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Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

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Re: Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

#31

Post by vladvasiliu »

DHPersonal wrote: post #18

I like Apple Maps over Google Maps for many reasons, but the primary is potentially also the silliest: while driving, the "you" icon is smaller and its location timing is different than Google, making turn-by-turn directions far easier to understand in an area I've never seen before. When I'm trying to see if it's the next street or the street afterward that I'm going to have to reach, the little bit of timing differ…

> Apple Maps lets me look at the map and then at the road and get a good indication of where I'm to turn, whereas my experience with Google Maps has me looking at the map and then realizing that I've already passed the road.

That's interesting. Last I tried Apple Maps a year or two ago, it was the reverse. The indicator in Apple maps tended to "lag" a bit, especially in roundabouts (I'm in Europe). With GMaps, it would always be quite clear where exactly I was with respect to exits.

Also, on a turn, the Apple Maps indicator would turn on the map, so again, in a sharp turn, or a roundabout, I wouldn't see much of the road ahead. GMaps would turn the map and keep me facing north, so I could see what to expect further ahead.

Re: Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

#32

Post by smiley1437 »

My wife uses google maps in her car and lately the routing is strange - like making 3 right turns when there is a protected advance green for left turns. Apple maps just showed turn left.

Sure, I know that sometimes 3 rights is better than one left but it didn't happen just once, it was multiple times.

Apple Maps has come a long way since its initial (disastrous) launch (so bad it was a gag on 'Silicon Valley')

Re: Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

#33

Post by iso1631 »

I switched to apple maps for carplay. Back in those days on google it was like 3 small button presses to switch voice navigation on and off requiring you to look at the screen. With apple it was hit the big black box, easy with peripheral vision

Apple broke that feature but inertia means I haven't changed.

Re: Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

#34

Post by josteink »

I use both.

Google maps is a superior lookup tool. I use this to get the address and location of where I want to go.

Apple Maps is superior for navigation when you already have the address, especially if you have an Apple Watch.

I also use OpenStreetMaps as a third, offline option. IMO all three of them have their uses.

I live in Europe (Norway) for what’s it’s worth.

Re: Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

#35

Post by ricardojoaoreis »

I haven't had Google Maps installed on my phone for at least 4 years now. In the beginning using Apple Maps was an exercise in frustration at times but nowadays it's better than Google Maps in a lot of scenarios. Annecdoctaly we if we were driving somewhere sometimes I had to unplug my phone to get Google Maps directions on Car Play but lately it's actually the opposite.

POI, restaurant reviews etc are still miles better in Google, but using the web version is enough for those.

Re: Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

#36

Post by quitit »

starbugs wrote: post #8

In my experience, the following things are notably better in Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: * No dangerous shortcuts where I risk to damage my car * Routes make much more sense in general and are nearer to what someone who knows their way around locally would suggest * Voice instructions are clearer, easier to understand and timed better * Walking directions are easier to understand * The UI is less annoying. In Google…

> Finally, as an iPhone user, my location data is already at Apple.

Fun fact about that:

--snip from https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/03/13/apple-maps-navigati... --

When you use Apple Maps, your route from A to B is fragmented into scrambled sections on Apple servers because nobody else should know your entire route. Not even us. In fact, we don’t even know who requests a route.

// But doesn’t Maps already know who requested a route from their IP address?

Apple Maps uses a random identifier, which means any route requests made on your iPhone are assigned a random identification value rather than labelling you as the sender. So both you and your routes stay anonymous.

Re: Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

#37

Post by starbugs »

guhidalg wrote: post #20
starbugs wrote: post #8

In my experience, the following things are notably better in Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: * No dangerous shortcuts where I risk to damage my car * Routes make much more sense in general and are nearer to what someone who knows their way around locally would suggest * Voice instructions are clearer, easier to understand and timed better * Walking directions are easier to understand * The UI is less annoying. In Google…

> Finally, as an iPhone user, my location data is already at Apple. Why give it to someone else? I see their plan is working! By the way, do you install any 3rd party apps that require location services?

I try not to, but there are some apps whose main purpose depends on location data. In those cases, I check who's behind those apps and try to restrict the times at which they are able to attain location data as best as possible.

> I see their plan is working!

I sense some cynicism here and I partially agree. The thing is: I am currently using an iPhone for lack of an alternative/platform lock-in and so my personal risk/benefit is skewed towards limiting the data sinks to preferably one, which would be Apple. That's just the way it is. Would I like the world to be different? Oh boy, yes...

Re: Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

#38

Post by codyb »

quitit wrote: post #36
starbugs wrote: post #8

In my experience, the following things are notably better in Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: * No dangerous shortcuts where I risk to damage my car * Routes make much more sense in general and are nearer to what someone who knows their way around locally would suggest * Voice instructions are clearer, easier to understand and timed better * Walking directions are easier to understand * The UI is less annoying. In Google…

> Finally, as an iPhone user, my location data is already at Apple. Fun fact about that: --snip from https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/03/13/apple-maps-navigati... -- When you use Apple Maps, your route from A to B is fragmented into scrambled sections on Apple servers because nobody else should know your entire route. Not even us. In fact, we don’t even know who requests a route. // But doesn’t Maps already know wh…

I do enjoy Apple's privacy protections, it's a huge selling point for me and definitely has kept me in the ecosystem. It's why I originally dropped Google products in the first place.

Re: Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

#39

Post by hospitalJail »

mrtksn wrote: post #10

Google Maps is yet another decaying Google product, unfortunately. However it has a moat that is hard to overtake: Business information. Apple Maps is a superior experience as long as you can find the business(shop, restaurant etc) but unfortunately it's still far from matching Google at this. It's even annoying me on Bing. I've switched to Bing and I'm pretty happy so far but when I search for a shop or something, t…

Hate that Google defaults to the 'eco' route that takes a few minutes longer.

Otherwise my initial experience with Apple maps was so bad that I havent tried it since. It basically would wait until the last possible moment to tell me to turn, not exactly possible going 45mph.

Re: Apple Maps Gradually Winning over Google Maps Users, Report Suggests

#40

Post by TooKool4This »

ajross wrote: post #15
starbugs wrote: post #8

In my experience, the following things are notably better in Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: * No dangerous shortcuts where I risk to damage my car * Routes make much more sense in general and are nearer to what someone who knows their way around locally would suggest * Voice instructions are clearer, easier to understand and timed better * Walking directions are easier to understand * The UI is less annoying. In Google…

> * No dangerous shortcuts where I risk to damage my car Can you elaborate on this? This seems like a personal anecdote and not a software feature. How does one even define that? You're saying that there are special roads that Apple knows not to travel bug Google does? That seems odd, since the real world doesn't really mark its roads like that.

Google maps is very eager to re-route around traffic which ends up taking you down back roads (atleast in the US). Which are narrow, not controlled-access, poorly lit, and maybe windy and poorly maintained depending on where you are. And it does all this to save a couple of minutes at best. Everyone is using Google maps and getting the same rerouting suggestion so the backroads get filled and slow down eliminating any benefit.

Apple Maps is much more likely to use the “typical” option which is usually a controlled access freeway which are MUCH safer (in my opinion and I believe the traffic accident rates support it).

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