I was in Malmo, Sweden a few weeks ago staying in a home on a very quiet street. Just that block was being repaved and the street was sometimes completely blocked off to cars. Maps noted that you couldn't drive down the block. I was extremely impressed. It wasn't like it was a long-term, large scale construction project. I can't even figure out how "they" would know. On the other hand, on a trip to a museum outside of Copenhagen, there was lots of local construction and Maps (and Google Maps) couldn't get us to the parking lot.
My biggest problem with Maps (Google Maps and some other mapping apps I use are guilty of this as well) is not the accuracy of the maps or the accuracy of the driving route, but rather the accuracy of the search. When one types "pizza" or "hospital" or whatever, it should prioritize the closest places unless you indicate elsewhere and it frequently gives results 14 states away.
I notice that all the apps seem to frequently have problems with addresses in Queens, NY. Queens addresses are easy because the first digits usually represent the cross street. 112-20 75th Avenue indicates that the cross street is 112th street. And yet the mapping programs frequently get it wrong anyway and put you miles away.
One feature that should be added to Maps is the ability to report incidences and cop locations like Waze.
That would be nice, but I doubt the location of law enforcement will ever happen as part of the native app. Maybe if they ever open it up so that there are Maps plugins, like we have for Messages and keyboards.
Waze only reports police activity such as assisting with an accident location, not speed traps.
Are you sure? I'm pretty sure Waze notified me about a speed trap within the last month. And it doesn't just report police activity - it reports the presence of a police car. I constantly get "police ahead" reports even when it's just a police car driving down the road.
The meme that Apple Maps is inferior to Google Maps is getting pretty tiring after 5 years - especially since in some (many?) cases it's actually not true anymore. If I had to rate the two on pure (map data) accuracy, Google is still slightly ahead (most annoyingly, Google is still much faster in updating its maps when a flaw is reported - I know this from personal experience having reported a missing road to both companies). Navigation wise, they're about equal and, to me at least, Apple Maps of late seems to have the edge on the currency of traffic data (on several trips now, Google still showed traffic congestion when Apple Maps already reflected a 'green' reality). Google Maps sometimes picks better routes - Apple's estimate of remaining time to destination is more spot-on.
During navigation, Apple Maps is far superior to Google Maps in battery conservation. The former almost never causes my phone to run hot - the latter almost always - i.e., Google Maps sucks my battery dry at a much faster clip.
Where Apple Maps is still much weaker than Google Maps is in searches for businesses or points of interest. There are still many cases when Google Maps finds what I'm looking for after Apple Maps give me nothing.
Except if you move out of the "first world" countries. It's all downhill then.+
The meme that Apple Maps is inferior to Google Maps is getting pretty tiring after 5 years - especially since in some (many?) cases it's actually not true anymore.
Except when you move out of the first world countries.
I've given up completely on Apple Maps here in the U.K. It's about as much use to me as a chocolate teapot whenever I use it. Seems to have a preference to take me to housing estates even when I input places such as Halfords & McDonald's. In fact the 2012 SatNav DVD disc in my car is so much better than 2017 Apple Maps at taking me to my destination...as long as it exists of course!
I keep revisiting from time to time in the hope that it will actually work but am always left disappointed and angry when it screws up. In some cases I can see my destination from the housing estate I end up on but have no access. I open Google Maps and it turns me around and takes me straight there.
I have to admit though that they do react quickly to suggested changes to false mapping info. Twice now I have corrected incorrect data about shops in my local area and both times the data was corrected in 24 hours!
Comments
My biggest problem with Maps (Google Maps and some other mapping apps I use are guilty of this as well) is not the accuracy of the maps or the accuracy of the driving route, but rather the accuracy of the search. When one types "pizza" or "hospital" or whatever, it should prioritize the closest places unless you indicate elsewhere and it frequently gives results 14 states away.
I notice that all the apps seem to frequently have problems with addresses in Queens, NY. Queens addresses are easy because the first digits usually represent the cross street. 112-20 75th Avenue indicates that the cross street is 112th street. And yet the mapping programs frequently get it wrong anyway and put you miles away.
Are you sure? I'm pretty sure Waze notified me about a speed trap within the last month. And it doesn't just report police activity - it reports the presence of a police car. I constantly get "police ahead" reports even when it's just a police car driving down the road.
Except if you move out of the "first world" countries. It's all downhill then.+
Except when you move out of the first world countries.
Drives me crazy! I'm in Vietnam/Korea/Japan and it defaults to California locations when I search.
I keep revisiting from time to time in the hope that it will actually work but am always left disappointed and angry when it screws up. In some cases I can see my destination from the housing estate I end up on but have no access. I open Google Maps and it turns me around and takes me straight there.
I have to admit though that they do react quickly to suggested changes to false mapping info. Twice now I have corrected incorrect data about shops in my local area and both times the data was corrected in 24 hours!