Comments on: iOS 6 Maps: The Criticism and My Thoughts

By: Ralph

Ralph — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 04:53:44 +0000

Well I’d tell you the New Zealand experience if not for the fact iPhone 5 isn’t released here yet.

By: Roy Eff

Roy Eff — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 17:21:07 +0000

I don’t remember Google’s first map made this kind of blunder. Yes, it wasn’t polished as of today, no 3D, no layers of terrain, satellite, traffic, etc. But the map really worked from the start. In fact, I threw away my map book and started using google maps. Yes, at that time, it wasn’t really organized, but still i could count on accuracy (at least most of the times).

And if you think because it’s Apple then ppl start to make a big fuzz over it, then you’re wrong. Other manufacturers got worse reps when they make blunders like this. Remember LG Optimus 2x, the world’s first dual core? Or nokia’s recent marketing ads blunder for lumia 920? Or HTC One X’s rotate screen problem that make them to give way to Samsung S3 in the first place? The list is on and on.

There are so many blunders but one thing is certain. Most Apple customers are loyal to Apple. So, they forgive and forget quite easily. Apple has one of the highest brand loyalty in the world. You can’t say that to other phone makers. LG lost most of its customers (and market shares) because of LG O2x software problems. Yet you won’t see that with Apple. Why? Brand loyalty.

So, this is not a big fuzz. It’s simply a half-baked app because Apple wants to kick Google out. And that hurts customers.

By: Joe Trogg

Joe Trogg — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 17:12:40 +0000

I think you hit the nail on the head by saying that it is the comparison of the overall map app between iOS 5 and iOS 6 that is the root of this. If this was the map app when the iPhone was introduced, no problem. But you have a lot of iPhone users who are going from one experience to another. While the front end of the app is polished and works great, the back end data and search database has taken a huge step backward. Garbage in, garbage out. Based on historical articles, Apple had valid reasons for wanting to get away from a reliance on Google (e.g. Google wouldn’t let Apple do turn-by-turn in their license, wanting to keep it for Android). However, even with 3 years of development, they rushed the change out and it shows. Another year or two of development would have been better, even if they had to keep Google along with a handicapped map app. Or perhaps, they should have launched the new one as a navigation app to build up their dataset and eventually in subsequent years integrated it with the Map app.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 17:38:29 +0000

I have to agree. In seven years or so it’ll be fixed. Lets not forget Google maps is a beta product. No one should expect Apple’s released product to be at that level just yet.

Other companies have released phones that couldn’t make calls. Who was that? Oh ya Apple.

Just remember if it doesn’t work it’s because you aren’t holding it right.

By: Hobbit

Hobbit — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 16:20:23 +0000

What do you exactly mean “if it wasnt Apple”? This is Apple and people pay hefty premium for simple guarantee that things will work. As simple as that. Maps are huge dissaster. Outside US they are less than useless and not many alternatives exists. I feel deeply betrayed by Apple and I am starting to look around. I know there is still nothing better but it seems that not for long. Tim is clearly not a product person…

By: Marvin Nakajima

Marvin Nakajima — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 17:44:34 +0000

It appears that the new mapping app for iOS works best in the States. In other countries it is far worse from the complaint I am seeing on other sites. Perhaps it would be nice to hear experiences from any readers in other countries.

By: mich

mich — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:42:21 +0000

Your excusing this sorry version for a maps app is a joke. For argument’s sake, lets say iOS maps is of the same quality as Google Maps was 7 years ago (even though it is far worse than that), how can you excuse apple for putting out this crap? Would you excuse them if they put out a VGA camera on their device as well, if for instance they tried to get away from their camera providers? Would you accept no Bluetooth or Wifi just because a theyre trying to protect market share through “anti-innovation”. Because this is what this is. Its making things WORSE than they already are for the sake of strategy. Apple’s strategy was to provide and seamless experience for their customers. They were EXTREMELY customer focused, but have seemed to stray away from that with success. Mistakes like this are warning signs for downfalls. Every company cycles and experiences peaks and troughs, and this small mapping issue may be a sign for the beginning of the end. Its a shame that Apple absolutely spit on their customers and their device experience for the sake pushing out Google. Pushing out Google doesn’t help the customer, it theoretically helps Apple, though I think theyre learning now that this may not in fact be the case. Even Apple makes giant errors. Their hardware has been weaker in the last cycle of smartphones, but now even their software and services are becoming weaker.

By: jhrogersii

jhrogersii — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:11:48 +0000

I’ve using the new Maps for a few months now in beta form, and I have actually been impressed with it as a first step. I’ve seen some of the deformed 3D shapes in places, most notably when you zoom in on something like a large tree. The software doesn’t quite know what to do with the irregular shape. I can forgive something like that, though, thanks to the ambitiousness of what they are trying to do.

As for directions and major locations, I have been pleasantly suprised. Apple is using Yelp, so the basic POIs like major stores and restaurants will be covered. After hearing all of the complaints yesterday, I hammered Maps during my 5 hour drive home from working out of town. It did very well, even in the rural areas I drove through. All cities and towns were correctly identified, and restaurants and stores showed up properly. Driving directions to these searched locations, and to manually keyed in addresses have also been spot on, in my testing. Siri also works very well for initiating location searches and turn bu turn directions. The traffic didn’t work for me during the beta, but I would imagine that will be turned on now that iOS6 is in the wild.

There were some struggles, though. Yelp is not strong when it comes to things like government buildings and offices, and businesses beyond your typical travel POIs. Apple would be wise to partner with services like the Yellow Pages to fill in this gap in their location searches. I had to get an address and manually enter it to get past this issue.

I have to agree with you, Alex. If this wasn’t Apple, nobody would care. I’ve seen where bloggers and tech pundits have given Bing Maps and Nokia’s OviMaps a big “meh” in the past, but you don’t see Tumbler blogs dedicated to highlighting their every mistake. That’s the price of being Apple, and dumping Google, I guess.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:09:28 +0000

No problems here in the greater Denver area over the past few days. Map redraw and scroll/zoom seems faster and smoother than Google maps. Some businesses are harder to find than on Google but otherwise, if it weren’t for all the ruckus globally I’d have pronounced the launch a success.
Now here’s the problem for Apple – they pretty much have to accept the Google Maps App if and when it’s ready, unless they can come up with a darn good reason not to. IF this happens, and IF a majority of users switch back to Google maps, it severely limits the improvements to Apple maps that would normal accrue from user feedback. Thus eventually the app fades away and no one has reason to switch BACK. Game over.
I can’t believe Apple’s planning didn’t include this scenario (i.e. global overwhelming negative response to maps app) in their “what if” sessions, so I’m sure they have a response ready. Hopefully more than a “tough it out and cross fingers” response.

By: pcawley

pcawley — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:31:21 +0000

The Maps thing isn’t that big of a deal, I’ve seen Google maps image bridges as if they’re following the river bottom before and the apple thing will get better. My biggest issue is breaking iTunes U and podcasts into their separate apps. I have a lot of mixed media playlists that I can can no longer use as a single playlist. I also tend to use iTunes U as a holder for media I want to keep separate as I’m not a student. Apple’s “we know best” nanny mindset is beginning to be a bad thing here.

By: GBeale

GBeale — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 06:53:42 +0000

I had Maps that worked extremely well, I used it all the time and it ‘just worked’. It has now been replaced with a less than useless version, following an ‘upgrade’ why thanks apple.