“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but the launch of Apple Maps went poorly,” Matthew Panzarino reports for TechCrunch. “After a rough first impression, an apology from the CEO, several years of patching holes with data partnerships and some glimmers of light with long-awaited transit directions and improvements in business, parking and place data, Apple Maps is still not where it needs to be to be considered a world class service.”
“Maps needs fixing,” Panzarino reports. “Apple, it turns out, is aware of this, so It’s re-building the maps part of Maps.”
“It’s doing this by using first-party data gathered by iPhones with a privacy-first methodology and its own fleet of cars packed with sensors and cameras. The new product will launch in San Francisco and the Bay Area with the next iOS 12 Beta and will cover Northern California by fall,” Panzarino reports. “This is nothing less than a full re-set of Maps and it’s been 4 years in the making, which is when Apple began to develop its new data gathering systems. Eventually, Apple will no longer rely on third-party data to provide the basis for its maps, which has been one of its major pitfalls from the beginning.”
“There is only really one big company on earth who owns an entire map stack from the ground up: Google. Apple knew it needed to be the other one,” Panzarino reports. “In short: traffic, real-time road conditions, road systems, new construction and changes in pedestrian walkways are about to get a lot better in Apple Maps.”
Tons more in the full article – highly recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Beyond the accuracy and detail of the data Apple’s obtained/onbtaining, the most impressive aspect is the level of privacy. Do please read the full article. You simply do not, not will you ever, get that from Google.
So, bottom line, as everyone knew from the get-go, or from Apple’s Maps launch, at least: It’s the data, stupid.
Hopefully they’re rebuilding Siri.
Drooling fan boys 1 stared your comment.
You are, of course, 100% spot on. Siri desperately needs a rebuilding.
I suspect they are not one-starring the comment, as such. They are downvoting the petty behavior of, “I’m not going to make any positive comment about this good news. Instead, I’m going to use the opportunity to whine about this different topic.”
They seem to be rebuilding a lot of their past ill-thought-out screw- ups for some mystery date release in the future. Could this possibly have something to do with the current leadership or lack thereof?
That’s a big 10-4 …
Sounds like a lot of talented minds out a lot of thought into the future of maps. “Thousands of people working on maps.” Not many companies (or counties) on Earth capable of that, I’m sure. Truly sounds impressive. But… I hate to let the air out of the tires… “rolling out over the next year.” Unfortunately, I have to assume that it is gonna be a looong wait. Like (maybe) fall of 2019. That is a good 17 to 18 month wait. Note that Apple recently has a (bad?) habit of announcing stuff waaay early. Apple AirPower anyone?
“Unfortunately, I have to assume…”
Nothing like ASSUMING something and then whining about it!
Yes. Assume. That is what people do. People build assumptions based on past behavior. Apple announces something and then it is delayed. Apple announces new Maps and suddenly I should assume it will roll out as promised? I hope it does. I hope it’s great. Unfortunately, Apple has a relatively recent pattern of announcing things which are then delayed. Yes. Assume. That is what people do. People build assumptions based on past behavior.
You are cherry-picking the data to build your assumptions. Over the years, Apple has continued to make a series of incredible hardware and software products. Assume something from that.
Or maybe don’t bother assuming. Just wait. There is plenty to think about in the present — both about Apple, and, one presumes, in your life.
i don’t read cherry-picking from the post unless it’s from you. key phrase you missed: I should assume it will roll out as promised? judging by many past launches we can’t assume it will be on time. you can apologize for the company all you want but you can’t change track record facts whether you assume or presume
Thank you
Oh, I’m sorry. Did I not heap enough praise upon the yet to be seen improved Apple Maps? From my original post; “Sounds like a lot of talented minds put a lot of thought into the future of Maps. “Thousands of people working on maps.” Not many companies (or countries) on Earth capable of that, I’m sure. Truly sounds impressive.” Further, I never complained about Apple’s “incredible hardware and software products.” Perhaps you could re-read my original post. Thank you.
Apple truly cannot win. Withhold announcements and Apple gets criticized for being secretive and not providing enough information for the corporate space to plan ahead. Plus, the void of information is filled with speculation and FUD from other sources. But, when Apple offers product announcements like many other companies, it is dissed for not having a shipping product in hand.
It is one way or the other folks. Not much middle ground here.
“But, when Apple offers product announcements like many other companies, it is dissed for not having a shipping product in hand.”
“Dissed” is how you describe it. Overpaid heads should roll for consistently missing product launches and not having enough in stock. Until TC adopted his SJW role, when Steve was around he did much better.
Corporate spaces are looking for roadmaps, not product announcements. That is where they have problems with investing for the long term with Apple.
Product announcements given too early simply frustrate people with brand loyalty deciding whether to purchase now or wait the 6+ months before it actually is available.
Both can be done without conflicting with each other.
Too bad the ground they started on was six feet under….
