“Apple made two smallish acquisitions of map-related companies last week, Locationary and HotStop, that have produce some sneering press coverage since clearly in both instances the purchase is in a way an admission that Apple’s Maps product continues to be markedly inferior to Google Maps,” Matthew Yglesias writes for Slate.
“But I think that’s the wrong way to look at it,” Yglesias write. “The purchase of these companies is a confirmation that Apple’s risky Maps strategy is continuing to pay dividends and in retrospect we’re going to look back at this early Tim Cook decision not as an embarassing fiasco but as a gutsy savvy move.”
“Now what Apple needs to do is keep iterating so that its Maps app keeps getting better. In Apple’s ideal world, mapping applications will at some point reach an era of sharply diminishing returns so that Apple and Google will reach maps parity,” Yglesias write. “But an acceptable outcome is one in which Apple never catches Google in maps quality, but simply never allows Google to gain a large enough lead for it to become complacent about the quality of Google Maps for iOS.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple buys online transit-navigation service HopStop – July 20, 2013
Apple escalates maps war by nabbing Locationary – July 19, 2013
Apple acquires crowdsourced location data company Locationary – July 19, 2013
Google’s new 3D Maps destroy Manhattan with melting buildings and buckled streets – May 22, 2013
U.S. patent application reveals Apple is working on ‘Street View’ mapping technology – April 4, 2013
Apple acquires indoor location company WifiSLAM for $20 million – March 23, 2013
Apple Maps currently blows google off the map. (pun intended)
Seriously, coupled with Siri, it’s become pretty awesome.
I have to disagree. I loved Apple Maps until it took me to the wrong location! I was traveling near a big city so can’t use the excuse of the location being remote. The data still needs work and until I feel like Apple has had enough time to get it right I will not be using anything other than Google Maps. Also the latest Google Maps application is beautiful!
Agreed. Apple maps can’t find simple addresses that google and mapquest find. Every other time I give it a chance and it lets me down. Why doesn’t apple just buy mapquest for crying out loud
When I look for a Starbucks, or quick fast food while away from home on vacation Apple Maps has been always wrong. Always. I can’t figure out why something as obvious and institutional as chain restaurants don’t have accurate data in maps. Can’t Apple just call Subway and say, hey we want people to find your restaurants. Give us a database of every restaurant address you have in the world?
Apple uses the Yelp database for restaurants.
Ah, we’ll I always take the time to send in adjustments, so if you ever find a McDonald’s or Starbucks right by the central entrances to Myrtle Beach you’re welcome.
I think people don’t question Google when its wrong, being the defacto but notice it on Apple maps. Fact is it takes years to get maps right and as far as I am concerned Apple maps is pretty good and nicer to use. Bit surprised to hear about this ‘great new Google Maps interface’, can’t imagine that ever being applied to Google but will have to take a look, certainly haven’t noticed it as yet.
Right gave that up after 30 seconds just a annoying
The same can be said of Google maps – I know from experience. Both have issues so neither can guarantee 100% accuracy nor can any map provider.
In the last month it’s been a crapshoot with either app. I had Apple Maps give me the wrong location and directions on one occasion and in a huff of, “Never again,” I defaulted to Google Maps which gave me the same damn faulty result with a different location. I’ve resorted to checking both against each other to insure the location is accurate as well as the directions.
It’s a shame – the Google maps just look better and are easier to read. As actual maps, the Google graphics are better than those of Apple.
Precisely and have posted some of the same below. If your not realistic with a critical and discerning eye you will miss your warts and what the competition does better. If all someone wants is fanboy give me 50 five-stars of love status, fine. But the blind eye will hold you back from improving products and only open the door for your rivals.
I sometimes use Google Maps for transit directions in NYC. It gives strange results fairly often. For example, one time it told me that a trip would take 16 minutes. I thought that was extremely short (about 10 minutes too quick of a trip), and so looked at the details. I noticed that the walking portion at the end started at 10:18 PM and ended at 10:08 PM. In other words, Google Maps was telling me to walk so fast that time reversed and I ended at my destination 10 minutes before I left the subway stop.
I’ve had other strange results like that from Google Maps fairly often. I think the difference between me and apparently a massive portion of the public is that I don’t assume that bugs only exist in new things. It is a common human phenomenon that people gloss over problems in things they are used to, but hyper-focus on glitches as an excuse to reject something new.
