Q: Apple maps very disappointing

I have official comm from Mapquest, that currently it supports only US and Canada. Maps+ however looks promising alternative, which in fact uses Gmaps data. but it is able to give me routes and directions in India.

On the larger scale, I am worried at Apple's continued habit of pushing anything they want down the users' throat, even if it may cause inconvenience, money, irritation etc. Maps is a classic latest, but you must also consider the Lightning connector for the iPhone5, which suddenly compromises the user's convenience of carrying one charger for his iPods, iPhones and iPads.

The Maps has even made the Find My Friends App useless in India, as it cannot find the directions anymore. By upgrading to iOS6 I have simply lost all this functionality from my perfectly working iPhone 4S. Apple should not have removed GMaps in the first place before they had a strong and tested alternative in place.

So, even if I will stick to the iOS and iPhone, it is quite disappointing experience right now.

Surely Androids and Windows 8 would make the most of this !

Yes, Nokia even had t-by-t directions on low end smartphones for last 1-2 years.

I've also sent several dozen 'report a problem' messages from the map app itself. Every time I see a transit icon that I can click on, I send a message about the point saying that it's completely useless for me to know that there's a transit node there without being able to easily access the associated stop times. I figure I've got no better use for my time. Soon every stop in Calgary will have an problem message sent from me.

If its such a 'deal breaker', why don't you run GoogleMaps as a browser app, and Live Street View as an App from the AppStore. Http://livestreetviewapp.com. Its free, It works, gives you the functionality you want, and is still a lot better than putting up with the Android experience which includes weak security, Apps that don't sit well on some of the hardware, and the endless risk with Android of being forced to remain on an old OS version.

For all of Apple's clumsy handling of the Map issue here it's not hard to see why they had to do this, but you still have access to these functions if you really want them.

Jumblemo wrote:

 

If its such a 'deal breaker', why don't you run GoogleMaps as a browser app, and Live Street View as an App from the AppStore?

Because we shouldn't have to.

Googlemaps via the browser is slow and buggy, Livestreetview doesn't have an iPad app. Neither of them integrate directly into iOS.

The fact that Google wouldn't allow turn-by-turn on their iOS maps was not exactly holding Apple to ransom - this far into iOS anyone who really wanted turn-by-turn had bought their own apps - Garmin, TomTom, etc.

Whatever Google were charging for their licence was worth it, and let's face it Apple could afford it. Google have just introduced the world's coral reefs into Streetview - Apple's maps can't even find my local Apple Store.

I've no problem with Apple introducing their own maps into iOS but for God's sake introduce one at least nearly as good as Google's. Apple's Maps are a complete mess, rushed out, incomplete and not even at beta stage.

I think IOS users who are stuck with an iPhone or iPad, have no choice but to use Map Apps that will work (recognise places and give simple directions) in their country. For example, in the USA, it could be Waze or MapsQuest etc. In India, Maps+ seems to do the job, I believe there is another beautiful local product available for Japan.

People who were looking for an upgrade to IPhone5 or a new iPad have more choice. They can switch to the Android ecosystem - maybe a Samsung S3 with a Samsung Tab. Don't believe the fanboys here who say Android *****. While I use mac-iPad-iPhone, I have many friends, power users at that, who have high end Android phones and tabs, they are happy and those products are quite good and keep improving. And of course, they have working Maps. So, bottom line, Android Works. IOS doesn't - not anymore.

As for IOS users using Apple Maps and helping to improve data on them, why would we do that? Let's leave that to people who have time to waste and nothing much else to do. When better map alternatives exist, why on earth would I spend time opening an App that will not help me, just to give it data? I have been idiotic enough to download IOS6, which does not work. Compounding idiocy by wasting time feeding data to the Apple Maps app does not seem to make sense... :-)

How many users must post before Apple responds with a satisfactory resolution? Add our clients' voices to the mix. Several users have brought their phones in wondering how to get Google Maps App back. (Google web maps are still better than Apple Maps but not as functional). As a courtesy, they could leave Apple Maps in beta and allow Google Maps back for the users who desire it.

you are just listing observations here though, i.e. Apple and Google not on friendly terms etc. None of this means Google aren't going to make a Google Maps app, who knows we might even see one this year.

