How will Maps be improved with iOS 12

[RSmith2023]

I am wondering about this too. In my experience (Eastern France), right now Apple Maps excels in two things: the looks and a smarter routing, avoiding smaller roads, especially compared to Waze. The rest is hit & miss. Just today Apple Maps failed to know about the exit closure on a big roundabout, so needed to switch back to Waze, again.

It would be great if they could implement some sort of a live user feedback on the road conditions and, while at it, maybe also update their core maps with the same frequency as Google & Waze. Let’s see what Monday brings!

Closed roads are the responsibility of the local jurisdiction. They have to report the closures (usually in advance) to the data provider used by the mapping programs. If those don't get submitted they won't close the road. Perhaps Apple should do a better job of letting local governments know who supplies their data so that when updates are made to the google map providers they can submit them to Apple's provider(s) as well.

Not so sure about user input on closing roads (officially) in mapping programs. Get enough knuckle-headed kids together and they could close off a road.

 

[FelixDerKater]

Waze has found ways to monetize the space on their maps. Maybe Apple will do the same.

 

[futurejetblackowner]

That’s a feature called „dynamic rerouting“.

It’s nice to save time but it would be better if I didn’t have to use my phone while driving

 

[decafjava]

IMHO until Apple cuts its ties with TomTom/TeleAtlas Maps on both iOS and macOS are going to be the same old, same old - lipstick on a Dutch pig with Apple features pasted on.

What's wrong with TomTom? I thought they were one of the main players in stand-alone GPS?

 

[MozMan68]

What's wrong with TomTom? I thought they were one of the main players in stand-alone GPS?

That may be true...a leader in a category dying faster than fax machines.

I don’t know percentages, but when is the last time you saw someone using a standalone GPS unit instead of a phone? Their money stream is dwindling and will nearly be gone once Apple doesn’t need their data anymore.

Considering the delays in street changes controlled by them, I’m not impressed. And neither is Apple.

Outside of specialized mapping, Google/Waze, Apple and HERE will or already “own” street mapping/navigation.

 

[ronincse]

That may be true...a leader in a category dying faster than fax machines.

I don’t know percentages, but when is the last time you saw someone using a standalone GPS unit instead of a phone? Their money stream is dwindling and will nearly be gone once Apple doesn’t need their data anymore.

Considering the delays in street changes controlled by them, I’m not impressed. And neither is Apple.

Outside of specialized mapping, Google/Waze, Apple and HERE will or already “own” street mapping/navigation.

Well...my mom uses a Garmen GPS

 

[silvetti]

Well...my mom uses a Garmen GPS

And how many times a year she buys a new one? 10 years ago, everyone had a stand-alone gps, now? Not really and if they do they don’t buy a new one every two years.

 

[one more]

I think Apple screwed up on letting Google buy Waze instead of them, if I was in their shoes I would have bought both Waze and Foursquare, both great crowd sourced platforms. But again, Apple passed on that so I wouldn't hold my breath for any crowd sourced system from Apple beyond the Report in Maps.

Agreed, Apple should have bought Waze. However, there was indeed a rumour of them developing their own user feedback mechanism for Maps. I wonder what happened with that great idea:

https://www.macrumors.com/2013/07/0...feedback-system-real-time-accident-reporting/
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As much as I would love Apple Maps to be more like Waze with instantaneous changes, I realize that Apple will never let that happen.

It's so frustrating when there is a MAJOR change to a road (new entrance ramp, road is moved, etc.) and it takes Apple Maps a year or more to change. Waze is instantaneous and Google Maps is typically less than a week or so behind that.

Apple were thinking of implementing Waze-like user input back in 2013 (see the link above), yet decided not to go ahead with it for some reason. My guess is that they trusted the AI algorithms will do the job for traffic flow, which it does to a certain degree, in my experience. TomTom’s inadequate road layout update mechanism, however, is a totally different story and I wish Apple sourced their road layout directly from Waze.
[doublepost=1529521361][/doublepost]

What's wrong with TomTom? I thought they were one of the main players in stand-alone GPS?

