Apple maps very disappointing

Fact of the matter is Apple Maps is unreliable. It is unable to accurately navigate to locations. It is unable to find locations. It is unable to pinpoint locations. "No Results Found" is a common search result. It will often lead you to a location 2 or 3 blocks off. To me, this is a toy. Apple maps is not suitable for reliable use. If I were attending a business meeting armed with Google Maps, I would, based on 3 years experience, rely on it to take me to the place. I would not feel the need to cross check the data to ensure it is taking me to the correct address. There is no way, I would rely on Apple Maps to take me to a completely unfamiliar destination if I were required to attend a very important business meeting. That makes Apple Maps a toy.

Ikrupp, you love Apple Maps and we love you for your dedication. You are a true warrior.

duckdive wrote:

Fact of the matter is Apple Maps is unreliable. It is unable to accurately navigate to locations. It is unable to find locations. It is unable to pinpoint locations. "No Results Found" is a common search result. It will often lead you to a location 2 or 3 blocks off. To me, this is a toy.

Perhaps this is true for you.

I have had Apple Maps fail to locate some things I've searched for, but it's never misdirected me navigationally.

As far as places being blocks off, that all depends on the data; Google Maps has incorrect locations for an awful lot of things, too.

This is true for me and reportedly for many other users too. In fact, anybody who is using Apple Maps in locations outside of major US locations are reporting such problems. So much so, that Apple made an official apology and suggested people look to alternative Mapping applications while they try to improve their application.

Perhaps Google Maps does have incorrect data. In my 3 years of extensive use of Google Maps, I never ever once had Google Maps fail to find an address. I never ever once had google maps direct me blocks off target.

Apple Maps is worse than dissapointing. If it were possible to delete it off the phone, it would be deleted. There are 4 or 5 people on this forum who seem to love Apple Maps and we are all very happy for you. I wish you all the best with it. You high level guys remind me of the fanatical supoprters of Ingsoc.....

And you single-issue, mission-focused ranters make me thing of the "Internet Crowd Worker" jobs that I just read about. It seems Google uses them for evaluating search results. But is that all they are used for?

http://en-us.lionbridge.com/global-crowdsourcing/jobs/default.htm

All of the invective and personal attacks being slung around by those that seem to feel the need to be apologists for Apple astounds me. Apple can get along fine without you coming to its defense with your "My Apple, right or wrong!" rhetoric.

I, like many others who happen to agree with the title of this discussion thread, "Apple maps very disappoining," have every right to voice that disappointment without being beaten down by a bunch of bullies who wish to characterize us as unloyal whiners or shills for Google and Android. The upside of this is that it has kept this thread alive since September and maybe someone at Apple will pay attention to the fact that their is some persistant opinion regarding the change.

I have been a Mac user since the original Mac Plus and have generally been pleased with Apple's products, but not everything, over the years and Apple Maps is right up there with their biggest flubs, in my opinion. Whether it is a failure to anticipate Google's intent to not relicense their maps, inept renegotiation with Google, the choice to use Tom Tom's subpar mapping data, or a total lack of recognition that long time users of the iPhone would not be happy about taking a step back in usability while they sort it all out; Apple has fundamentally missed the mark that many of us have come to expect of them.

So I guess it's time that someone return to the questions of the original poster:

Shilts9 wrote:

Having just downloaded iOS 6 I am hugely disappointed with apple maps. In the UK many town names are wrong, with some missing; roads are all the same colour; satellite image resolution is not as good as it was previously. Sure, the 3D map in London is good but it only covers an area a few square miles, so is currently more of a gimmick.

So questions i have...

1) Are others experiencing the same?

Yes, yes, yes. It appears there are a number of us even in the USA, who have had many problems with the new maps. I, for one, can't even find my own home address. Yes, my house is there in satellite view but there is no street leading up to it in the map view. And this is on a street that hasn't changed in 80 some odd years. How can I expect to find my way in unfamiliar locations with inaccuarte data like that?

2) Will it get better and if so how quickly?

