Time to try Apple Maps for Navigation? (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Apple Maps Adds Waze-Like Features in iOS 14.5 for Crowdsourcing Accidents, Speed Traps and Hazards

The iOS 14.5 beta, available to developers and public beta testers, adds a new Apple Maps feature that lets you report accidents, hazards, and speed...

www.macrumors.com

It's amazing that many people who buy cars that offer their own navigation often use third-party applications through CarPlay or Android Auto.

I have been using WAZE. I think it's one of the best navigational apps out there, particularly for the ability to interact with other drivers in reporting accidents, hazards, and police.

Speaking of which, I have read that police are very angry with services like WAZE and have been trying to stop them from allowing drivers to disclose their radar points.

It was interesting to read that Apple has adopted many of the great things that make WAZE what it is.

I don't know if I will drop my current nav app for Apple Maps when I navigate, but I do like the option to use my voice to dictate some of the things I had to manually scroll and select in Waze.

 

[DaveF]

It’s not amazing if you’ve used those integrated nav systems and compared them to Google or Apple Maps. The smartphone maps are so much better and easier to use, IME.

 

[DaveF]

I use Apple Maps, and sometimes Google Maps. I tried Waze once but didn’t like it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I use Apple Maps, and sometimes Google Maps. I tried Waze once but didn’t like it.

Waze used to be a joke. However, it has been greatly refined over the past two years.

Its biggest draw still lies in the ability to interact and help others on the road (while they help you). I really love that feature.

I have been in their beta release program and continually see them upgrading features, recently adding lane guidance.

So, they have pretty much put themselves on par with Apple and Google which have always had the better maps, but not the interactivity.

 

[John Dirk]

Wayze was purchased by Google in 2013 and they have been steadily integrating it's features into their Android and IOS Google Maps apps ever since. I would expect Wayze to disappear as a standalone app any day now.

I've used Google Maps for the past couple of years and it is easily the best one out there. Wayze was pretty good, which is why Google reportedly paid a billion dollars for it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Wayze was purchased by Google in 2013 and they have been steadily integrating it's features into their Android and IOS Google Maps apps ever since. I would expect Wayze to disappear as a standalone app any day now.

I've used Google Maps for the past couple of years and it is easily the best one out there. Wayze was pretty good, which is why Google reportedly paid a billion dollars for it.

John, I know that Google purchased Waze but figured that both would remain separate entities with their offerings.

Are you certain Waze's days are numbered? They are doing a lot of updates. Almost weekly as I get beta test notices.

I don't care if Waze disappears as long as Google adopts all the same cool interactive features.

 

[John Dirk]

John, I know that Google purchased Waze but figured that both would remain separate entities with their offerings.

Are you certain Waze's days are numbered? They are doing a lot of updates. Almost weekly as I get beta test notices.

I don't care if Waze disappears as long as Google adopts all the same cool interactive features.

Hey Ron. No. I am only speculating but I can't see a reason for Google to retain both platforms and Google maps has features Wayze never will such as real-time satellite imagery. Google has already integrated many of Wayze features into Google maps but [wisely] left out some of the more interactive ones as they can be overwhelming, especially when we're supposed to be paying attention to the road.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

It’s not amazing if you’ve used those integrated nav systems and compared them to Google or Apple Maps. The smartphone maps are so much better and easier to use, IME.

My wife's 2019 Buick Encore came with a navigation system -- it was the only way we could also get the sun roof she wanted. It's terrible when compared with Google Maps via Android Auto. There is no integration with my contacts or calendar, no voice commands (so you have to enter your destination via the on screen keyboard), and I have no idea how well the live traffic works, since it requires that you subscribe to XM radio in order to get the signal for traffic updates. Add in the "discount" offer I received from Buick to order an update for the maps at a cool $100, which was $60 off the normal price. No thanks.

I just plug my phone in to her vehicle and use Google Maps instead. If we are heading to a destination that's in my Google calendar, it pops up on the screen. Otherwise, a press of the microphone and all I have to say is "navigate to _____" and off we go. There is no comparison. My 2018 GMC Acadia came with Android Auto, too, and I would never buy another vehicle without it.

Like @John Dirk , I prefer Google Maps over Waze, as I find its alternate routing works better. And with Google incorporating functions from Waze into Google Maps (speed traps, potholes, etc. have been there for a few years in Android), as mentioned by John I agree that eventually I would expect Waze to just be phased out.