I recently made a visit to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis. I entered the published address into Apple Maps. It took me to the original entrance which is really beautiful, but it hasn’t been used for decades and is actually on a different street that the address. I put in a report to Apple Maps. I just received a notice yesterday that the issue has been corrected. I decided to check it out. Not only do the directions take me onto the correct street, but they also take me down the entrance road to the main entry building inside the garden. Needless to say, I was impressed that they got this very right.
These days any new map app is likely to have a long GIStation period.
My biggest concern is usability of interface and user features/control/customization. Maps currently sucks big time on those measures.
Accurate locations will come and will be a constant effort. I fear Apple doesn’t know how to prioritize locations that need to be kept up to date versus Timmy’s social initiatives that he wants to highlight.
Whine, whine, whine. Same old talking points…
Pipeline Timmy…Timmy’s social initiatives…blah blah blah
As is typical in your opinionated posts, you don’t address the issues the post points out. Just your thin skin fanboy whining. Until Cook leaves, or the problems at Apple are corrected, these posts are not going away. Count on it …
If only Apple could turn out wonderful products consistently like Microsoft, Samsung and others.
sarcasm?
Great.. now can we help Siri graduate kindergarten?
The internet is overrun with armchair quarterbacks that have personally accomplished shite.
Can’t say I’ve ever had a problem with Maps. Not even in the beginning. In my travels across the U.S., it’s never taken me to the wrong place.
It’s my hope, from pics I’ve seen of Apple’s mapping vehicles, that Apple will be incorporating a street view feature into Maps. Street view is the only thing that keeps me from deleting Google Maps.
I have found Google Maps to have much MORE business locations, more ACCURATE locations and of course STUNNING street view. They have a long way to go, we’ll see.
I prefer a new MacPro to get serious work done. Already have several maps apps that get the job done, yet STILL nursing a cheese grater …
Apple may need a long time to cover the globe with their own new proprietary maps database. But at least they started on it, four years ago. Let’s see, that would have been Tim Cook’s call. Kudos to Tim for not floating along on the Steve Jobs product roadmap, but crumpling it up and starting over.
Steve brought this whole maps mess into being when he conjured Maps into existence to call Google’s bluff. At the time, both companies were playing hardball, with ad dollars and customer security at stake. They might have negotiated further, but Steve always preferred owning essential technologies to licencing them. It gave Apple dancing room. Rolling his own might result in ho-hum solutions, but he would concede squat to Google, Adobe or anyone who tried to squeeze him.
And now Tim Cook is furthering that aggressive thrust to manage the whole user experience whilst protecting users from leering auctioneers and spooks. Good for him. Good for us, too. Also, this new Maps is at least keeping Eddy Cue off the streets.. er, basketball courts.
Good to hear from you.
Ok, kudos to Cook for upgrading Maps and he has certainly drifted from Steve in many ways.
NO kudos for Cook dragging the company into partisan politics.
NO kudos for Cook not upgrading Macs annually like the iPhone and certainly the most egregious example is five years of an over priced, totally neglected underwhelming MacPro.
As I posted earlier, I already have several map apps that take me from point A to point B. How much better can it get, seriously? But I reserve judgement.
The billion dollar question is how much better my pro Apple computing experience can be if Cook kept his eye on the ball …
Even though I retired two years ago, I can’t bring myself to rule out my returning to the workplace of the valiant.. who knows, I may tire of sipping mint juleps on the verandah, indulging in idle gossip about the Help, playing cribbage &etc. with the poolboy. So I tend to identify with your intensity, GoeB, over the state of Apple. If only Tim Cook’s Apple can come up with some insanely great upgrades, particularly along the pro lines, I could entertain the prospect of returning to their developer pool. That would be good news for everyone who knows my work, and kick up Tim’s diversity index a notch without his even trying.
Just make Apple great again, Tim. I might vote for you.
I don’t know, Constance. Sipping mint juleps on the verandah, indulging in idle time playing cribbage, pool talk etc., seems mighty fine to me. 😎
Fingers crossed Apple can come up great upgrades, “particularly along prolines,” I totally agree.
“That would be good news for everyone who knows my work, and kick up Tim’s diversity index a notch without his even trying.”
Yes, indeed. The talent pool can never be too full. Possibly you should entertain the prospect of writing articles for submission to computer media about your experiences.
Better yet, a book on the evolution of the developer community whether a demise or possibly a grand return if Apple gets it PRO ACT TOGETHER. Either scenario is interesting. The juleps will go down even better. 😊
We can’t say it loud enough or long enough at a critical juncture in Apple’s history. Make Apple Great Again! 🍎 …
It will take ages for Apple to get global coverage of their own map data. Never heared of any Apple van driving around in Europa. So for now Google maps rules the world
I’m waiting. I love Apple Maps. Changes? Yes. Soon? How about yesterday?