A very good discussion of everything that is wrong with TomTom can be found here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...s-availability-at-airports-and-malls.2122278/
[doublepost=1529522578][/doublepost]

Well...my mom uses a Garmen GPS

If you love your mom you need to act ASAP!

 

[campyguy]

What's wrong with TomTom? I thought they were one of the main players in stand-alone GPS?

The service isn't that great here in NA, much better in Europe - my GF (from Belfast NI) and I have used TT on both sides of The Pond, we're second-class customers in NA and have been for years. I'm a civil engineer, platted dozens of projects over 25 years - data from a decade ago still isn't showing up in TomTom Drive while being represented accurately in Navteq and - to a degree - Google Maps, which used TomTom's Teleatlas as a template. And, whomever TomTom has hired to establish routing IMO needs to be fired or at least get out and do their job. TomTom's stock value has tanked over the past decade and it shows in their lack of quality here in the US.

Just today, about 90 minutes ago I had to leave Portland - firing up Apple Maps nav on my VZW iPhone and INRIX Traffic (also with nav) - INRIX let me know about heavy traffic up the road, Apple Maps did not indicate the congestion. Apple gets their routing and traffic from TT here. On my commute this morning to get to a meeting, Apple Maps let me know that I had a 29 minute drive - Google Maps and INRIX let me in on the 55-minute drive with heavy traffic. TomTom needs to get their crap together, at least over here.

Years ago I owned a GO 910, paid for traffic service. I can't recall how many times I was led into a line of brake lights with nothing but a clear route ahead according to my GO...

 

[decafjava]

A very good discussion of everything that is wrong with TomTom can be found here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...s-availability-at-airports-and-malls.2122278/

Wow. Just wow.

That is an eye opener.

I hope Apple does find another source for their data. To think when I got my first iPhone (a 4 in 2011) I was thinking of getting a TomTom or Garmin app for offline use at several hundred bucks.

 

[one more]

Wow. Just wow.

That is an eye opener.

I hope Apple does find another source for their data. To think when I got my first iPhone (a 4 in 2011) I was thinking of getting a TomTom or Garmin app for offline use at several hundred bucks.

I actually had a paid TomTom Europe app on my iPhone for a while and it worked quite well offline, except for the same slow maps updates cycle. Then they changed the app to a subscription based TomTom Go, with more complex maps taking three times more space on the device. So I got rid of it last year, as there are now more accurate and free offline solutions (maps.me, Google Maps, etc.)

 

[gwhizkids]

The service isn't that great here in NA, much better in Europe - my GF (from Belfast NI) and I have used TT on both sides of The Pond, we're second-class customers in NA and have been for years. I'm a civil engineer, platted dozens of projects over 25 years - data from a decade ago still isn't showing up in TomTom Drive while being represented accurately in Navteq and - to a degree - Google Maps, which used TomTom's Teleatlas as a template. And, whomever TomTom has hired to establish routing IMO needs to be fired or at least get out and do their job. TomTom's stock value has tanked over the past decade and it shows in their lack of quality here in the US.

Just today, about 90 minutes ago I had to leave Portland - firing up Apple Maps nav on my VZW iPhone and INRIX Traffic (also with nav) - INRIX let me know about heavy traffic up the road, Apple Maps did not indicate the congestion. Apple gets their routing and traffic from TT here. On my commute this morning to get to a meeting, Apple Maps let me know that I had a 29 minute drive - Google Maps and INRIX let me in on the 55-minute drive with heavy traffic. TomTom needs to get their crap together, at least over here.

Years ago I owned a GO 910, paid for traffic service. I can't recall how many times I was led into a line of brake lights with nothing but a clear route ahead according to my GO...

You are the guy I listen to on this topic!!!