Nonetheless, your comment convinces me that I should try Apple Maps more seriously. Maybe I’m missing out.
Google Maps gave me instructions to turn off a junction right at the turn off, resulting in me missing it. Worst still, it did this not once but twice. And the detour was via road works.
Google Maps added a considerable amount of time onto what was already a 3 hour journey.
Thankfully I had planned for problems so there wasn’t any negative outcomes aside time lost and a considerable amount of additional stress when I was already in an emotionally bad place.
On the journey home I used Apple Maps and the difference in the directions were night and day.
Apple Maps gave me ample warning before each junction. It described the junctions (eg “right turn 100 yards after the traffic lights”) so I knew exactly where I was going. Even told me what lane I needed to be in.
Google Maps did do this on occasions to be fair. But it was highly inconsistent. Hence why I got stung so badly when its instructions were last minute. Whereas Apple Maps was 100% reliable 100% of the time.
It will be a long time before I rely on Google Maps for satnav again.
> It will be a long time before I rely on Apple Maps for satnav again.
I assume you mean Google Maps :)
Apple severely dictates and limits what we or any other app can do there as far as UX, while not holding themselves to the same rules.
I ran Android Auto for the first time yesterday and was impressed by how much more “Google” it was.
My wife seems to like Google Maps better, so we tried it on a recent trip. I ended up going around in circles in an unfamiliar area, and it kept telling me to turn where no road existed. I was flabbergasted it was so bad, as the last time I used it, I didn't remember it being so unreliable.
But even when it had been working, I had started noticing navigation errors started creeping in. It was nice that I hear things like, "at the next McDonald's, turn left" ... but I also get other strange navigational errors. Even just last year, my wife and I hear the directions, and it is having us go in a confused way. I don't trust it as much. (And there is a lot I can say about this using Promise Theory to analyze all of this).
Last night, at a town I do not reside in, I'm making an errand to got to the grocery store, and Google Maps breaks again. So I use Apple Maps. Apple Maps navigation tells me to turn in, and that I am in the parking lot for my destination. I have never heard Google Maps doing that. Another time just last night, it told me that I am crossing this light, and to turn at the next light. I also never heard Google Maps tell me that. Those were literally the kinds of things I would ask my human navigator to tell me in addition to the standard Google Maps navigation (on my wife's phone).
- Apple Maps has a different UI (obviously), which I think was the most annoying aspect of the switch
- Google Maps shows the speed limit, and the speed you're going at. Apple Maps just shows the limit. I prefer the google maps version here
- Apple Maps gave instructions like "go through this light, and turn left at the next one" or "turn right after the Starbucks". This is very close to how a human would give instructions, and I like that -- I'm already 'familiar' with it. I find Google's spoken instructions less natural.
I didn't notice anything else very different. Are there killer features that I missed? If not, I'll probably stay with google maps for just because of the UI familiarity.
Not sure if that means I should try Apple Maps again at the 11th hour or not— maybe if it's finally gotten good it would be better to not know and just remain in blissful ignorance.