I'm a US citizen living temporarily in South Africa in the Western Cape. There, Google Maps works perfectly when searching for store locations, directions etc. Apple Maps is absolutely terrible providing poor search results. By contrast, Apple Maps provides excellent turn-by-turn navigation. Google Maps does no such thing except when I'm in US. I have changed language settings to no avail. Appreciate if anyone has a remedy other than another map app.
I tried both Apple Maps and Google Maps in South Africa when I was there in 2017. Outside of the cities like Joberg and Cape Town, both were pretty terrible. I drove all over the Western Cape and went to Botswana and other countries out of Joberg. I mostly used Navigon South Africa app, Sygic, and then the maps.me app. With Maps.me, I downloaded the South Africa map. None were perfect, but all of the ones I used outside of Google and Apple were much better. As far as cities in South Africa go, Google wasn't any better at providing directions compared to Apple Maps going to certain addresses. Where Apple Maps lacked was the POI information. Google was much better at that. I was trying all these different apps because I really couldn't find one I liked. I was in Kruger and used Google Maps to get to Martin's Drift border post. Google took me through some pretty interesting places. At times I was wondering where it was taking me. Went through some interesting villages in the middle of nowhere.
How do you like living in South Africa? Hopefully you aren't there when Day Zero happens.
I looked again at maps recently after being taken to the wrong location by it a few years ago. I found it's turn-by-turn instructions inferior to Google's - in a complex freeway crossover its instructions weren't given enough in advance or clearly enough, I ended up ignoring it. Regardless of the fanboy support in this thread, while I'm certain its overall mapping data has improved and is improving tremendously, it still has a big black eye from Tim Cook essentially telling people four (or five or six?) years ago to ignore Maps and use Google's app. Apple doesn't do services very well.
Your last sentence is simply and clearly wrong. Apple Music, iCloud in all its forms and apps that it touches is solid, the App Store, etc.
I looked again at maps recently after being taken to the wrong location by it a few years ago. I found it's turn-by-turn instructions inferior to Google's - in a complex freeway crossover its instructions weren't given enough in advance or clearly enough, I ended up ignoring it. Regardless of the fanboy support in this thread, while I'm certain its overall mapping data has improved and is improving tremendously, it still has a big black eye from Tim Cook essentially telling people four (or five or six?) years ago to ignore Maps and use Google's app. Apple doesn't do services very well.
Nonsense, Apple does services very well and they earn more in services revenue than other entire companies earn.
Cook didn’t say to ignore Maps and use Google. And nobody cares about the launch graphic weirdness anymore. I haven’t used GM in years and have no plans to.
To beat Google Apple would have to leverage its large numbers of users to crowdsource maps using AI. For example when the user asks for directions to a store in a mall, where the user goes would be tracked to identify the store's actual location and the best path to it. Apple should also open up its map data, including the 3D maps, to app developers for use in games which would encourage even more crowdsource map generation.
For me, in Vancouver, Apple Maps is much better than it was a few years ago. MUCH better.
One persistent gripe, though: Missing street names.
Many major streets have no label. It came up again last night as I was trying to give someone directions from Jasper to Vancouver. The highway they need to take has no name in Apple Maps!!! It causes a disproportionate degree of frustration because its such a fundamental aspect of urban cartography that it's impossible to accept.
I like using Apple Maps because the integration makes it easy to share between devices and other data sources (like Contacts), but this particular annoyance really ruins the experience.
I'm as big an Apple fan as there is, but they will never catch up with Google Maps.
I only use Apple Map and never use Google Maps. Somehow, I'm still alive and thriving. What am I doing wrong?
Well, based on my experience with Apple Maps, some of things you're doing wrong may include making illegal turns and going the wrong way on one-way streets. It regularly prompts me to do both those things. Apparently the data Apple works from to map Metro Vancouver doesn't include information about such restrictions. Google's does.
I mostly use Apple Maps too, partly in the vain hope that my tiny contribution to crowd-sourced data will help it improve, and while it is better than it was a few years ago, it's still not on par with Google's.
I hate the new maps. They ditched the real 3D features. Used to be that "satellite" view showed real 3D of most areas. You could look at the areas and features from different angles. It was a fabulous way to see the character of things. Now, 3D "satellite" view is a 2D photograph on a plane that can be tilted. So if it is showing more of the south and east sides of things, if you twirl the vantage point around to the north and west side, you still see the east and south sides of things.
What a joke. The version in El Cap has stunning 3D realism. It doesn't matter that the survey technique has some graphic flaws or that trees look a bit goofy sometimes. The information content is vastly richer.
So there are interior plans of shopping malls. Fine no objection. But the overall product has taken a step into forgetability. They must have subbed this out to Microsoft.