 

[John Dirk]

(speed traps, potholes, etc. have been there for a few years in Android)

My Sister-In-Law uses an Android phone and I noticed this as well. Because of my work, I'm forced to use an iPhone. Those particular features are still missing from the IOS version of Google Maps for whatever reason. Once they are eventually integrated I would think that would spell the end for Wayze but they deserve full credit for their innovative feature set which was revolutionary at the time.

 

[DaveF]

I don’t get the idea of interacting with other drivers on the road in the app. This sounds like exactly what I don’t want other drivers doing: playing on their phones while driving. And likewise them, for me.

When I tried Waze it was just ugly, not a good ui. That was like 2012. I haven’t tried it since. Google and apple traffic are good enough for me.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I tried Waze and hated it. I agree with Dave that the last thing I want is drivers futzing around with their phones or head units trying to report broken down cars or police running radar while missling along at 75+ mph. When I need to look up an address or business or travel for work, I use Apple Maps and Siri via CarPlay and it works just fine.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I have no idea how you report a speed trap in Google Maps -- or if it's even possible. GM may be just pulling that info from Waze. I am mostly concerned with the traffic reporting (and navigating, of course), which Google Maps seems to do on its own. I will use GM quite often even when I know where I am going just for the traffic reporting, as it has saved me from sitting in a traffic jam numerous times by alerting me to an issue and offering an alternate route.

I have been using navigation devices for many years. I bought a Garmin Street Pilot for about $700 back in 2002 before we took a road trip from Michigan to Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park and Glacier National Park. You created waypoints and routes using mapping software on a PC and downloaded that info to the Street Pilot. I have owned 2 or 3 other Garmin devices since then, and still have my last model, which offers free lifetime map updates and live traffic information in some areas. I also used previous Android smartphones and Google Maps in my 2011 GMC Terrain that did not have Android Auto. The current solution of Google Maps and Android Auto is by far the best system I have ever used. I tried Waze with AA (it's still installed on my phone), but prefer Google Maps.

 

[Yeoman007]

I used to use a Garmin device (and still have it), but for the last three or so years, I've used Apple Maps exclusively. I don't care about the features in Google Maps since I have no intention of giving Google my personal data to sell. Apple Maps has worked fine, and it's very good about traffic updates. It's kept me out of traffic jams and slowdowns by suggesting reroutes, so I use it all the time, even when it's for a short trip in local traffic.

 

[John Dirk]

I used to use a Garmin deice (and still have it), but for the last three or so years, I've used Apple Maps exclusively. I don't care about the features in Google Maps since I have no intention of giving Google my personal data to sell. Apple Maps has worked fine, and it's very good about traffic updates. It's kept me out of traffic jams and slowdowns by suggesting reroutes, so I use it all the time, even when it's for a short trip in local traffic.

Sorry but this one always gets me. Trust me, in 2021, if you're using a computer in any of its forms then Google [and anyone else who wants it] likely already has your data. As long as it's in aggregate it's totally legal and virtually impossible to prevent. You can't have an online presence and also an expectation of privacy. They are mutually exclusive.

Apple knows this but chooses to sell a different position.

Apple’s Empty Grandstanding About Privacy

The company enables the surveillance that supposedly offends its values.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[Yeoman007]

Sorry but this one always gets me. Trust me, in 2021, if you're using a computer in any of its forms then Google [and anyone else who wants it] likely already has your data. As long as it's in aggregate it's totally legal and virtually impossible to prevent. You can't have an online presence and also an expectation of privacy. They are mutually exclusive.

Apple knows this but chooses to sell a different position.

Apple’s Empty Grandstanding About Privacy

The company enables the surveillance that supposedly offends its values.

www.theatlantic.com

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, and I've always valued it on your technical equipment advice.

However, I don't refer only to my personal information data (name, address, etc.), but also include my ongoing data; tracking my whereabouts, activities, and interests. There are apps that do track everything about you--it's in their End-User License Agreement that you give them permission to do so by using those apps; I don't use them. These apps offer convenience and usefulness for "free." But their "free" comes with the price of your privacy. If you don't mind losing your privacy, have at it and enjoy. I won't pretend it's virtually impossible to prevent it because it isn't. It does take research and effort on your part to find safer alternatives, but they are out there. After more than 35 years in the business, I've learned there's a lot more possibilities than you might imagine.

I read the article you linked and I see your point. I, too, don't like Apple making Google the default search engine, and I think Apple should change that to requiring the user to select a default from its search engine list. However, I changed my default search engine to DuckDuckGo because I take responsibility for my online privacy. I'm not leaving it up to Apple or anyone else to do that for me. The article's writer takes an all-or-nothing approach to the problem that would effectively neutralize Apple. Facebook and Google would love that. It's not a perfect world and sometimes you shouldn't use the sledgehammer approach for problem-solving.

