Apple Maps has been providing navigation guidance to Apple users for about 13 and a half years, and a lot has changed about the app in that time. However, according to data from Canalys, the vast majority of iPhones in the US still download Google Maps instead of Apple Maps, which comes pre-installed on every iPhone.What I want to ask you is mcroomers Dear readers. If you were going from A to B, which would you prefer?
Apple Maps, released in September 2012, was quickly criticized for having incomplete and inaccurate map data that led some iPhone users down dangerous routes. Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a rare public apology for dissatisfied customers, just one month after iOS chief Scott Forstall was fired. Ta.
Since then, Apple has made significant improvements to Apple Maps, incorporating new features and fixing lingering errors. Real-time traffic information and pedestrian navigation options were added to his map in 2013. This is also the same year that Maps was extended to OS X. In 2015, the map was updated with a “Nearby” feature that provides local points of interest. Guide to transportation in several cities.
In early 2020, Apple completed an overhaul of its maps in the US, adding significantly more detail, including updated buildings, parks, playgrounds, pools, and more. The Look Around feature for some cities is similar to Google’s Street View, and the updated maps have since been rolled out to more countries. With iOS 15, Apple introduces immersive walking directions in augmented reality, curated guides for selected cities, real-time transit updates, and road details for enhanced driving navigation. Did. iOS 16 added multi-stop routing. And with iOS 17, Apple made it possible to download maps for offline use. Google Maps users have been able to do this for quite some time.
Were Apple’s incremental improvements enough to be considered on par with Google Maps in the eyes of users? Of course, Google developers did not sit by and watch Apple Maps’ gradual evolution. . Google is introducing several enhancements aimed at enriching the user experience through advanced AI technology and more immersive visualization tools, taking a page or two out of Apple’s book. There is even.
One notable recent update in this regard is the immersive view of routes. It provides a comprehensive preview of a user’s movements, whether they are driving, walking, or cycling. The tool, released last year, combines billions of street views and aerial images to create a complex digital representation of the world, allowing users to visually navigate bike lanes, sidewalks, intersections and parking spaces along their route. I will make it possible. It also includes a dynamic time slider that shows how conditions such as air quality and weather change throughout the day, helping users plan their trips more precisely. .
Another important improvement is the integration of lenses into maps, an evolution of search with live view functionality. Leveraging AI and augmented reality, Lens in Maps helps users get oriented in new locations by providing information about nearby facilities such as ATMs, transit stations, and eateries. Masu. This feature has since expanded to over 50 of his cities.
Google Maps has also rolled out updates to make navigation maps more reflective of real-world conditions. This includes more detailed and realistic representations of buildings and improved lane guidance on highways. For electric vehicle owners, Google Maps also provides information about charging stations, including compatibility details, charger speeds, and last usage times.
Despite these simultaneous improvements to Google Maps, their collective impact means that users continue to be impressed by Apple’s advancements in navigation guidance. Based on anecdotal reports, this app is increasingly recommended by users due to its clean view compared to Google Maps’ cluttered design.
Perhaps thanks to its disastrous release, “Apple Maps” still has a bad reputation among some users, but Apple’s continued efforts to improve the app have contributed to some of those opinions. It seems that it helped overturn the department. “Maps has come a long way, and people are realizing it,” Apple’s head of software Craig Federighi said at his WWDC 2023. Are you more or less likely to use Apple Maps these days? Let us know in the comments.
