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The biggest change — among many — in iOS 6 will undoubtedly be Apple’s new Maps app. And though its turn-by-turn directions, Flyover and oh so sweet Siri look promising, the real question is how Apple’s maps will compare to Google’s.
Here’s a side by side comparison of the two, so you can see for yourself. It may have you wishing Apple hadn’t gone it alone quite yet.
It’s admittedly a little unfair to judge Apple Maps since it hasn’t even passed beta yet, but it doesn’t change the fact that Apple’s offering has to be great to not be a failure. And it’s also worth noting that Siri proved Apple’s not afraid to put an incomplete feature on an iPhone.
No iPhone user wanted to kill Google Maps. It makes me uneasy to even think about a phone without it. If you’re replacing something as ubiquitous and functional as Google Maps, you had better be just as good. Or as a wise man from the streets once said, “If you come at the king, you best not miss.”
Note: In the examples below, Google Maps is on the left and Apple Maps is on the right.
Map View of San Francisco
Apple’s maps look wonderful. Crisp, clean, paper-like, even, but… right now they’re completely devoid of useful information. Compare the side-by-side images of lower Manhattan (at the top of this post) and San Francisco (directly above) and it’s pretty clear that Google Maps gives you more information in terms of street names, street directions, tube stops, emphasis on major streets and so on.
Map View of New York
The solution is to add more map information even when zoomed out. Pretty is great to look at; informative is better to use.
Traffic
Traffic on Apple Maps seems pretty majorly incomplete but this is more of a beta issue than a real-life issue, since Cupertino’s going to lean heavily on users to determine where the gridlock is.
Directions
Directions on both Apple and Google Maps are great; they’ll get you to where you need to get to. The advantage of Apple Maps over Google Maps on iOS is that Apple will give you turn-by-turn directions, which Google never did on the iPhone (though it’s been available on Android for some time). However, Apple desperately needs to add public transport directions before iOS 6 launches.
Satellite View
Satellite view, even if you rarely use it, tells the same story. Google Maps just currently has more information at every level.
Street View
There is, though, a good chance you use Street View. Apple Maps doesn’t have an equivalent feature yet. And though Flyover seems really nice, it’s nice in a “show off to your friends” sort of way rather than something you’d use on a regular basis.
We’ll see how Apple Maps really works once iOS 6 officially launches. But as of right now, it’s lacking a lot of the granularity and features that make Google Maps great. So far upgrading doesn’t seem like an upgrade at all.
Apple Maps vs Google Maps: A Side by Side iPhone Comparison
The Definitive Comparison of Google Maps vs Apple Maps In One Single Image
Here's a Side-By-Side Comparison of a Picture Taken with the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S
I’m hoping a Google maps app will come out (if not already?) its one of the services Googles always got spot on and never have an issue with – plus its likly Apple are mainly doing it out of spite/control not because its a market leading product…
I expect that Google is doing everything it can to have a full (as in Android Quality) version of Google Maps for iOS done before iOS 6 is released. I am also expecting there to be “unexplained delays” in Apple approving it.
Oh and BTW, watch out for people are going to be complaining about Giz “attacking” Apple again, Perhaps we should call in Spatchmo for a pre-emptive strike.
But doesn’t it serve Google’s interest to keep the Google Maps on iOS limited?
Judging by other Google products, they want the user base. So limited products will also limit the user base. I am not sure, but I don’t think Google would limit features.
Maybe a step behind the Android version, but as my bro points out they want the data. To lure iPhone users away from Apple’s solution they need to offer more.
Apple is a hardware company that sees services as a means of getting people to buy its hardware. Google is the opposite – they want as many people as possible to be using their services and Android is just a means to that end, hence its open source nature.
it’d be hard to argue that apple haven’t cocked this up. google do such a great job at the map app. apple have been a bit too quick releasing something, as it’s clearly under developed.
Google traffic is utterly boss. Apple would do well to sort their version out before binning Google.
