“Apple’s new Maps in iOS 6 certainly has some significant flaws, but its real problems have been overshadowed by a small number of reports calling attention to minor glitches that are relatively insignificant,” Daniel Eran Dilger reports for AppleInsider.
“Looking at the current status of Maps, it’s pretty easy to identify the errors that are being discussed. Most of these are not really intrinsic to the design of the Maps app itself, which is (unsurprisingly) very similar in layout and functionality to Apple’s original Maps app,” Dilger reports. “There are two significant features that are missing in the new Maps app however: Google’s Street View and Transit directions. Flyover provides a partial alternative to Street View, but it’s not available in nearly as many areas (currently it is limited primarily to select, larger urban U.S. areas)… If you’re outside the limited coverage of Flyover, your only real option to preview a particular destination is to download Google Earth (which provides a lower quality alternative to Flyover but with more coverage) or another third party app or website providing similar birds-eye views. ”
Dilger reports, “There are three solutions to the missing Transit directions… ”
Read more in the full article here.
What is the big deal about Street View? Many times I tried to use it and it dumped me a block or more away from the address, or Street View wasn’t available for the location I was looking for anyway. And many times when I did manage to find a Street View for the location I was searching, the image was so out of date that the business I was looking for hadn’t moved in yet.
As far as transit data, yes, Apple should get that included. But there are many municipalities which won’t share its transit data and require you to use their proprietary app.
“And many times when I did manage to find a Street View for the location I was searching, the image was so out of date that the business I was looking for hadn’t moved in yet”
And many times images are just fine, for businesses and landmarks that have been there awhile.
“As far as transit data, yes, Apple should get that included. But there are many municipalities which won’t share its transit data and require you to use their proprietary app.”
That’s no justification. Just because some cities are morons doesn’t mean the rest of the world’s transit users should be forced to operate at their level.
I noticed in the article that Google is not only charging for Street View now, but that it delivers Street View via Flash, which means that Apple couldn’t have included it even if it wanted to.
Not to mention, Google won’t be able to keep in in Android as Flash for long anyway since Adobe is not going to further develop Flash for mobile devices. So I guess Android will be losing Street View also? Will we get just as large of an uproar when that happens?
Streetviewer app. Street view without Flash.
I’ve also had Street view in my desktop Safari, which doesn’t have Flash installed. It doesn’t always work–sometimes it says it needs Flash, sometimes it loads and I can move around around no problem. Difference might be in how SV is invoked in the browser, haven’t really looked into it
I have found the Apple Maps app — at least in my suburban Southern California universe — to be roughly on par with the Google Maps we had previously. Both have annoying tendencies to confuse “Baker’s” with local bakeries, instead of a local fast-food chain. But I waaaay prefer Apple’s vector approach, which doesn’t make me wait endlessly as Google’s maps did whenever I scrolled to a new area.
One area that DOES bother me with Apple’s maps is viewing traffic conditions. Instead of coloring the road itself green, yellow or red, there’s a small dashed red line alongside the highways that are congested. MUCH harder to see at a glance…
Traffic data on Apple Maps is really a huge step down from the Google version of Maps. Hopefully, Apple is soon enhance the traffic info so it is at least up to par with Google.
Not sure if it is harder to see traffic or that I’m not use to it yet at a glance. Google’s big green -> red lines are easy to see at a glance but it is so much in the way that I found myself turning it off once I look at it just to see the rest of the map.
Also, once Google started including street traffic (worthless to me as cars are always stopping at red lights) it made it MUCH harder to see the freeways in California.
I suppose Apple’s new maps could use thicker traffic colors.
But please, KEEP TRAFFIC ONLY ON FREEWAYS AND HIGHWAYS, NOT ON REGULAR STREETS!
—thank you—
I really disagree….thorough traffic coverage makes Google Maps & my iPhone essential for driving in S CA. Until it’s improved I’m not upgrading the iPhone (after upgrading my iPad and seeing how incomplete Apple’s traffic coverage is).
Use Waze as a stopgap if you feel Apple Maps don’t, yet, provide enough data on human congestion.
I have found street view useful on many occasions when I was looking for a house. However, with business locations there are a few problems with the location accuracy. Smaller enities have moved or not longer solvent. The large corporate locations are more stable-as expected.. But, the updates are not as common and sometimes not available for a specific address. If the listing was more accurate, even without street view, it would be more helpful. Not really missing it.
I solved my IOS 6 map issues. As reported elsewhere on the web, I simply aimed mobile Safari at maps.google.com, and added it to my home screen as an app.
It also solved the missing transportation layer PDQ.
I have only ever used transit information once, on a visit to manhattan. It was great. But there was no transit information for Sydney, London, Paris, Rome, or anywhere else I have been. I’m not planning a trip to Manhattan any time soon, so I guess I won’t be missing the Transit info…
I have used Apple’s maps every day now since getting my iPhone 5.