Apple Maps still has serious flaws, database issues. Almost since it came out, I have repeatedly reported serious errors with no changes to correct them. I’d like it if it were accurate. In places where it is accurate, I’d use it. Everyplace else, don’t risk your route on it.
I have a friend who used apple imap to travel from NYC to little falls using the back roads. From there they went to cooperstown, all through the back roads. No problems whatsoever.
Try using google maps and when you lose connection, you will be utterly lost. Imaps loads a far wider area than the POS where Eric the mole lords it over.
“clearly in both instances the purchase is in a way an admission that Apple’s Maps product continues to be markedly inferior to Google Maps”.
??? Just like googles waze acquisition shows the reverse?
Google maps is bad in Australia. Doesn’t recognise one way roads and guides you down them the wrong way. Apple maps are far from perfect but are getting better at a faster pace than Google are becoming correct with directions
Yes, but Waze is awesome and will be a definitive reason for many people to choose Google maps over Apple. In fact I was an Apple maps fan until I used Waze. I use Waze over Google and Apple maps and now that Google bought them, once Waze become integrated into Google maps, I will instantantly become a Google user along with 30 million other loyal Waze fans.
It was a total failure on Apple’s part to allow Google to buy Waze. Google will take the lead and these new purchases on Apple’s part is trying to play catch-up. They clearly know that with Waze, Google will be a force to recon with!
As we all know Apple is incredibly good at social media. So it is difficult to believe they did not purchase Waze with a healthy subscriber base. We shall see …
My understandimg is that Apples map technology has amplitude and direction. Apparently, not compatable waze and google will both die in the coming raster disaster.
Waze is crap in Canada
Do you really think a continent of prisoner offspring
is due the same attention as Great Briiton……..of course not.
The more you bloaks wring you hands and harp about it
the more often the iMap team slides your file to the bottom of the pile. Now go drink you 6 pack of Fosters and man up!
Matthew Yglesias… ugh!
Google Maps provide turn-by-turn spoken directions on an iPhone 4. Apple requires 4s. Why?
I have found myself reaching for Apple maps over Google maps more and more, to the point where last week I moved Google maps off of my front page. I find Apple maps easier to read. Something about the way they decided to draw the same streets makes them easier to absorb. You could compare it to the same way some fonts are superior to other fonts for clear concise communication. Apple maps are like a superior font.
This article makes no sense. it seems to make rational sense. apple doesn’t have navigation for walking or mass transit. they purchase a company that provides that, and now they have that option. What is gutsy about this? If apple didn’t make this purchase then you could draw a conclusion that apple maps is inferior to google maps due to not having different types of navigation. So how did this story even get published?
I think it’s the “gutsy-ness” of choosing to chuck Google-powered Maps in the first place, and to continually improve the product (buying out people who do what you want to do better than you could do on your own) rather than admit defeat and come crawling back to the data-mining overlord.
And I hope Apple keeps it up, because I want to rub it in my Android-loving friends’ faces when the day comes that Apple Maps clearly and unequivocally outshines their precious Google Maps. Mature attitude? No. But I’m sick of my close-minded friends poking fun at my phone in their ignorance.
Apple Maps does currently have walking directions. It has from the start.
Google was a terrible partner for Apple, stealing its stuff and stabbing Apple in the back by turns. Google Maps on iOS was inferior to its offerings on other platforms until Apple forced the issue by releasing its own maps app with a few technical advantages. Google was forced to quickly update its maps offering for iOs and incorporate some of Apple’s approach. This eliminated the negative influence of Google Maps on iOS devices. Thus, Apple’s primary objective was achieved. Apple’s next objective is to make Apple Maps more desirable than Google Maps. This will help pay for the whole development effort by providing a new, long term advertising revenue stream. It will also keep the pressure on Google to maintain the quality of its iOS maps service, keeping iOS devices at the forefront of mobile technology. It is a sound and aggressive strategy on the part of Apple management. I will continue to accumulate AAPL as long as Apple keeps making strong strategic moves like developing Apple Maps.
It shouldn’t be long till Samesung is putting together their own maps app to go with their Tizen OS. How much do you wanna bet it has the same missing streets and other errors as Apple maps…….you know…. almost as if they copied Apple! Naw? They would never stoop to anything like that, would they?
Maps in Canada are missing big highways. Unacceptable…i like apple but google is better in Canada. Let’s hope those two acquisitions make a difference!
