Waze for iOS gets redesigned with new look, simpler interface, improved battery life
The latest update to Waze's navigation app for iOS introduces a major redesign that not only alters its look to be clearer, but also simplifies many tasks, particularly for long roadtrips.
Maps in the app should be easier to read, and reports and alerts are likewise color-coded for quicker recognition. The reporting system itself should be faster thanks to icon-based based menus.
Waze also promises fewer taps to begin a trip or share locations and directions. For more complex drives, a new ETA panel centralizes things like alternate routes, reports, and ETA sharing, with options to insert mid-trip pitstops.
The updated app will further trigger time-to-leave notifications for iOS Calendar events, based on current traffic conditions.
Waze lastly promises "significantly reduced" battery consumption, important given the app's dependence on GPS and keeping the screen on.
The Waze iOS app is a free download and runs on any iPhone or iPad with iOS 7.0 or later, though only cellular-equipped iPads have built-in GPS.
Maps in the app should be easier to read, and reports and alerts are likewise color-coded for quicker recognition. The reporting system itself should be faster thanks to icon-based based menus.
Waze also promises fewer taps to begin a trip or share locations and directions. For more complex drives, a new ETA panel centralizes things like alternate routes, reports, and ETA sharing, with options to insert mid-trip pitstops.
The updated app will further trigger time-to-leave notifications for iOS Calendar events, based on current traffic conditions.
Waze lastly promises "significantly reduced" battery consumption, important given the app's dependence on GPS and keeping the screen on.
The Waze iOS app is a free download and runs on any iPhone or iPad with iOS 7.0 or later, though only cellular-equipped iPads have built-in GPS.
Comments
The only nice thing I can say is that they did a better job than eBay did - eBay absolutely ruined their attempt at simplification.
"Watch out! Vehicle stopped on shoulder ahead!"
A few times in the past Waze had been offline for some reason and I found Apple's Maps acceptable, but there are so many little extras that make Waze a real pleasure to use. Also, my Tom Tom GPS unit hasn't seen use ever since Waze was first released.
The only reason this might be news for AI is that Waze is useful while Apple Maps is still unusable. Hate to say it but c'mon, already. Aesthetically it's very pleasing but maps data still is unreliable. It's hard to trust that you'll get where you want to go. 3D flyovers is really captivating. It's stunning and really fun in a Google Earth exploring way. Besides that there is no reason to use Apple Maps over the competitors for turn-by-turn.
Unusable is an overstatement. I use Apple Maps 99% of the time. I use Waze only when I know I'm going to head into traffic and will need on-the-fly rerouting, something Google Maps and Apple Maps both don't do well.
I do like having Apple Maps on CarPlay. I'll use Google if I need to use public transit. Otherwise, it's Apple Maps.
The old Waze interface was garbage. The Waze app for Windows Phone was perfect. The new Waze app for iOS is weak by comparison. They have the good stuff at their disposal and failed to use it. More's the shame.
Unusable? Quite the opposite. I've even found instances where the Apple Maps had more up to date POI database than what Google Maps was using. I'm not kidding.
The only thing I wish Apple Maps was better at was fuzzy search terms. Google Maps pipes POI searches through their search engine and almost always nails it on the first try.
The only reason this might be news for AI is that Waze is useful while Apple Maps is still unusable. Hate to say it but c'mon, already. Aesthetically it's very pleasing but maps data still is unreliable. It's hard to trust that you'll get where you want to go. 3D flyovers is really captivating. It's stunning and really fun in a Google Earth exploring way. Besides that there is no reason to use Apple Maps over the competitors for turn-by-turn.
Is this an echo from 2 years ago? Hello?
HOW-TO GEEK: ‘APPLE MAPS VS. GOOGLE MAPS’
Is this an echo from 2 years ago? Hello?
HOW-TO GEEK: ‘APPLE MAPS VS. GOOGLE MAPS’
Not an echo but a re-assertion that it's still unreliable. I won't itemize the times I've entered an address into Apple Maps only to find it routing me to another state or when it found an identical address 90 minutes away instead of the same address 15 minutes away. I get it -- these things are complicated and there are bound to be places they just get it wrong. How many 123 Main Streets are there in the country, right? But for me, it's burned me a few times when trying to use it for directions, with the most recent example just a week ago.
Using it everyday with no issue. It even knows the shortcut to my condo when walking. :O
Haven't touched Google Map for a few years. Good riddance.
As many as there are, it would seem basic that Apple maps would default to showing the address search match result that is closest to you, right? But it often doesn't and is still not so good at identifying some of the local landmarks that I'd like to be able to use for navigating. That said, Apple maps has gotten so much better. When a person is using the whole system, with appointments entered in the calendar app that have the address entered in the location field, it works wonderfully for turn by turn, whether on the iPhone or the Watch. Also, Siri is so improved now that just calling up an address request with the watch often is all I need for basic regional directions. What I'd like to see added is more in the way of road incident warnings and easy on the fly alternate route switching, on both IPhone and Watch.
New Waze sucks. Nothing new except for minor interface doo-dads and terrible night colors. What happened to the color schemes? Why not have user-created shortcuts to report certain events instead of having to select 4 to 5 items? Should be intuitive.
Agreed. It has improved and there is a lot of benefit from using a single provider for the various components, asking Siri to pull up directions, etc. Just my own experience. I do want it to work and I'm glad it works well for plenty of others.
As for the new update, it's lipstick on a pig. They added some colors, but the buttons and functionality are still the same. Maybe a few processes are the same. I believe it's largely unsafe for a single driver to use while driving, especially in my area.
The only reason this might be news for AI is that Waze is useful while Apple Maps is still unusable.
I respect your opinion and acknowledge that Apple Maps accuracy varies by region.
Having said that... in my area (Washington, DC), I love the combination of Apple Maps and Apple Watch, and I use it daily to find customer locations in this sprawling metropolitan area. I particularly like the Taptic Engine feedback on the Watch's Maps app, tapping me on the wrist and providing a differentiated tone for 'left' (descending tone) vs. 'right' (ascending tone). For me, Apple Maps has become my new default solution, leaving my Garmin GPS literally sitting unused on the back seat.
It would've been a good addition for Apple.
Don't you just love it
Never knew there were so many breakdowns.
Well I have not used the new version since updating, I just wish Apple would copy it, so I do not have to use a google product any more that part really kills me.
I have used all the maps programs for navigation including my tomtoms and Waze has always done a great job. I use to be a map editor for Waze prior to Google buying them and stop since I was not interested in helping Google make their product better. The biggest issue since google took over was Google became the default for POI and addresses and Google uses the physical GPS location for an address so if the location is wrong if set at some location far from the main access road Waze will route you the wrong way. Waze POI and address database is better then Google since it relays on verified locations and map editor like me had to verify any which were reported as incorrect and was done in real time most time. You could report the wrong locations to Google but it took them forever to fix them.
Waze use to default to its own database but somewhere along the line it was switch to google's database. When you search you can have waze pick the database to use and most time I select Waze verse Google and it does much better getting you to the right place.