So far the app has been 100% on the money.
It *is* a V.1 product and I accept that, but I don’t use public transport not did I ever use street view other than looking for the TARDIS in the UK.
It could be better but overall I’m happy.
Live Street View… good universal
Want Apple Maps to be better? Then USE IT. The more we do, the more anonymous data that Apple can collect to refine the app. This is exactly what Google has done for seven years.
See a problem with Apple Maps? REPORT IT. Your input can refine Apple Maps significantly.
A note about transit maps: they are a nightmare for any company doing mapping. Routes and schedules are constantly being changed and adjusted, and the vehicles can easily be off schedule. Add to that the issues licensing data from myriad government bodies and well, you get the idea. Toxic sludge.
Personally, I’ve been banging on the app a lot and gave yet to find inaccuracies in my locale (Orange County California). The pin location for my home was exactly on target, unlike Google, which gets a pass despite its app being far from perfect. That never stopped bloggers, haters and pundits from piling on, and the echo chamber media doing what it does best: exaggerate and distort. The result: Apple stock is off $25. Thank Blodgett. Frigtard.
Finally, in response to comments about the traffic markers: they are probably different to avoid patent battles. It’s not as if Apple needs another lawsuit.
So use the app already. I will and am.
Thank you! I have used Apple Maps on my iPhone 4S in the SF bay area with similar results. In fact, on many occasions, it has picked the route that I would pick and not the longer route that Google Maps used to provide. In 6 days, with over 300 miles of driving and 30 of walking, I have been unable to find incorrect directions or locations.
I do prefer the Apple Maps UI to the old Google Maps and it certainly appears faster on my iPhone 4S.
Thank Blodgett.
Convict stock market cheat, banned for life from Wall Street.
Hmm yes. Please use this inferior service to help us catch up with the service that has been withdrawn.
I looked up East Imperial Highway in Brea California on the new Apple map and it put me a couple of blocks away from where it should have and I thought AH HA!!! I found a mistake!
So I looked it up on Google’s map to find it,
it made the same mistake. — had to find it on my own —
Should have said, looked up an address on East Imperial Highway in Brea California
This whole claim that Apple left transit navigation open to third party solutions so that the user can choose their own based on “personal preference”, is totally stupid. If that is Apple’s decision, it is everything opposite of Apple’s DNA up until now. They want to do sweeping 3D shots of buildings, have Siri do turn by turn, but make you go out of the app for transit directions? Believe me, no one buys an iPhone hoping that Apple will say “you choose how best to do this.” That’s why we buy iPhones. You tell us, Apple. So tired of all the stupid people defending a screw up of theirs. It isn’t great. A lot if people don’t like it. Apple needs to do a better job with it and fast.
Wrong! You lose!
Okay, I use a iPhone 3GS. Apple Maps voice turn by turn does not work, also to get to the next turn I must swipe the screen. Before you say ” it is a 3GS” MapQuest voice turn by turn is perfect, to get the next turn on the 3GS I do not have to swipe the screen; it moves. So for me it is neither Google maps nor Apple Maps, it is MapQuest. Sad but true.
Bubba, you don’t need to swipe to get next turn. Click twice to the button on low left side of screen to activate location tracking and compass on your iPhone.
Hey Pete,
Thank you. My Bubbett (she who must be obeyed), Bubba Jr., and little Bubbett, are going with me to town, during our drive I will give your tip a go. Much appreciated,
The biggest problem of Apple Maps is Yelp, at least outside the US. Yelp search returns mediocre results, even if the shops or restaurants are in fact in the Yelp database. This leads to even worse results when asking Siri about it.
I run my own business and decided to use maps (instead of Tom Tom and previously google maps) to test it.
Each journey to customers I used maps, Tom Tom and google maps via safari. All 3 took me to where I wanted to go.
On one particular journey where I didn’t know where I was going ALL 3 make the same mistake.
My conclusion – maps is ok, the problem is the mapping data that ALL. Map apps use!
Just proves all this fuss about maps is totally blown out the water.
People should be blaming the company that supplied the mapping data NOT apple.
The problem is all this crap about maps has been started by people that are anti apple, haven’t used the bloody app long enough in the first place or work for apples competitors.
So my advice is use maps every day for at least a week and then decide for yourself if its broken.
In which case if it is ten use Tom Tom or any other app until apple release an update (very soon!).
Dot listen to the idiots flaming it, decide for yourself.
Anybody see Colbert last night? When he starts ridiculing the new maps app you know Apple has a problem
I just want to find what I am looking for. My wife was in London the other evening and got lost using the apple map app. She asked two policemen the way, as she held her iPhone, they both said, apples map is really bad!! When will it be sorted?