Look at the efforts of the Electronic Frontiers Foundation (EFF), DuckDuckGo, and the European Union to tackle online privacy issues, and Apple's latest efforts to get app developers to let users know about their data tracking. Users need to be educated about the importance of online privacy and how to maintain it. That knowledge needs to be easily available to the youngest and most vulnerable users from the beginning.

 

[John Dirk]

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, and I've always valued it on your technical equipment advice.

However, I don't refer only to my personal information data (name, address, etc.), but also include my ongoing data; tracking my whereabouts, activities, and interests. There are apps that do track everything about you--it's in their End-User License Agreement that you give them permission to do so by using those apps; I don't use them. These apps offer convenience and usefulness for "free." But their "free" comes with the price of your privacy. If you don't mind losing your privacy, have at it and enjoy. I won't pretend it's virtually impossible to prevent it because it isn't. It does take research and effort on your part to find safer alternatives, but they are out there. After more than 35 years in the business, I've learned there's a lot more possibilities than you might imagine.

I read the article you linked and I see your point. I, too, don't like Apple making Google the default search engine, and I think Apple should change that to requiring the user to select a default from its search engine list. However, I changed my default search engine to DuckDuckGo because I take responsibility for my online privacy. I'm not leaving it up to Apple or anyone else to do that for me. The article's writer takes an all-or-nothing approach to the problem that would effectively neutralize Apple. Facebook and Google would love that. It's not a perfect world and sometimes you shouldn't use the sledgehammer approach for problem-solving.

Look at the efforts of the Electronic Frontiers Foundation (EFF), DuckDuckGo, and the European Union to tackle online privacy issues, and Apple's latest efforts to get app developers to let users know about their data tracking. Users need to be educated about the importance of online privacy and how to maintain it. That knowledge needs to be easily available to the youngest and most vulnerable users from the beginning.

Thanks for the kind words above. I'm always happy to help where I can. I wasn't asserting that there aren't any companies out there that legitimately value customer privacy, only that most of us have already had our data mined to the point of the general topic being meaningless.

You're right in that I wasn't thinking about ones whereabouts and interests when I wrote that response. As I'm sure you know however, if you use a cell phone then your whereabouts can be easily tracked, even by relative novices. Personally, I've given up on this one but I respect others who have not. If Google can monetize my aggregate data then I'm fine with it.

 

[TonyD]

I don’t get the idea of interacting with other drivers on the road in the app. This sounds like exactly what I don’t want other drivers doing: playing on their phones while driving. And likewise them, for me.

When I tried Waze it was just ugly, not a good ui. That was like 2012. I haven’t tried it since. Google and apple traffic are good enough for me.

Dave that was almost ten years ago. That’s a lifetime ago for electronic tech.

Anyway I use Waze (not Wayze) about 90% of the time from my iPhone.
I try to use Google but very often it refuses to load and just spins trying to attempt to load a route.

To clarify I do GRUBhub delivery and use Waze for that and this is when Google refuses to load up. Waze comes on almost immediately for me.

I have some things about Waze I don’t like.
Whenever I input a trip instead of going right to the map a little window pops up and basically asks if I want to go which is redundant since I already tapped to go to the address.
I’m also not a fan of the little balloons that pop up that show the names of streets etc because they block too much of the map.

What I like on Waze is the speed limit stays on screen.
On Google map the speed limit only appears when on a trip and not always.

I would give Apple map a shot but there doesn’t seem to be an option to keep the map on overhead view.
It always reverts to a horizon view.

 

[DaveF]

Dave that was almost ten years ago. That’s a lifetime ago for electronic tech.

probably. And since then Apple has gotten so much better. And Google is there too. So no reason for me to ever even think about Waze again.

 

[John Dirk]

I try to use Google but very often it refuses to load and just spins trying to attempt to load a route.

I’m also not a fan of the little balloons that pop up that show the names of streets etc because they block too much of the map.

Both of these issues can be resolved within the configuration options of the respective apps. For Google, you're likely trying to load graphics intensive overlays such as satellite maps. Selecting a more basic map overlay should speed things up considerably. For Waze you can tell the app to display only the icons you prefer. These options can only be set using your phone but will carry over to the vehicles interface automatically.

 

[TonyD]

I use the basic Map in Google no fancy overlays. It seems to be an issue with the GH app connecting into the Google map App.

I haven’t found a setting in the Waze app for those little balloons that appear.
Here is an example.