Apple v Google maps: which app is better?

Mar 30, 2010
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Article URL :- Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/apple-v-google-maps-which-app-is-better-20120612-2070l.html

Google Maps has been available on the iPhone since the device's launch, but on Monday Apple announced its own version of Maps for iOS 6 - one that will be replace the Google service on its smartphones.

Google recently announced an update to its mapping service as well. While both services certainly have a lot in common, there are also quite a few distinctive differences between the two.

Turn-by-Turn Directions, but No Public Transportation

The Apple version of maps brings turn-by-turn navigation to the iPhone, a traffic view, and anonymous real-time crowd-sourced incident reports for traffic problems you encounter along the way.

But Apple Maps will take away one feature many city dwellers have come to know and love: public transportation directions. In its current form, Apple Maps does not have public transportation directions built in. That might potentially be because most cities write their transportation in GTFS (Google Transit Data Feed). While that data is open and free to use - and used by most if not all of the transportation apps out there - Apple may be reluctant to use Google's data in the app it's using to break away from Google.

Siri Integration

Siri gets to make an appearance in Apple Maps. Apple's digital assistant can give you information on anything from where the nearest gas station is to how much longer your trip is going to take.

The integration offers many of the same features as your traditional GPS, possibly because it's getting a lot of its power from a traditional GPS company. Leaked pictures of the Maps interface acquired by Engadget indicate that TomTom is providing a good bit of data for the service. TomTom has been offering turn-by-turn navigation for the iPhone since 2009, and its iOS app will likely become somewhat if not entirely obsolete with the release of turn-by-turn directions in iOS 6.

Local Search

Both Google Maps and Apple Maps allow you to look up a particular restaurant near you. Apple's version, however, also integrates inYelp information into searches, allowing you to see a particular restaurant's rating and read reviews before you make a choice on where to dine.

3D Flyover v Tour Guide

Both Google Maps and Apple Maps will be offering a flyover feature for getting a birds-eye view of a particular area. Google's will be called Tour Guide, while Apple's will be called simply 3D Flyover.

While we'll definitely have to wait until both are released to do a side-by-side comparison, on the surface Apple's flyover looks to be a bit more impressive and run smoother. Images in the Maps are rendered in real time in exceptionally detailed 3D.

Over the past three years Apple acquired three mapping companies, two of which specialised in 3D maps, which undoubtedly helped it create such a robust product at launch.

Mashable is the largest independent news source covering digital culture, social media and technology.

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Nov 21, 2010
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As of Iphones ..... as far as I understand T2T-navigation will only be for the 4S (and upwards) because SIRI is used for it.

And Apple knowing they will (for my own best) not implement things I like (like exporting to other systems).

And it might other companies (like TomTom, NAVV, Route66) stop from making new apps. Maybe even worse .... Apple might delete out all other navigations apps. Looking to the logo that is now used for Google Maps and that will be used for Apple-Maps (as shown on the keynote) .... Google Maps will be gone?

Chang Noi
 
Mar 30, 2010
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Changnoi1;279963 wrote: As of Iphones ..... as far as I understand T2T-navigation will only be for the 4S (and upwards) because SIRI is used for it.

And Apple knowing they will (for my own best) not implement things I like (like exporting to other systems).

And it might other companies (like TomTom, NAVV, Route66) stop from making new apps. Maybe even worse .... Apple might delete out all other navigations apps. Looking to the logo that is now used for Google Maps and that will be used for Apple-Maps (as shown on the keynote) .... Google Maps will be gone?

Chang Noi
Hi ChiangNoi,

No expert here and we have to wait and see what will be released towards the end of the year.

But I believe :)

This will just be a replacement for the native Google that comes with your IOS installation.. So your Apps like Motion X which Tony BKK and I use will still work with Google underneath.

Motion X control the format they will export in. I usually export / import gpx format. Everything is done via Motion X in this case. Have not played with too many other Iphone map software as for me.. This is the best and does what I need. There could well be licence issues that restrict other formats.. like KML etc as they belong to Google - specualting again here.

Motion X can also work with Bing and Open Street Maps. Who knows.. the Apps themselves may still work with Google, just Google Maps wont be native to IOS when you install - you wont have that logo for google maps on the front screen by default.. just speculating here again :)

As there is no love lost between Apple / Google over Android and copying.. percieved or otherwise.. Neither side will be helping the other.

Cheers
Brian
 
Feb 22, 2013
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I just did a ride in Chiang Rai and Doi Mae Salong area, and the Google satellite images are several years older than the Apple satellite images. Obviously this is is going to vary from place to place, but you likely need check both, especially when doing off road.