What do new iphone5 owners think of the Apple Maps replacing Google Maps

[Ilya]

With the TomTom app, you can do one of two things:

You can manually select how far ahead is the roadblock and it will find an alternate route accordingly, or

You can subscribe to traffic alerts ($19.99 for a year or $2.99 for 1 month - in-app purchase) and I believe it will automatically adjust the route to help you avoid traffic jams. Traffic alerts are updated every 2 minutes. I don't use this feature, but it might be worth it for those facing heavy traffic on a daily basis.

Sent from my iPad 3 using SatelliteGuys

 

[Hall]

Need to make sure your primary travel cities are covered plus what roads are covered. It's really only in big cities, is it not?

 

[Ilya]

Most bigger cities are covered I think. To make sure that your particular area is covered, you can check http://www.tomtom.com/livetraffic/ and it will show you which accidents you currently have in your area.

Sent from my iPad 3 using SatelliteGuys

 

[Hall]

I'm surprised it had data for Dayton/Montgomery County, although it was all construction-related. Would be interesting to see if they include accidents, when one occurs. Who supplies that data ? With TomTom map edits, I don't believe that (1) person can get a change in place. There has to be confirmation by more than (1) person.

We do have the real-time traffic data on portions of the interstate highways. I wonder how long before the GPS services tap into that ? I'm sure the state has plans to sell this data !!

 

[FunkyBoss]

No worries, it's all good as Tim has apologized for everything...

http://www.apple.com/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/

 

[Hall]

Ahhhh, I see the catch with Google Maps. I just saw this on CNN and the reporter read that users could use other map options, including Google Maps and I thought, did Apple allow Google Maps to now work (I don't know if they're simply blocking it from the App Store or if there's a supposed technical reason that it doesn't work). I see that in order to use Google Maps, one has to use Maps through their web browser.

 

[dangue]

Ahhhh, I see the catch with Google Maps. I just saw this on CNN and the reporter read that users could use other map options, including Google Maps and I thought, did Apple allow Google Maps to now work (I don't know if they're simply blocking it from the App Store or if there's a supposed technical reason that it doesn't work). I see that in order to use Google Maps, one has to use Maps through their web browser.

Google hasn't submitted a maps app to apple for approval. And, according to the CEO yesterday, there no current plans to release you anytime soon.

 

[TheForce]

Just in:

10:53a ET September 28, 2012 (Dow Jones)
UPDATE: Apple CEO Apologizes for Quality of Maps App

--CEO says company "extremely sorry" for users' frustration
--Maps app came preloaded on new operating system shipped on iPhone 5
--Apology follows flap over reception on earlier smartphone

(Adds additional company information on company history, Google Maps, iPhone 5 launch beginning in second paragraph.)

By Drew FitzGerald

Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Tim Cook offered customers a rare apology Friday for the quality of its new mobile mapping application, acknowledging the fierce level of criticism the software has stirred among users.
The unusual comment comes a week after the company started selling its newest iPhone equipped with the app, replacing the Google Inc. (GOOG) software that had come standard on earlier handsets. Apple's newest mobile operating system doesn't support Google Maps--though users can still view it through a web browser--and Google Chairman Eric Schmidt on Tuesday said users are unlikely to see a new version supported by iOS6 any time soon.
More than 100 million new and existing Apple users have adopted iOS 6, which replaced Google Maps with Apple's purpose-built mapping app.
Users have panned Apple Maps online, mocking the software for misplaced location markers and bizarre satellite images.
"At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers," Mr. Cook wrote in a message posted on the Cupertino, Calif. company's website Friday morning. "With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment."
The response marks the second high-profile apology in recent years from a company more accustomed to rave reviews. Apple was also forced to defend itself in 2010 after iPhone 4 users complained the smartphone lost reception when held a certain way. Then-Chief Executive Steve Jobs eventually apologized to customers but stopped short of saying that Apple's design choices were to blame.
On Friday, the late Mr. Jobs' successor said the company is "extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers" and is working to improve the app.
"The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you," Mr. Cook said.
The chief executive also took the unusual step of suggesting users try competing software if they are dissatisfied, pointing to apps from Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Bing, MapQuest and Waze. Customers can also use maps from Google or Nokia Corp. (NOK, NOK1V.HE) through the web, he said.
Apple said it sold more than five million iPhone 5s during its first three days in stores last week, a figure that excludes millions of devices customers ordered online. The company on Friday added 22 markets to the nine selected for launch last week, extending its most aggressive rollout schedule ever.
Apple shares were recently off 1.4% at $671.55 Friday, off from an all-time high of $705.07 reached last week.

