Apple vs Google Maps for iPhone: Preferred Choice
When the latest Apple mobile operating system iOS 6 was released last week to the public it was warmly welcomed as offering over 200 new features and improvements. However it soon became evident that all was not well with the new iOS and in particular it was the new Apple Maps app that came under fire, gathering widespread condemnation. Today we want to discuss Apple vs. Google Maps for the iPhone and ask what your preferred choice is?
Early criticism of iOS 6 included problems with the Maps app, the Passbook app, issues with tighter social media integration, instability of iMessage and more. However this didn’t seem to put off iOS device users from downloading the new OS more than twice as quickly as the adoption rate of iOS 5 last year, with 20% of iOS devices updated after the first two days of availability. Of all the problems with iOS 6 though it is the Apple Maps app that has been met with the deepest levels of disapprovement, with headlines across the world expressing people’s frustration and exasperation with the new Maps app.
Previously Apple relied on Google Maps for the mapping app on iOS devices and this had been tried and tested, with high levels of consumer satisfaction. However, when it was first announced that Google Maps and its 10 years of experience would be replaced with Apple’s own Maps app that was 2 years in the making, many of us were pretty excited to see what Apple’s very own offering would bring. Before iOS 6 was released, everything we’d heard about Apple Maps seemed like an exciting development and we were eager to download iOS 6 for ourselves to start trying it out. However maybe we should have paid more attention to some criticism that started to filter out in the days just before the launch.
We told for example how Waze CEO, Noam Bardin, spoke about the risk of Apple building a whole new product as complex as Maps in only two years and his doubts that Apple was relying on TomTom for mapping data for the new app. Bardin referred to Google Maps as having the highest data set while asserting that TomTom had the lowest data set and added, “You’re literally not going to find things.” He also told how developers had approached him saying that things that worked with Google just didn’t work with Apple and so even before release it seems that some were not confident in the capabilities of Apple Maps.
Still, many of us remained positive about the Apple Maps app and release day arrived and millions of people were soon to get their first real taste of Apple’s new Maps experience. The new Maps app promised turn-by-turn navigation, local search, traffic and business reviews although the 3D Flyover feature much touted by Apple was not available for all regions, such as the UK. Within a couple of days of iOS 6 becoming available to the public though, Apple Maps was being maligned with problems such as inaccuracies with location data, misplaced landmarks and distorted imagery to name just some of the issues receiving criticism.
In fact Apple Maps was so widely disparaged that Apple eventually issued a statement acknowledging this and saying that it was just getting started with the app, was working hard to improve it and appreciated the customer feedback. It was at this point that we felt if Apple had only issued Apple Maps with the word ‘beta’ in evidence then it may have not received quite so much widespread displeasure of Maps.
By now many people were crying out for the return of Google Maps to the iOS platform, a case maybe of not appreciating something until you lose it. We also heard that Apple was taking on ex-Google employees in a bid to fix Maps in iOS 6 and that Google was still working on a Google Maps iOS 6 app that had yet to be approved by Apple. However it now seems an iOS 6 app from Google is not in the offing, at least not at this present time. We did recently bring news that one developer had managed to port Google Maps to iOS 6 but that it was still unstable and not yet ready for the public. In any case this was only of any interest to those who jailbreak their devices.
If you use iOS 6 and really hate to be without Google Maps now, all is not lost, as many people seem to have overlooked that you can still use Google Maps by heading to Google.com and then adding maps as a web app. Of course this Google Maps use will not be optimized for iOS devices but it still offers an extremely decent mapping service.
Also we shouldn’t overlook the fact that many people are saying they are more than happy with Apple Maps and have no wish to return to Google Maps and of course we always hear more about problems with a new service than we hear about positive points. This means the ‘widespread’ criticism of Apple Maps could have been overblown in the media and this is where we’d really like to hear from our readers to get an idea of the split of opinion.
If you previously used Google Maps on iOS and have now tried Apple Maps we’d like to know your preferred choice? Are you unhappy with the new Apple Maps app and wish iOS 6 had stuck with Google Maps? Maybe you disagree with this and feel Apple Maps offers you everything you need? Send us your comments on this so that we can see if the criticism is indeed as overwhelming as reports suggest, or not as the case may be.
Comments
19 thoughts on “Apple vs Google Maps for iPhone: Preferred Choice”
Apple have made big mistake here. How can I get google maps back?
buy an android device.
Repeat after me :
– I Shall buy buy an android device
– I Shall buy buy an android device
– I Shall buy buy an android device
.