Oh, it willl have to get better or Apple will go out of business, but I fear it will take quite some time for the accuracy of the data to reach the level of Google maps. In my own conversations with customer support at Tom Tom, the provider of Apple Maps data, they have indicated that, even with expedited response to complaints or corrections, it will be months to years before new maps are released. And this is in regard to upgrading their consumer products. I have no idea what kind of agreement they have with Apple or how responsive they will be to its customers.

3) Will there be a google maps app released soon?

I have no idea but I do know that it will not be integrated with IOS 6 apps like the original app, which will greatly reduce its functionality for many of us who had come to use it regularly.

And, in the words of Forrest Gump, that's all I have to say about that.

Except maybe

That Apple Maps is like a box of chocolates...

RCGlass wrote:

In my own conversations with customer support at Tom Tom, the provider of Apple Maps data, they have indicated that, even with expedited response to complaints or corrections, it will be months to years before new maps are released. And this is in regard to upgrading their consumer products.

Note that updating a map on a GPS is different than updating map data on a phone.

GPS map data gets updated in the database. When they have enough data to make an actual change, they issue a map update, usually 2-3 times a year. Then the data gets put onto a CD or a download and installed onto the device.

Map data for phones/internet gets updated all the time and all they need to do is add the updated data to the database then it is live for everyone.

That's why many users who have reported data errors, will see these changes get implemented within a short time (days/weeks) instead of months/years.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/nov/27/apple-fires-mapping-manager-bac klash

nothing wrong with apple maps?

I hope we see some more action from apple - perhaps the incumbent policy maker will see sense and remedy our issues

Must be comforting to be your own boss in your little app company eh... ;)

"perhaps the incumbent policy maker will see sense and remedy our issues"

The SVP responsible was publically excoriated, and fired. If you are waiting for his tarring, feathering, being set afire, and being cast adrift - it's not going to happen.

carl wolf wrote:

"perhaps the incumbent policy maker will see sense and remedy our issues"

The SVP responsible was publically excoriated, and fired. If you are waiting for his tarring, feathering, being set afire, and being cast adrift - it's not going to happen.

Yes - because that is what my post said

I moved up from the original iPhone to the iPhone4 because of the GPS and nav capability of the 4. I bought my first Apple computer in 2007 because of the amount of work and knowledge required to keep a Windows machine in working order. Now, after Apple's memory eating Safari update and the iPhone 6.0 update, I find myself not trusting that Apple updates are in my best interest, and was able to reinstall Safari 5.7, but am stuck with IOS 6.0 on my iPhone4. I'm waiting for further review before I install IOS 6.0.1, as I've been reading about glitches in that upgrade too. For that reason, I sent my iPhone5 back to Apple, and won't reconsider until this problem is fixed (plus none of my many gadgets work easily with the 5's interface). Even though Apple dumped Snow Leopard while still supporting old MS systems such as Win XP on iCloud, I still think that the Apple interface and maintenance requirements are far better than MS systems, but the gap isn't as large as it used to be and seems to be closing. Apple seems to be willing to put new programs into service without completely testing those programs, making big problems for the end user. Many are willing to pay Apple a premium price for trouble free, efficient products instead of buying a MS machine at half the price, but that trouble free efficiency isn't as trouble free or efficient as it used to be. Hopefully this gets fixed soon.

(and there IS a maps problem because CNET, Consumer's Report, and even Apple says there is a maps problem)

Apple needs to do something by now to improve this app. We also probably need back very soon Google maps. I live in Paris, France. A big city I would say. I was looking for "Avenue Georges V, Paris" and see what I got :

Mon Dieu! At least it didn't give you Paris, Texas!

To be fair it does say the location is approximate. At least they've got the correct hemisphere. ;-)

Yes it does (get the correct hemisphere) ! To be fair I didn't update to iOS 6.0.1. I'm still with 6.0 (10A403) initial release so there is no reason my Apple maps app may improve. But I must say that with this bad experience I'm not so eager any more to update. There are so many bad surprises and no way to go back.

The latest update will not address any map issues - the location issues will/should be done from the server side (Require no software update)

I haven't updated either however - I learnt that lesson the hard way... Besides the fixes seem to be aimed at new iPhone 5 customers and for problems I am not experiencing or bothered about