We don’t know one way or another but if anything I’m seeing more evidence that Google will release a maps app. The New York Times have just posted up a report stating in fact that Google are indeed working on a maps app.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/google-working-on-maps-for-iphone-ipad/

Also for those people saying Apple had no choice to ditch Google maps because Google were trying to charge them a bomb, apparently Apple still had  a year left on the contract but Apple still chose to ditch them early. Why didn’t they just see out their contract with Google for another year while they fixed the maps app and got better quality satellite imaging?

This is from a couple of years ago, but is well made and funny - and reminds me, unfortunately, of the iOS 6 Apple Maps debacle:

http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary-new-laptop-with-no, 14299/

apple_tox wrote:

 

 

We don’t know one way or another but if anything I’m seeing more evidence that Google will release a maps app. The New York Times have just posted up a report stating in fact that Google are indeed working on a maps app.

 

Google's Eric Schmidt stated earlier this week that Google is not working on a standalone app for iOS.

That's right. Apparently it took Google by surprise as Apple still had time on their contract so nothing is in place at this time. That doesn't mean we won't get anything in a few months though.

I don't think it's accurate to say that google will not going to develop a Google maps app. As far as I know they've not confirmed one way or another.

Eric Schmidt also said Google want people to use their maps on any device they want.

I too am very disappointed. The 3d is an awesome idea but it is not worth sacrificing detail and accuracy. I loved my iphone and iPad for planning hikes and camping trips but now all of the names of the smaller high mountain lakes are gone!!! This majorly *****!  Now i have to start using hiking books again. Also I have noticed a lot of distorted areas.

Many keep saying just run 3rd party Map Apps and StreetView Apps if we are not happy with the New Apple Map.

Here's the issue.  Do any of these 3rd party apps integrate into IOS6 like the native Map App?

If I click an address that is in my contacts list does it open my 3rd party Map app showing the location?

If I use Siri will it integrate with any of these 3rd party programs?

The built in Map App is part of the overall user experience and a Huge timesaver.  Can any of these 3rd party replacements be integrated so they basically replace the Apple Map app and provide the same integrated functionality?  If so that would be great and we have nothing to complain about.  If none of them will integrate then that is the real problem as I see it.

The only problem with switching to the Android ecosystem -- or I should say the MAJOR problem -- is that you are stuck using inferior hardware.

I just got an iPhone 5 yesterday, and it is an absolutely beautiful piece of tech engineering and industrial design. It's the best smartphone in the world, by a mile.

Apple really needs to spend a lot of time, however, revamping their somewhat stale operating system. The whole App organization on the home page is kind of ridiculous if you have hundreds or even dozens of apps. It helps if you have siri to open apps, though, instead of hunting around for which folder you dumped the one you are looking for into.

There has to be a better way of organizing the apps on a small device. iOS is way too cluttered.

In any case, since I am stuck with Apple Maps for a while, I am trying to improve it as best I can in my local community.

Functionality is the first principle of design and maps/location is an essential and central functionality of smartphones for a large number of users.

Android works - IOS doesn't and that's the major problem.

Apple should have continued with the old Maps and actually should make it available immediately to us as an option. After all, they have the license to use it for another year! That way, at least we will have a functional piece of hardware, well designed or not...

In this one year, it will not help much for Apple to rely on user input to enhance data. Not much will happen there as most users will be using functional (non Apple) maps anyway.

In this one year, Apple should spend the hundreds of millions of dollars it will take to buy up the best digital maps databases in each geography. There are scores of Tom Toms and Yelps across the world that specialise in maps and associated information for different countries. Apple should be licensing all of them and integrating it into their maps. This will take them to 80 percent of Google Maps and may even give them better curated data than Google has!

If Apple maps data was even 60 percent of Google's we could have used it and helped to improve it. But it is not even 10 percent there for most locations outside the USA.