I’ve been using Apple Maps exclusively for years, in the South, the Midwest, and the West Coast. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it’s working without any issues and I’ve never had to use Google Maps.
The last time I used Waze many years back, it tried to suggest I add a stop to a sponsor’s hotel chain location. You guys have fun with that.
I’ve been using Apple Maps exclusively for years, in the South, the Midwest, and the West Coast. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it’s working without any issues and I’ve never had to use Google Maps.
The last time I used Waze many years back, it tried to suggest I add a stop to a sponsor’s hotel chain location. You guys have fun with that.
Concur. Apple Maps has worked flawlessly for me for the last few years for my travels in the western US.
While in Southern Africa traveling in a truck, I used the app "maps.me" out in the middle of nowhere. No signals of cell towers. The app showed even the short spurs going off a few hundred yards from the dirt road we were on looking for wildlife. Had maps for even remote islands. There was no Google or Apple Maps capability at all in most of the seven countries we toured except in major towns with cell service..
Until Apple Maps has waypoints it is of no use for planing long journies with stopovers. On top of that, waypoints can be used to force alternative routes the system doesn't offer. Why is this such a hard feature to add?
If they're doing PR to tell you it is better than the competition you know it isn't. The best that can be said is it is better than it use to be. I say this using Apple Maps often over Google Maps, but I'm not under any allusions that it is better than Google Maps. It isn't. The reason I use Apple Maps more often is privacy from Google's spying. Sometimes though, you just gotta use Google Maps because Apple's doesn't cut it.
You are not using it in countries where it is not good enough. Of course, it is not your fault for not being able to understand (Empathy is not your strong suit anyway) the situation that other people in rest of the world go through. It is Apple's fault that they do not provide a consistent user experience w.r.t. Apple Maps across the world.
Found Apple maps to work in the wilds of central PA hills to show my vehicle on unnamed roads enough to navigate out to major highways. Could not ask for better!
I've been a fan of Apple Maps since Day One, and have had only one misstep or mis-route with it. Going from point A to B was fine, but going from point B to A became a Point B to C K L W S to A issue. It wasn't just a reroute - it was an adventure. No dead ends just a seeing more of neighborhoods than I would have liked.
Even though I like to use Maps a lot even when I know where I'm going, my use isn't intensive so I haven't run into many of the situations most of you see. I'm in a "big market" area so it may get more attention from Apple devs than you guys see.
That said there are a couple of thing that need work to my eye. Offline maps for one. I used Maps and a now defunct nav app when riding my motorcycle out of state. Because of long stretches of country with no cell towers so the nav app worked where Maps did not. Loading a day's route on WiFi then using it on the road worked on Maps without a cell signal until I deviated from it. But the nav app always worked.
Lagging turn indication is occasionally a problem. Using Maps in area I know there will be a time when Maps would have told me too late to make a turn. This has happened in unfamiliar areas as well. It seems to be better with my iPhone 12 though.
Siri integration should be better. But this means Siri needs to be better as well and I don't see that happening anytime soon. Both Siri and Maps have made progress but both are a work in progress. Up until recently Siri could never take me to a store I want without offering me several locations of the store, including the one I just asked for. I had to touch the store I wanted when she asked me to make a choice. Now she listens for my answer so that's an improvement.
General location awareness for want of a better description doesn't exist or I don't get it. In a friend's Lexus, its nav app can constantly display a map and the movement of the car on it without having a route entered. It's like the movie and TV shows where some agency is tracking a car without knowing where the bad guy is headed. I'd like to tap the screen and get a full screen map with my location center in the screen as the map moves past me. Just display speed limit signs nothing else. Maybe a compass as well since they look cool. In case of emergency I just say take me to a Wendy's ASAP! and we're back to turn by turn.
Somewhat related, text backgrounds are too large for my taste, eating into map areas. I see this as a problem with dedicated GPS units as well. All kinds of info displayed on large backgrounds with a small patch of map occupying too small a percentage of the screen.
Waypoints would be a big plus. It would make my route mapping much easier.
None of the above makes me what to change from Maps as my primary map app. With the exception of the nav app for my bike trips Apple Maps is all I use and it works well. The displays are now really good, on par if not better than my bike app that's no more.
I've used Apple Feed Back to make me prefs known and do it at least every other update that comes around be it OS or iOS. Everybody should contact them with their feedback. I haven't seen one suggestion here that if implemented would be a problem for me. So win-win whether it's something relevant to me or not. Google maps is a non-starter but I'll look into some off line app.
Nine years since Apple tricked me into downloading one of their first buggy upgrades containing the first iteration of Apple Maps. Today Apple is still playing catch up with Google maps. It's only been a couple of months since Apple maps led me to the wrong place in Kansas City, KS, forcing me to Google maps to save the day, I was late for an appointment.
Don't even try to access Apple Maps on your laptop, can't be done. Then there's Google's Street View...
Apple Maps, lots of bells and whistles, but it still will get you lost, failing its primary function, navigation.
Give it a few more years.
Comments
The last time I used Waze many years back, it tried to suggest I add a stop to a sponsor’s hotel chain location. You guys have fun with that.
Even though I like to use Maps a lot even when I know where I'm going, my use isn't intensive so I haven't run into many of the situations most of you see. I'm in a "big market" area so it may get more attention from Apple devs than you guys see.
That said there are a couple of thing that need work to my eye. Offline maps for one. I used Maps and a now defunct nav app when riding my motorcycle out of state. Because of long stretches of country with no cell towers so the nav app worked where Maps did not. Loading a day's route on WiFi then using it on the road worked on Maps without a cell signal until I deviated from it. But the nav app always worked.
Lagging turn indication is occasionally a problem. Using Maps in area I know there will be a time when Maps would have told me too late to make a turn. This has happened in unfamiliar areas as well. It seems to be better with my iPhone 12 though.
Siri integration should be better. But this means Siri needs to be better as well and I don't see that happening anytime soon. Both Siri and Maps have made progress but both are a work in progress. Up until recently Siri could never take me to a store I want without offering me several locations of the store, including the one I just asked for. I had to touch the store I wanted when she asked me to make a choice. Now she listens for my answer so that's an improvement.
General location awareness for want of a better description doesn't exist or I don't get it. In a friend's Lexus, its nav app can constantly display a map and the movement of the car on it without having a route entered. It's like the movie and TV shows where some agency is tracking a car without knowing where the bad guy is headed. I'd like to tap the screen and get a full screen map with my location center in the screen as the map moves past me. Just display speed limit signs nothing else. Maybe a compass as well since they look cool. In case of emergency I just say take me to a Wendy's ASAP! and we're back to turn by turn.
Somewhat related, text backgrounds are too large for my taste, eating into map areas. I see this as a problem with dedicated GPS units as well. All kinds of info displayed on large backgrounds with a small patch of map occupying too small a percentage of the screen.
Waypoints would be a big plus. It would make my route mapping much easier.
None of the above makes me what to change from Maps as my primary map app. With the exception of the nav app for my bike trips Apple Maps is all I use and it works well. The displays are now really good, on par if not better than my bike app that's no more.
I've used Apple Feed Back to make me prefs known and do it at least every other update that comes around be it OS or iOS. Everybody should contact them with their feedback. I haven't seen one suggestion here that if implemented would be a problem for me. So win-win whether it's something relevant to me or not. Google maps is a non-starter but I'll look into some off line app.