Apple Maps Usable?

Last evening, I was traveling a known route an decided ti use Maps as a test. I was using an iPhone6+ with iOS8.3. After a bit, the app decided to change my direction and even inserted a different state. Is this app at all usable or should I try another?

Lots of posts regarding Apple Maps are available with a search but briefly (and this is my own opinion)... I found the app lacking. I use Google Maps instead. As far as it being usable, yes it's usable as long as you're aware of the sometimes "odd" directions you receive from it.

I also prefer Google Maps, although it can occasionally take you the long way around the block. If you are not within wifi range, make sure that you have your iPhone cellular turned on: (Settings>Cellular>on).

IMHO, Apple Maps has a little way to go to be as good as Google Maps. Mind you, GMaps has been going since 2005, so they have had 8yrs on Apple when it comes to directions.

Saying this, I really do like the UI of Apple Maps, and in my experience works quite well.
Where I say they need a little work, that is in the Transit area. When I am in the city, I use Google Maps, because I find that it is more reliable when it comes to Live Traffic(bottlenecks), Public Transport routes, as well as Street Direction. This is where Google stands out. I love how, even in Perth, Western Australia, it shows where the traffic is backed up, and the bottlenecks.

What I dislike about the Apple Maps, is it will show 2 routes to take, but you can't change them, no matter what you do. When I'm on my MBP in Maps, making a route, in Apple Maps, I can't drag a point, to change the route, where in Google Maps, you can.
Is it Stable ? Yes I believe so. Is there better out there, at the moment, yes.
Some have said Nokia's HERE Maps is very good.

I've relied on Apple Maps for years and it has never failed me, but I should note that I mostly drive in medium to large US and Canadian cities, so I can't speak to rural areas.

I prefer Google Maps but the alternative routes feature in the Apple Maps can be useful sometimes.

John

TattooedMac said:

Where I say they need a little work, that is in the Transit area.

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I was all excited to introduce you to the wonderful Transit app but then I saw that they don't support any transit authorities in Australia. If they ever do, download it as soon as you can. I thought Google Maps was good at transit and then I got that app (my unrealistic wish is that Apple simply buys them out and bakes their app into iOS and OS X but I don't see that happening).

TattooedMac said:

Some have said Nokia's HERE Maps is very good.

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I was initially excited about it but I've become ambivalent about it. On the whole, it's no better or worse than Google Maps (the maps themselves aren't quite as readable though) but one thing it does well is offline support. I used it when travelling to the US recently and it was nice since I didn't have a lot of data to play with (it is, however, desperately slow offline). I'd suggest giving it a try without uninstalling Google Maps.

Here in my area I have never had issues with Apple Maps. I mostly use it on the computer to find places and do sat views, but for Street View Google is still the best out there at lease with the cities I look up.

I should mention for the benefit of the thread in general that Apple has made it clear that it will eventually add transit options to Apple Maps. They have posted ads for transit engineers, they have bought transit-app companies, they have done everything but hang a banner from 1 Infinite Loop that transit is coming.

So what is taking so long? I don't know, but I can hazard a bit of a guess: Apple has also been developing a strong initiative in "indoor mapping" (useful for large spaces like arenas, shopping centers, etc) and appears recently to have been working on something akin to Google's "Street View" (remember the "mystery vans"?). So my GUESS is that the company is waiting until all three of these technologies are fairly mature (and *most definitely* work right!) before announcing a big "Maps 2.0" that is as good as or better than Google Maps, and that's of course a pretty tall order, as Google has years of development on Apple.

In the meantime, I find the Transit app to be FAR superior to the Google option, even putting aside the fact that Google uses your location and destination to gather information on you and target ads at you, unlike Apple. So if it works for your area, for now the Transit app is the best option (and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it absorbed by Google or Apple at some point).

vansmith said:

I was all excited to introduce you to the wonderful Transit app but then I saw that they don't support any transit authorities in Australia. If they ever do, download it as soon as you can. I thought Google Maps was good at transit and then I got that app (my unrealistic wish is that Apple simply buys them out and bakes their app into iOS and OS X but I don't see that happening).

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Thats one of the biggest issues with ANY Map App coming into the App Store, they all have very little Australian support. There is one I have found that I have used since day dot, is the Navmii GPS Australia & NZ: Navigation, which includes a off line mode too. This is a exceptional App, and has been from the start, and will admit, that I do use this more than Maps, and Google Maps. The off line mode is great because here in Western Australia, there are HUGE backstops of NO Signal, and for my regular trips to Perth, I can drive 150+ Kms without a Signal.
Its not that I need to know where I'm going, its just nice to know here I am.

When on my iPad, I use the Australian Mud Maps, and a dedicated Bad Elf GPS Hand Held unit, that is accurate too a couple of feet. I've had it for 2 yrs now, and never charged it after the initial charge, and I use it to go 4wding and bush bashing all the time, and it only dropped a single bar. It works well with ANY Map App, but I'm getting off the point here

chas_m said:

I should mention for the benefit of the thread in general that Apple has made it clear that it will eventually add transit options to Apple Maps. They have posted ads for transit engineers, they have bought transit-app companies, they have done everything but hang a banner from 1 Infinite Loop that transit is coming.

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Nothing has ever jumped out at me. BUT, doing a google, I found this from Business Insider saying in March 2014, Apple will be doing something this Year (talking about 2014). Then there is the original from 9to5 Mac quoting

Transit:

In addition to the mapping data changes, Apple will add one of the most important mobile features to Maps this year: public transit directions. Late last year, sources said that Apple had been planning to release transit support in iOS 8, and now the same sources are indicating that the plan is on track to be executed. Using data acquired via acquisitions and various partnerships, transit will be deeply integrated into the new maps application.

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Now I have found a few listings about Transit maybe coming to iOS and that only because of the "Job Listing seen by AppleInsider" and then others that link back to Ai.
Heck, most of the articles, go back to early 2014.
Its the most requested feature, but to put a advert for a job for a member of the Routing team,

"As a member of the Routing team, you will work on one of the most anticipated features of Apple Maps," the listing states. In requirements, the company directly asks for someone with "in-depth knowledge about public transit," both as a rider and on a technical level.

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won't guarantee that it will be with us in October.
I suppose we will have a idea on June the 8th . . . .