Echo off…
Continue to find Google position errors and my brother approaching officially reporting 250 errors where he travels. That said, found Apple Maps is not as good finding business locations in my area and have to switch back to Google from time to time. The number one issue hoping Apple will fix is the roads are too light and hard to see until you zoom in very, very close. Not a problem on Google I can see them clearly at all levels of magnification. Turn-by-turn graphics and Siri’s voice are much better in Maps. Bottom line: Use what works best depending upon what I’m doing. Both programs have pluses and minuses.
Agree 100% about secondary roads being far too light.
This, just the way you’ve put it, is the brilliance of Apple’s Google gambit (say it 5 times quickly 🙂
From having an inferior Google mapping product festering away, iOS users now have 2 top dogs fighting it out for number one and swallowing up some pretty great players in their own right to give them state-of-the art alternative solutions for every situation and location.
Win-win, that’s what I say…
Yup, the race to the top will be fun to use and watch. No clear winner yet, because both are excellent in different ways. Fanboys say otherwise, no surprise there … 🙂
I prefer Apple Maps to Google Maps. After all the HYPE, and using both often, I give Apple Maps a slight edge over Google and I expect the gap to widen.
‘Street View’ is a true Google gem. But I prefer ‘Bird’s eye’ in Bing Maps over Earth for 3-D photographic aerials that rotate in all directions.
Sorry but I still prefer Waze with its ability to let users know of hazards and to add hazards to the map.
After using apple maps few times , I have 2 garmins I put up on eBay ….. Never used google maps on the road just at home and seems fine I guess for directions before the actual trip, but iPhone5 seems the way to go once ios7 comes to play and has been a awesome experience on the road fast clean and on point. 2 purchases made by apple is a big indication they are playing very serious game and are willing to take chances kudos for them. Ios7 maps ability to find directions on your computer and send it over to your iPhone is a plus to me and everyone that starts home searching first.
And by the way “waze” is a joke to me more like a kids game. That’s just me and seriously after google bought the company was it said that it will be a separate company and it won’t be integrated with google maps?
Why no Apple Maps on OSX? Doesn’t Apple think Mac desktops users need love, too? Honestly, how much more would Apple have to spend to get some decent mapping software on the desktop like Google and Bing have? It’s being either pretty stingy or narrow-minded if you ask me. It’s like telling Mac users they have to go to Google for services. I must admit, though, Bing Maps are pretty decent as I’ve used their version of street view. It would be nice if Apple could buy some street view data from someone or start building a fleet of vehicles to get their own data.
Apple has so much spare cash to burn and yet they keep coming up painfully short on services. Hopefully, once they get into their new headquarters, they can start building better services using a larger staff of employees.
Mavericks.
That’s telling him what time it is, dawg…
I prefer Apple Maps over Google 2-to-1.
Just the other day I was planning a trip to Hoover dam but after seeing how the road plunged down the cliff into the water I changed my mind. And I’m talking about Google maps here, not Apple. Apple fixed theirs a long time ago, and Google is still showing the road in the water. Where’s the outrage at this, huh?
Apple should abandon this. Maps is the kind of technology that Apple is not culturally suited for. It’s not about a slick interface, it’s about the quality of the information. Apple doesn’t have the institutional patience, nor will it commit the resources, to really catch up with Google.
They may continue to pour money into this — a little like Microsoft with Bing — but it amounts to very expensive face-saving. Apple had its chance with maps — they blew it. If they had produced something reasonably serviceable, not a stinking mound of poop, they could have kicked Google Maps off the iPhone, it would have been an evil success but it would have been a success.
But that window is closed. Now they actually have to come up with something superior to Google Maps. Good luck with that.
Yeah, yeah, hold Apple to a different standard… sure.
But for everybody else, it’s aright to just be “good enough”, then the shrill “Apple-killer” screechers start their mock funerals.
Great thing about Apple is they never rest until their good is better, and their better best.