I suspect that the decision to replace Google Maps with their own version was forced upon them by a fixed date in the original contract upon which they would have had to renegotiate. With Google being far less dependant on iPhone users for data (thanks to the Android multitude) Apple would have been in a far weaker negotiating position. Also Google has put up it’s prices for major users of maps data recently so that must be costing them a pretty penny. Also, as I have said in other posts, Apple don’t want to be dependant on it’s main phone OS competitor for a major service. The inevitable poor quality knock-off will be the price Apple users have to pay for this and Apple will no doubt buy up a few more companies soon to improve it. Personally as an Android user I welcome this new facet of the OS arms race as it will inevitably to improvements in Google Maps.
I don’t think Apple will beat Google on this, map is a search business and search is Google’s business. There is no other company, yet, that has beaten Google on this turf and to be very honest Apple probably shot themselves in the foot with this. The iPhone added value has just gone down a big chunk if Google’s map is not allowed as an option.
Nokia Maps comes close! Yes, it’s not perfect but it certainly packs in a wad of useful information and in some cases even 1-ups Google’s offering when it comes to transit info. Would be interesting to see what June 20th holds on that front.
This is of course, why Microsoft is going with Nokia Maps rather than Bing for Windows phones in future.
I have not used Nokia maps, but I am always reading good things about it. It is good to hear that they are getting close and even offering some things that are better, this way all the major player will try the best not to let the ball drop and offer us better service.
I think it’s far too early to be making judgements like that. Major names have disregarded Apple and its products in the past.
Sure they’re quite a few steps behind having only just come into the Maps game. This is only version 1.
You are right, we will have to wait and see.
I think the point mhatti is trying to make is that this choice currently represents a step down in functionality for users – at least in the short term. Especially for such a widely used service – I’m sure they’d catch up in the near future, and they’re certainly trying to make the transition less painful by included a few extra features like turn by turn navigation and siri integration.
This is one of the things I meant. But Thek is also right. Time will tell. But I seriously doubt that by October they will have a map that is as good Google.
I’ve always found in the UK that most cities i’m in are nowhere near as cluttered and detailed as the screenshots here, although the additional information for building locations etc is still pretty good, smaller street names aren’t as comprehensive. But i think google maps at that magnification does look so much more cluttered, maybe even unnecessarily so.
Google maps is understandably going to be more informative considering how much of a lead it has both in market and age, but if you had google-level information on a closer picture, and around apple-level at the level they’re at, now that would be a much crisper picture.
Are you taking into account the “layers” in Google maps that can be switched on or off?
I prefer more information at a distance, makes looking for roads and other points of interest a lot quicker than dragging around, hoping to spot it.
I think the real strategic reason for the Apple app is not the app itself, but rather the “location aware services” that Apple might plan to offer in the future. If the future involves greater utilisation of features such as location aware advertising, ultra-local search, augmented reality, four square – type social networking, or even just a reminder to get a task done while you’re in the area, then having the technology to seamlessly provide those features is a strategic asset.
Some of these applications may need to integrate with a map app, in which case relying on a competitor to provide such a vital service would be too risky. Other features may not need a map app, but Apple will have to build up its location technology anyway, in which case why not just throw out a map app as well? I think these type of benefits are probably more important to apple than simple bragging rights about who has the best app.
Oh crap, I forgot about Street View! Losing that is going to leave a sour taste when I upgrade to iOS 6… dammit, I’m actually really pissed off about that… gaahh.
Apples main map view seems to be a hybrid of google’s map and terrain view.
I’ll definitely be sticking with google’s offering when it’s released, mainly for public transport directions and street view.
I hope Google Maps will still be able to be installed on iOS 6 – aqnd really those are not Apple maps they are TomTom maps – and lets face it Google already totally kicked TomTom’s ass so who cares – when you’re finding somewhere new nothing beats streetview.
The Google maps just look so much more detailed and informative. I hope a app does appear on the app store until Apples own maps catch up (Not suprised they arent as detailed Google has had a big head start by 10 years) but the big pluss as a driver is the free turn by turn navigation. No #350 tomtom app needed!
Apple, as ever, putting style before substance – and cash before all else.