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Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

forbes.com

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Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#31

Post by nixy »

But a map app is so much more than street maps and navigation. I have tried to switch to Apple Maps, and it works great for navigation or getting an overview of the streets. But I cannot use Apple Maps to explore!

With Google maps, I just fire it up and search “sights” to find places near that are worth a visit. “Public beaches” to find where I can go for a swim. If I try the same with Apple Maps, more often than not I get sent to a place in Myanmar or similar which happens to be tagged as “public beach”.

Also when I search for a business on Google maps, I get photos and reviews. With Apple Maps I am happy if I get a link to a website.

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#32

Post by komuher »

cassianoleal wrote: post #21
komuher wrote: post #18

Google maps >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> apple maps here in Europe especially for medium sized cities (in big cities apple works fine but still a lot worse then google). For me it seems like fair exchange to give some data, for free and very good service that have no real competition :)

In London I find Apple Maps superior to Google Maps in almost every way. Apple's cycling routing is miles ahead of Google's.

Good for you one mega-city in Europe* got proper apple treatment after 10 years lets wait 20 more years for other monster cities, and then they can maybe add some cities under a 10 million population :D

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#33

Post by RyJones »

jabyess wrote: post #27
aunty_helen wrote: post #2

What a tight rope this author has to walk. You want commute suggestions but you don’t want google to know where you live or work? I’ll bat for google on this one, the value I get from Gmaps vs the value they get from my data seems like a fair exchange. Also PSA, if you use Bluetooth with your car, your city transport department is tracking you. Best of luck opting out of that or even finding who to contact.

> Also PSA, if you use Bluetooth with your car, your city transport department is tracking you. Best of luck opting out of that or even finding who to contact. Can you say more about this? I've never heard of it.

Not sure what they’re pointing to, but TPMS tracking is possible as well.

https://youtu.be/TDYoo7TGNcw

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#34

Post by tpush »

cassianoleal wrote: post #21
komuher wrote: post #18

Google maps >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> apple maps here in Europe especially for medium sized cities (in big cities apple works fine but still a lot worse then google). For me it seems like fair exchange to give some data, for free and very good service that have no real competition :)

In London I find Apple Maps superior to Google Maps in almost every way. Apple's cycling routing is miles ahead of Google's.

Apple Maps tends to be better in English speaking countries, or otherwise where there's a lot of iPhones. Google Maps is almost universally better anywhere else.

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#36

Post by brundolf »

h0l0cube wrote: post #15
steve_adams_86 wrote: post #3

I’m curious - does anyone reading this agree with the notion that Apple maps is becoming comparable to Google maps? I haven’t given it a fair shot in almost a decade I guess, and it was almost unusable then. Does anyone here use it as a daily driver? What are the strong and weak points?

It's mostly fine. But I can't trust it to be up-to-date for business locations and opening hours. Some places (even high-traffic places like McDonalds) are missing, some closed places haven't been removed after months (years?), and opening hours are just as broken. I'll always double check with a Google search. It's been fine for public transport and driving navigation.

I've had the occasional issue with location metadata but it's pretty rare in my experience

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#37

Post by acdha »

steve_adams_86 wrote: post #3

I’m curious - does anyone reading this agree with the notion that Apple maps is becoming comparable to Google maps? I haven’t given it a fair shot in almost a decade I guess, and it was almost unusable then. Does anyone here use it as a daily driver? What are the strong and weak points?

Yes. I stopped using Google Maps years ago because Apple’s estimates are far more accurate and less stressful (mostly DC-Boston corridor). Google would suggest routes which were allegedly faster but that was based on assuming no traffic anywhere so things like unprotected left turns across major roads would be a net time savings.

Actual arrival times tended to be about the same as Apple’s original estimates when, say, it turned out that I-95 really did have traffic at the same places it always does.

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#38

Post by dilly_li »

voisin wrote: post #12
steve_adams_86 wrote: post #3

I’m curious - does anyone reading this agree with the notion that Apple maps is becoming comparable to Google maps? I haven’t given it a fair shot in almost a decade I guess, and it was almost unusable then. Does anyone here use it as a daily driver? What are the strong and weak points?

I use Apple Maps as my primary GPS in my vehicle. I have spent the last few years on the road driving across North America and Google Maps repeatedly made objectively incorrect decisions in rural areas that would take me in quasi-off road situations. After I got frustrated being led astray I started comparing routes on both and found that it seems to be a logic issue for Google Maps, where it would save 5 km of dista…

I think that's probably because Apple doesn't even know that backroads existed so Apple Maps couldn't optimize the route.

If Apple Maps had knew those backroards, they would probably output the same routes! :-D

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#39

Post by heliodor »

voisin wrote: post #12
steve_adams_86 wrote: post #3

I’m curious - does anyone reading this agree with the notion that Apple maps is becoming comparable to Google maps? I haven’t given it a fair shot in almost a decade I guess, and it was almost unusable then. Does anyone here use it as a daily driver? What are the strong and weak points?

I use Apple Maps as my primary GPS in my vehicle. I have spent the last few years on the road driving across North America and Google Maps repeatedly made objectively incorrect decisions in rural areas that would take me in quasi-off road situations. After I got frustrated being led astray I started comparing routes on both and found that it seems to be a logic issue for Google Maps, where it would save 5 km of dista…

The bad choices in rural areas for Google Maps seems to be a recent thing. My guess is that it's a result of a new approach of combining computer vision of satellite imagery with phone location data from ranchers driving on their private dirt roads.

Re: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

#40

Post by stevehawk »

steve_adams_86 wrote: post #3

I’m curious - does anyone reading this agree with the notion that Apple maps is becoming comparable to Google maps? I haven’t given it a fair shot in almost a decade I guess, and it was almost unusable then. Does anyone here use it as a daily driver? What are the strong and weak points?

I consider Apple maps to be trash most everywhere I use it, which is the American midwest. Last time i searched for "lawnmower repair" in my area it netted one result. I believe there's more than a dozen within ten minutes of me though. I normally have to look something up in Google Maps (where i keep location services disabled), then copy and paste the address into Apple Maps for Carplay.

The other day when watching a Silicon Valley rerun I couldn't help but laugh because they said "is it Apple maps bad?" and i thought "THAT JOKE HASN'T AGED BECAUSE IT'S STILL TERRIBLE."

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