People seem to forget that Apple’s contract with Google’s data was coming to an end, and Google wanted Apple to provide end user maps info and begin incorporating ads into Apple’s Google Maps app on iOS devices. Since Apple is all about the user experience it had no choice but to start down the maps road with its own database. Apple wrote the Google Maps app in use on all iOS devices, only using Google’s backend data, so when it decided to drop Google’s contribution, it was relatively easy for it to simply add new app features to enhance the app to move ahead. Unfortunately, Google’s maps data was much more advanced than the third party companies Apple had to turn to to build its own maps database infrastructure, and the result showed. It’s taking time for Apple to flesh all this in, and I’d like to see quicker turn around on user corrections to their dataset. In the meantime, Google took several months to rush its own iOS map app out driven by its data backend, and it showed. The Apple Maps app is beautiful. The new Google Maps app written by Google is pretty bland, reflecting its quick-and-dirty approach to writing “good enough” vice a great user experience software. Its only advantage is its database, and Apple is working hard to grow its own. In my opinion, Apple’s only mistake during this whole fiasco was not declaring the new Apple Maps app a work in progress.
If you actually read the article, Yglesias’ primary argument that Apple Maps has resulted in a strategic win for iOS has nothing to do with the relative merits of Apple Maps versus Google Maps. The key point in the article is that the Google-powered Maps app in iOS 5 was already inferior to what Google provided for Android (i.e., no vector maps, no turn-by-turn directions, etc.). It became a liability that had to be addressed in iOS 6. Given that the contract with Google was due to run out in a year, Apple would have had to bend over in a big way if they wanted to contractually obligate Google to bring its best features over to the default iOS maps app.
By removing Google from the iOS Maps app and bringing the app to closer feature parity with Google Maps for Android, Apple basically created a situation in which Google had to make their maps app for iOS comparable in quality to what they offered to Android users. Given that they can no longer hold Apple hostage by withholding key features from the Maps data, they now need to make the Google Maps app for iOS better, otherwise they risk losing the user data from iOS users.
Regardless of which app you prefer, the mapping options available to iOS are far superior to what we had at this time last year, and at least the equal to what’s available on Android.
I recently wanted to visit an 18th Century mansion that was never finished and abandoned. It’s hidden down in a steep valley, about a forty minute drive away. I had the postcode, and I knew about half of the route across country.
I tried CoPilot Live, which gave me three options, all of which took me along routes which added miles to the journey, as did Google Maps. Apple was the only app that gave me the route I wanted, taking in the exact route that I already knew, and adding on the last ten miles or so I was unfamiliar with.
It did show the big flaw with mapping systems that require data to be downloaded from the cloud; at the other end, I wanted to be certain I was taking the correct route to get me back to roads I was familiar with, and I couldn’t get a data connection, so maps couldn’t download.
Fine if you live somewhere where you always have four bars of 3G coverage, but that doesn’t happen in the UK, so a massive fail, there.
Fortunately I was able to recognise the turns I needed to take, but I have been to places where the area is very complicated, and there’s no data and barely any network coverage of any sort, which puts me back to mapping with native maps, like CoPilot.
“quality of Google Maps for iOS” ?!?!?
I don’t know about the map data (Apple’s data works just fine for me) but the quality of Google’s app itself is unusable.
Respectfully, I have to disagree. Street View is a good idea, haphazardly implemented. Seldom do I pull up anything in Street View where the destination is actually pictured. Usually, it shows something close by, but down the block, or on the wrong side of the street. I use Navigon primarily, due to its UI and really, really good voice guidance. I’d prefer to use it exclusively, but like many navigators, its map updates lag real world changes annoyingly. Street View on Navigon is not only NOT an asset, but reduces the apps ability to show map info which would be immensely more important as I’m getting close to my destination. Wish there was a way to turn it OFF. PITA.
Waze has my vote as being the most accurate mapping package, just suffers a bit in its display clarity, & voice guidance when compared to Navigon.
Street View will be killed by 3D.
Apple’s Map appn. says I live in a town called Sale (in the UK). But I know I live in Altrincham 4 miles away. And, the post code has been truncated to WA14 2 when it should be shown as WA14 2AU. I have reported this 3 times over the past year, but it is still wrong. IMO this is not good. I feel it should have been easily fixable, especially if Apple was/is using TomTom data.
Right on. Street View is a stunning advantage, and while 3D is entertaining and perhaps useful, it is nothing like the detail offered by Street View. That said, Street View for iOS 6 is horrible by comparison with that offered for earlier versions. Its resolution is markedly poorer and the interface is clumsy compared to the original form, which is why I have not and will not update my iPad to iOS 6.
Street View is by no means comprehensive, but in this arena Google has an enormous head start. It will be interesting to see if Google maintains the expansion and updating of Street View –and how Apple responds.