Google Maps Testing New Apple Maps-Inspired Map Style

In many cases OSM has much more detail than google maps, with business listings and addresses being the biggest exceptions I have encountered. Fortunately, business listings are one of the main things added to the first data release from Overture Maps. For the curious, you can interact with the POI data [here.](https://bdon.github.io/overture-tiles/places.html)

Also attempting to search for a property that happens to have "hotel" or "apartment" in their name automatically switches to the stupid hotel finder interface, which only shows hotels that are bookable from online.

There's always OSM

The API doesn't show all this in satellite (aerial view) mode, so sometimes it's tempting to use a service that relies on the maps API.

But even with the API it seems that now the maps view has all those pins for places; I seem to remember it wasn't always the case, but I'm not sure.

If you know an area, it’s easier to remember something is near so and so resturaunt than to remember street names (if in fact your streets actually have names).

unfortunately, I still have to use Google Maps to find POI. I suspect this is all they want me to use it for, anyways, since that's all that gives them money.

I left on Google Maps out of curiosity and indeed, it started to show directions which lead to poor dirty roads where my car would barely fit trough.

One would think that Google has some data about much less cars passing through that road than the paved one and drive some conclusion out of it, as I hardly think anyone would use those roads apart from a few locals who are living there. Especially in an area which is filled with tourists.

Also, Google Maps also often suggests much less efficients routes in my local area where I definitely know that there's a route which not shorter, but still much faster.

It's crazy, really. I once got routed into a tractor path that was literally a dry creek bed for >2 kms (covered with large, pointy rocks and all). But yeah, it was quicker by 5' than the paved road so it was the top route. Longest 20' of my driving life.

I would seriously pay extra for an option of "ignore unpaved roads" or even better "don't suggest slower roads if the route is shorter than X%"

I found out several years ago that I have some form of color blindness - amusingly enough during a design review for a map we were designing. I had the exact same problem, with everything bleeding together in an indistinguishable mass, and everyone looking at me like I had 3 heads when I asked how we could possibly ship something so unusable with no contrast.

I suspect there is something similar going on here. To me, the foreground text and background roads are nearly identical in hue and saturation. Is it high contrast to other people? The map I struggled with years ago was using two colors with similar saturation but different hues (a purple and a green/yellow), so I had to push to make sure that "high contrast" meant a difference in both hue AND saturation.

Shipping a couple map-related products has given me a real appreciation for how differently users can experience visual layouts. For one thing, technical people generally like maps a LOT more than the general population does, to the point that we take it for granted that it's the ideal way of presenting anything with a position component.

Quite a lot of people get overwhelmed by maps - they basically shut down and can't figure out the UI at all. Looking at the new version gave me that panicked feeling that I hear those users talk about.

For a product meant to be used outdoors, Maps does an awful job at being readable.

For aesthetics? No question Apple's superior.

For navigation? A tossup in my experience?

For discovery of places and reviews? Google's so far ahead it's not even close.

Apple's interface with Google's database of places and reviews would be the holy grail.

The more useful some graphics would be in an article, the less likely it is to contain any.

On that point I personally agree, though it seems there's at least a few other people in the comments here who prefer the new style.

Some names are only rendered in Czech, and hill shading seems to be available only with an active internet connection. I still prefer the shading of "Bergfex Touren" for mountain sports.

In all seriousness, it's not a new issue, if you search for it, there are complaints about it going back years.

Now, I'm sure there is a "non-evil" explanation, such as "oh we just test more with Chrome so we optimized for that, but we will try to convince an intern to install Firefox", "Chrome is just better", "Firefox doesn't have x and y features, so it's slow, but it they implement it, it will be fast, too"...

... and there are the "evil" explanation, "let's make one of our most popular products slightly slower on a competing browser to nudge people into using our browser".

Aw t the very least, they have been organizationally combined within the company.

https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/8/23499734/google-maps-waze...

If the only metric is engagement it might not be across the features relevant in a single user journey vs head to head.

I needed a map the other day for a repeat need and built it in a few minutes in mapbox studio, only ever used mapbox via code in another life. Didn’t know what to think.

Oddly haven’t looked back for that use. It just embeds and shares and delights.

Still want to try out osm.

Apple Maps is malware. Any app that could modify system level behavior such as the Lock Screen is malware. You probably don't agree, but still I will never use it.