How do they compare?
Should Apple release their map app on Android?
Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?
1–10 of 62 posts
Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?
#2Apple is still pretty far behind, in my view.
Here’s an excellent in-depth comparison: https://www.justinobeirne.com/cartography-comparison/
Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?
#3I use Google Maps, Apple maps, Bing maps and OpenStreetMap
Some comments:
- Apple maps were pretty awful when they first came out but now seem good enough (and I generally use them for walking directions in cities)
- Google StreetView is great - satellite view where we are in the UK is about 12 years old so useful for a historical view
- Apple and Bing satellite views are good, much more up to date that Google's and often better quality
- Bing in the UK has Ordnance Survey maps down to 1:25,000 which is awesome
- OpenStreetMap often has details (particularly footpaths) that no other map has
Edit: Was impressed with the speed that Google had the new Queensferry Crossing bridge on their maps - neither Bing or Apple have this on their maps yet. OpenStreetMap does, of course!
Edit2: Use my cars built in sat-nav, mainly because of the ergonomics (big buttons) and multiple displays.
Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?
#4I'm not a heavy user of Apple Maps, but from my personal non scientific tests, the support in Italy is pretty bad, so I guess it might be bad elsewhere outside the U.S. As an example, Google Maps knows a lot about my city, including public transportation and most of the shops, while Apple Maps does not.
Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?
#5I deleted apple maps as soon as I could
Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?
#6[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?
#7I prefer the design of Apple maps... but as a full-time traveler I need the offline capabilities of Google maps.
Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?
#8Apple 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 in London, it would offer "Charing Cross, Glasgow" as the default. (That's been fixed now)
There was another time I was searching for something in, IIRC, Dover, UK whilst in Dover, UK and it offered me something in Maryland, USA. Absolute dogshit.
And it just plain doesn't know about real places - searched for Leigh Library the other week (whilst about 400yds away!) which lives on Civic Square (part of its official quoted address) and the only "Civic Square" it offered was in Motherwell (Scotland!)
Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?
#9Apple Maps still lacks cycling directions, which is a killer feature for me.
Re: Ask HN: Apple maps vs. Google maps today?
#10Apple 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…
I've noticed the search is crap too. The other day I searched for a restaurant and it found nothing. Asked for directions anyway and it directed me to the right place so it knew where it was!
I use Apple Maps most of the time, although I keep GMaps installed just in case.