but I'm not any bit fond of Google's overly bright design as it brings back some bad memories of iOS 7. I've never been a flat design fan. Thought we moved away from it when DOS ended but 7 brought it back. Thankfully 13 seems to be moving away from it somewhat, but Google remains Google. Changing design each day since Material.
 
perspective from abroad (Japan):

apple maps still not very usable in japan as so little detail in the maps themselves is provided.
it has improved, but still not near enough.

however, this year apple has really improved its integration of and extension of map based info/features within iOS. this means that for the first time i have put apple maps on the front page of my iPhone home screen. its clear that total iOS integration of map based and map related info will make apple maps useful within the iOS system.
apple has really increased the amount of hooks into map related data.
transportation (train, bus), giving others yr location and expected arrival times, etc etc. all this has improved.

but just in terms of map detail itself, in japan #1 maps with detail useable in iOS is definitely yahoo. (yes, yahoo is a very very big thing in japan. really detailed map data, pinpoint weather location, public transportation etc).
#2 is google.
#3 is apple.
 
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nickdalzell1 said:
Maybe but Navigation is still in 'beta'. Most of the time Google doesn't hang on to a feature if it remains beta long term. They might consider Maps a core product but not the Navigation component. Heck with the outlash over Reader being cancelled they obviously don't care about the people using any service.
Click to expand...
Even if navigation is "in beta" it's still certainly one of the main and most used parts of Google Maps, there's pretty much no way they would just drop something like that, especially after so long and how mainstream it is. Keep in mind, Gmail was "in beta" for years and years too.
 
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