I hate the new maps. They ditched the real 3D features. Used to be that "satellite" view showed real 3D of most areas. You could look at the areas and features from different angles. It was a fabulous way to see the character of things. Now, 3D "satellite" view is a 2D photograph on a plane that can be tilted. So if it is showing more of the south and east sides of things, if you twirl the vantage point around to the north and west side, you still see the east and south sides of things.
What a joke. The version in El Cap has stunning 3D realism. It doesn't matter that the survey technique has some graphic flaws or that trees look a bit goofy sometimes. The information content is vastly richer.
So there are interior plans of shopping malls. Fine no objection. But the overall product has taken a step into forgetability. They must have subbed this out to Microsoft.
No idea what you're talking about. Looking at full 3D models of downtown Seattle right this second and it's showing all respective sides of a building. ¯\(°_o)/¯
Detail in the Bay Area where they're rolling out the new Maps is incredible. Transit is rapidly rolling out in cities. Airports increasingly have meaningful maps with gate numbers and vendors. It's great.
I just hope Apple don't one day just announce they are not supporting Maps anymore ... you know like Aperture.
Sure, that makes perfect sense given the amount of resources they're pouring into Maps right now.
Where have you found information indicating that Apple is pouring resources into Maps? I'm not contradicting you, I'm just curious about how you know that.
I just hope Apple don't one day just announce they are not supporting Maps anymore ... you know like Aperture.
Sure, that makes perfect sense given the amount of resources they're pouring into Maps right now.
Where have you found information indicating that Apple is pouring resources into Maps? I'm not contradicting you, I'm just curious about how you know that.
Not sure how you missed this, it was well covered here.
I just hope Apple don't one day just announce they are not supporting Maps anymore ... you know like Aperture.
Sure, that makes perfect sense given the amount of resources they're pouring into Maps right now.
Where have you found information indicating that Apple is pouring resources into Maps? I'm not contradicting you, I'm just curious about how you know that.
Not sure how you missed this, it was well covered here.
I don't read the majority of articles on AI, and none on any other tech site. Lots of developments escape my notice. Sometimes I find out about things through a comment here, like yours. Thanks.
I don’t understand why Maps isn’t more significantly updated weekly through the App Store.
Exactly my idea. There are so many contructions going on that are not in maps until 3-4 years after. Maps are useless for everyday commuting, it sent me so many times through the closures or non-existing roads... while the new roads were ready to use instead.
I don’t understand why Maps isn’t more significantly updated weekly through the App Store.
What kind of updates are you looking for? Things like new roads, public transit directions, POI's, etc don't require an app update.
The sort of stuff that makes Google Maps 100million times better than Apple Maps.
100million times eh?
These types of posts are all bullshit. I use Google and Apple maps pretty intercheably for navigation so that I can compare the two. I can't remember the last time Google maps gave me a better route than Apple maps. I've found Apple maps to be more reliable, with a much easier to glance UI, better designed layout, icons, contrast, smoothness, voice, and just general stability. You can tell that Apple put more care in obvious details that Google has neglected for years. It has also been more accurate for me, and given me more efficient and updated routes, on MANY occasions.
Yes, Google Maps still has an advantage in POIs, due to the fact that Google is basically a data collection company, and they won't lose that advantage anytime soon. But to claim that Google Maps is massively better in every single respect, or that Apple maps is trash, is absolute horse-shit. Apple has done a tremendous job improving Maps since release.
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How do you like living in South Africa? Hopefully you aren't there when Day Zero happens.
Cook didn’t say to ignore Maps and use Google. And nobody cares about the launch graphic weirdness anymore. I haven’t used GM in years and have no plans to.
One persistent gripe, though: Missing street names.
Many major streets have no label. It came up again last night as I was trying to give someone directions from Jasper to Vancouver. The highway they need to take has no name in Apple Maps!!! It causes a disproportionate degree of frustration because its such a fundamental aspect of urban cartography that it's impossible to accept.
I like using Apple Maps because the integration makes it easy to share between devices and other data sources (like Contacts), but this particular annoyance really ruins the experience.
I mostly use Apple Maps too, partly in the vain hope that my tiny contribution to crowd-sourced data will help it improve, and while it is better than it was a few years ago, it's still not on par with Google's.
What a joke. The version in El Cap has stunning 3D realism. It doesn't matter that the survey technique has some graphic flaws or that trees look a bit goofy sometimes. The information content is vastly richer.
So there are interior plans of shopping malls. Fine no objection. But the overall product has taken a step into forgetability. They must have subbed this out to Microsoft.
Detail in the Bay Area where they're rolling out the new Maps is incredible. Transit is rapidly rolling out in cities. Airports increasingly have meaningful maps with gate numbers and vendors. It's great.
Sure, that makes perfect sense given the amount of resources they're pouring into Maps right now.
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/29/apple-is-rebuilding-maps-from-the-ground-up/