 

[Ilya]

As an experiment, I just drove to a customer using the new Maps app for navigation.
The accuracy is acceptable, but the features are lacking. The usability doesn't come even close to what my TomTom app offers.
For example, after leaving the express lane I had to change several lanes very quickly to take the next exit.
Siri didn't give me any advance warning about that. TomTom usually warns me ahead of time about what to expect after the next turn and shows me a diagram with lanes and exits, so I know exactly which lane I need to be in.
Also, TomTom shows me a lot of other useful information, like the time and distance left till destination, the ETA, my current speed vs. max. speed allowed, etc.
The Maps app doesn't give me anything other than some very basic information about the next turn.
I guess it's ok for a free app, but you definitely get what you pay for.
And keep in mind that it's not really free, as it consumes your precious megabytes as you drive, unlike TomTom, which has off-line maps and doesn't require the Internet connection on the road.

 

[king3pj]

As an experiment, I just drove to a customer using the new Maps app for navigation.
The accuracy is acceptable, but the features are lacking. The usability doesn't come even close to what my TomTom app offers.
For example, after leaving the express lane I had to change several lanes very quickly to take the next exit.
Siri didn't give me any advance warning about that. TomTom usually warns me ahead of time about what to expect after the next turn and shows me a diagram with lanes and exits, so I know exactly which lane I need to be in.
Also, TomTom shows me a lot of other useful information, like the time and distance left till destination, the ETA, my current speed vs. max. speed allowed, etc.
The Maps app doesn't give me anything other than some very basic information about the next turn.
I guess it's ok for a free app, but you definitely get what you pay for.
And keep in mind that it's not really free, as it consumes your precious megabytes as you drive, unlike TomTom, which has off-line maps and doesn't require the Internet connection on the road.

Right. A stand alone GPS probably has more features. I just don't get how people can blast this and say they want google maps back though. We have turn by turn now and that's a huge upgrade over a little blue dot moving on a map that requires you to hit next for every turn, has no voice alerts, and doesn't recalculate if you miss a turn.

I guess most people who are complaining and saying they want the old maps back never tried to use google maps on the iPhone to drive somewhere with complicated directions by themselves. In my opinion google maps sucked on the iPhone and had to go. Android and blackberry both had free turn by turn standard and iPhone had a dot.

 

[Peter Parker]

Maybe they needed a new app but not new maps.

 

[king3pj]

Maybe they needed a new app but not new maps.

I can agree with that but google refused to give them turn by turn navigation. They were tying to make sure android had the best version of google maps.

 

[Peter Parker]

I have heard that google was the cilprit and that Apple was. I have never known who to trust on this.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/google-maps-for-iphone-ios6-ios-6_n_1916965.html

Not that I necessarily trust the huffington post either.

Her is another link for what it's worth

http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/25/3...t-on-google-maps-contract-google-maps-ios-app

 

[Ilya]

Right. A stand alone GPS probably has more features. I just don't get how people can blast this and say they want google maps back though.

I don't!
I've never used Google Maps for navigation!

 

[klang]

The problem isn't just navigation. Other apps use whatever the Apple supplied mapping app is. I use the OpenTable app to book restaurant reservations. With the new Apple mapping app another restaurant has appeared supposedly 8 miles from my house (near Houston). Click on the description of the restaurant and it is actually in Indiana.

Several of my weather apps use the Apple maps as well. I don't see any real errors with those but there is less detail than the Google maps provided.

 

[Peter Parker]

I can agree with that but google refused to give them turn by turn navigation. They were tying to make sure android had the best version of google maps.

Perhaps people just expected something better and would prefer a slightly less full featured app but with more accurate maps to one that has many features but seems to have too many inaccuracies.

 

[king3pj]

Perhaps people just expected something better and would prefer a slightly less full featured app but with more accurate maps to one that has many features but seems to have too many inaccuracies.

I agree that there are problems but the maps are licensed from TomTom. I have used it quite a few times instead of my Garmin now and I've had no problems. I think most of the time it will work correctly for most people and its not like Apple will abandon it. It will continue to get better so we will have a much more fully featured maps app that is pretty accurate for now and it will get more accurate as people report problems.

 

[meStevo]

A blog pointed out that even the icon is kinda wrong, and has you driving off of a freeway bridge.

 

[Hall]

Does this only impact iPhone/iPod 5 devices ? My co-worker just upgraded (today) from a 3GS to a 4S and still has the Google Maps app.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

If they upgrade to iOS 6 then they will get the Google Maps replaced by the Apple Maps.