.
.
n Times
. I Shall buy buy an android device
LOL
iPhone updated over the weekend. Will NOT update the iPad until Google Maps is available as a true mobile app.
As one of my most useful apps, I will not give it up on the iPad.
I’ve tried Apple Maps, and for the first time ever, I will say that Apple really has released an extremely poor product with this. Very, very disappointed.
Apple Maps SUCKS big time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hate. Get over yourself APPLE and bring back Google Maps…….
I really enjoy the 3D mapping and panning aroun. That is fun. The voice step by step directions has been long awaited for and like that too. The directions are wrong at times so too risky to use it as GPS…
It is a shame that apple didn’t previously permit Google to add voice to Googlemaps, I guess that apple was worried about losing revenue from the turn by turn maps in the App Store
Applications are making these devices valuable. Without applications or POOR and NOT WORKING APPLICATIONS like APPLE MAPS these devices really make no sense. Let’s face it..they make the difference our days on smartphones. And GOOGLE MAPS is definitely the most loved and useful ever made. Why shall I keep an £500 iPhone if I can’t use the best ever made application?! It’s a shame! I’m really considering passing over to android!!!
it is lucky that Steve didn’t have a chance to see this, the apple map performance can literally kill him again.
after Steve was gone, they do it again like the one time he got kicked out from the company before , start putting up some products are not ready and make big big mistakes, That is when the company start going downward
but the iphone 5 is “the last device that steve worked on” or some other advertising bull***t
I prefer Google maps on my iPhone. Apple maps does not show any of the buildings and major landmarks the way Google maps does. I don’t drive in Korea, so the way I figure my way around town is by seeing the subway line. Public transportation routes are not shown on Apple maps, upon which I render it useless and impractical.
The map seems up to date with new streets but old streets that where never made into streets or have been turned into dead end streets are shown as roads that cars can drive on.. From Ocean Grove to Torquay in Victoria Australia , it send me through a dead end street, a walking track, and a bike only track, and I’m supposed to drive my car on them .. I’m glade I never brought Tom Tom if it is taken from there maps.. Please give my Google every time.. Apple needs to have a feed back site to show them how bad this out dated this silly gimmicky map is..
The actual maps are OK. but the satellite views are rubbish, all fuzzy and undecipherable. Also, I really miss street view. I used to love looking at the houses I used to live in. Please, give us back Google maps, or improve your satellite views!
Google for me – the Apple maps are useless
Google maps hav ea lot of detail built up over the years off course – Apple will struggle to catch Google up
Apple have made the exact same mistake google did years ago – the maps weren’t checked by humans, it was left to software to ‘correct’ any mistakes or inconsistencies. You’ve gotta love the apple ‘it’s not us it’s you’ bull***t excuses every time “it’s a beta product and will get better as more people use it” just like “you’re holding it wrong”
Serioulsy though, if it’s as bad as the reports say, surely it’s a driving distraction, and has the potential to cause accidents? Not cool!
This is your wake up call guys … Can you spell C-H-I-N-A ? …
I have been lurking for about 4 weeks now in this forum… Honestly I was amazed to read comments… Can’t you guys come up with more intelligent stuff than what Steve Jobs would have done or not done… To begin with Steve Jobs was NEVER your HERO ! … Why are you adopting him post-mortum ? Could it be that lacking any substance to your add , that you may need something tangible … Please spare me the Steve Jobs thing … He is dead : ARE you alive ? Can your brains come up with something INNOVATIVE ? If you Android Fans are so innovative, so smart, with IQ over 200, could you please post a better grade of comments … ? … LOL … This is a challenge !
Disclosure : I do not owe an iphone, nor a Sam Song … Nor am I a paid Apple genius… At best you may call me an iSheep … Yup I have an iPod Touch don’t need a SmartPhone… Not for now anyway … Maybe next year … That is why I have been hanging here for the past 4-5 weeks trying to make up my mind on what to buy … I would have been better off looking for answers elsewhere … This forum is a total waste of time… I just cannot figure out how impartial you guys can get… Maybe you need a forum like this to boost your self esteem of having made the wrong choice ! …
Maybe, just maybe 25% of you guys are on Samsung payroll … If they can afford all these lawyers they surely can afford paying some dumb-asses like 80% of you to post
stupidly here !…
Anyway I am out … Good like for the 80% Trolls of you ! … I will not come back here !
£699 for this crap, REFUND REFUND REFUND !!! ####