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Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?

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Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?

#21

Post by m_st »

sksksk wrote: post #17

I find that in richer countries with more iPhones, Apple Maps is on par with Google Maps. But in places with fewer iPhones, it can go a bit haywire. Here's a couple of Apple/Google maps comparisons I've noticed and taken screenshots off. First one in San Andres (Colombia), second in East Jerusalem. http://imgur.com/a/QgnS3 I also noticed that Apple Maps would translate street names, in lots of Colombian countries, st…

Sorry to object, but: Switzerland is a rich country with more iPhones then Android phones (until recently that is). Apple Maps is definitely not on par with Google Maps here.

Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?

#22

Post by mrmondo »

I've switched from Google maps to Apple maps as of about 6 months ago, I find that in Melbourne (Australia) recent street changes seem to be updated more frequently on Apple maps, I also find the app to use less battery. I'm sure it differs city (or maybe country) by country.

Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?

#23

Post by madiathomas »

I switched from Android few months back. Tried Apple Maps and it was awful and lost me on several occassions. Maybe it is where I am located. I stay at Johannesburg, South Africa. Google Maps is always up to date where I stay and closed streets are updated. Google Maps always avoid roads which are under constructions. With Apple Maps, it is not the case. Decided to stick to Google Maps. I will try Apple Maps in 2-3 years.

Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?

#25

Post by jochakovsky »

I use Apple Maps pretty regularly since I have a car with CarPlay. Most of the time, it works fine. But for trips in heavy traffic, I always turn to Google Maps to find the best route. I'm considering getting an Android phone as my next phone just to have Android Auto. Is Google Maps missing in CarPlay because Apple doesn't want to allow it or because Google doesn't want to provide it?

Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?

#27

Post by flukus »

rrdharan wrote: post #9

Apple Maps still lacks cycling directions, which is a killer feature for me.

In google maps I had to switch back to car directions anyway, there are a number of places with awful bike paths running near the direction I'm travelling and the directions keep trying to force me onto them.

Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?

#28

Post by CSDude »

jochakovsky wrote: post #25

I use Apple Maps pretty regularly since I have a car with CarPlay. Most of the time, it works fine. But for trips in heavy traffic, I always turn to Google Maps to find the best route. I'm considering getting an Android phone as my next phone just to have Android Auto. Is Google Maps missing in CarPlay because Apple doesn't want to allow it or because Google doesn't want to provide it?

As far as I know, Apple allows only audio apps I guess

Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?

#29

Post by thomasfoster96 »

The biggest issue that I (being in Melbourne, Australia) have with Apple Maps is that it is incredibly slow. It was barely usable because of the speed on my iPhone (even on 4G) before I removed the app, and is pretty much unusable on my Macbook. I’m talking up to a minute before an actual map would display, and often up to 30 seconds when zooming in. I know quite a few other people have the same problem - even the Macs in the nearby Apple Store take ages to load anything. I can only assume that Apple doesn’t have a data centre in Australia or south-east Asia that serves the Maps app.

Google Maps is pretty reliable. I do use it a lot for walking though, and there are some issues in that department: strange routes, especially if there isn’t a road nearby, often useless time estimations, etc. Plus up until recently public transport wasn’t supported in Melbourne (but was on Apple Maps), which was a pain. Public transport support still isn’t 100%. My main qualm is that the web version drains my laptop’s battery at an alarmingly quick rate - and on my phone it certainly doesn’t help battery life either.

OpenStreetMap’s data is far superior to both Apple Maps and Google Maps in my experience - the only problem is that not being commercial means that search and routing are pretty much useless. I would happily use an app that offered all the features of Google Maps but used Mapbox tiles (and gave me a choice of map style).

Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?

#30

Post by zimpenfish »

m_st wrote: post #14
zimpenfish wrote: post #8

Apple Maps is fine. The rendering is still slightly worse than Google Maps when it comes to putting relevant information in the viewport (street names, primarily.) But the search ... good grief, the search still sucks donkey balls through a molecular straw. It seems to lack any sense of your local context and location - which is kinda relevant for maps! e.g. frequently when I used to search for "charing cross" whilst…

Full ACK, the search should be contextual, but I get US results in Switzerland! Or when I search for "Train station", then I expect it to suggest me the closest ones until I continue refining my search. But I get results from other countries or that are very far away. Also "Train station " doesn't always give the same result as " train station".

It seems to have a real blind spot about "things" - almost like you have to get the exact rendering of the name they have because there's no semantic labelling.

e.g. "X station" often wouldn't find "X train station" or "X underground station"; same for "X tube" in London (although both of these have improved for me on 11b8.)

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