So... one that sucks?
Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style
11–20 of 121 posts
Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style
#12>It increasingly feels as if Google Maps has gotten lost. Just maps?
Maybe maps hasn’t grown with its users, or can’t be everything for everyone.
If the only metric is engagement it might not be across the features relevant in a single user journey vs head to head.
I needed a map the other day for a repeat need and built it in a few minutes in mapbox studio, only ever used mapbox via code in another life. Didn’t know what to think.
Oddly haven’t looked back for that use. It just embeds and shares and delights.
Still want to try out osm.
Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style
#13I can’t believe there’s only one image of Apple Maps in that article.
Every image is captioned with “See! Look how similar it is” but I have nothing to compare it to.
Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style
#14I always enjoy the analysis of this guy. Thorough and to the point. Apple and Google should care more about usability and readability.
Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style
#15One of my biggest irks with Google Maps is how aggressively it shows pins for hotels, bars and restaurants, even on their search results map. Do users really feel the need for this constant in-your-face advertisement? But as I type this, I realized Google is primarily an ad business and whatever will drive that revenue will get pushed further. Oh well.
Honestly yes, I usually am looking for restaurants etc nearby.
Interesting. I have an inherent distrust with reviews and descriptions on Google Maps, at least for where I live (India). I usually resort to other services to look for good restaurant/hotel recommendations.
Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style
#16> The new New York map above looks comically bad, almost like student-level work. I found the new NY map refreshing because of its higher contrast between the streets and city blocks. Feels like it's easier to get a handle on what's on the screen. Granted, whenever a product gives me the opportunity to opt for increased contrast, I usually go for it.
Yeah, I don’t know what the author is talking about. I loved his comparisons over the years, but Google Maps (and others, really) are atrocious to use because of extremely low contrast; the blue version is much better (even if potentially “uglier”)
For a product meant to be used outdoors, Maps does an awful job at being readable.
Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style
#17Apple Maps rendering surpassed Google a lil while ago. I still use Google for a variety of reasons but I do think Apple’s map design is superior.
Depends on what you're talking about.
For aesthetics? No question Apple's superior.
For navigation? A tossup in my experience?
For discovery of places and reviews? Google's so far ahead it's not even close.
Apple's interface with Google's database of places and reviews would be the holy grail.
Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style
#18Google Maps has changed styles quite a few times, and it usually won't take long to get used to the new one.
One particular change before I remembered was when they reduced the contrast (and amount of details) when zoomed out, which I hated at the time, but now can't go back. It makes finding neighborhoods and such much easier. It looks like the author found the opposite, I guess it's just something very subjective.
(The author provided a comparison between various previous versions at the end (sans the newest), and I genuinely can't say the older ones were better, even the "before 2018" ones.)
But I do agree this newest one is bad, mainly due to the color choice of the roads. I really like GMap's white/yellow roads.
Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style
#19Apple Maps rendering surpassed Google a lil while ago. I still use Google for a variety of reasons but I do think Apple’s map design is superior.
Depends on what you're talking about. For aesthetics? No question Apple's superior. For navigation? A tossup in my experience? For discovery of places and reviews? Google's so far ahead it's not even close. Apple's interface with Google's database of places and reviews would be the holy grail.
Open POI on top of OSM? Would have to figure out how to accept and lifecycle reviews, but could probably be done. Perhaps reaching critical mass is the hard part.
Re: Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style
#20Well that explains why it changed. They should add an option "focus on roads" "focus on landscape". Although to be realistic focus on roads is probably way more common, and that appears to be the new design - the roads really stand out.
They should really allow custom palettes. I don’t understand how they got the product so far along without better accessibility options.