Seems that Apple cannot release a new version of iOS or a new iPhone without at least some controversy. This time it is the new Maps app. This Maps app, created by Apple and using a new map sdatabase owned by Apple, replaces the old app which used Google Maps data.
With the change comes a change in features. The big new feature is turn-by-turn spoken directions. The big missing feature is Google’s Street View.
Instead of Street View, Apple Maps includes Flyover — 3D renderings of buildings in major downtown areas. Apple Maps also ties in to Yelp for reviews but it lacks public transportation or walking directions.
The reason for the new app reportedly comes from Google’s reluctance to allow spoken directions in the old app, instead reserving that key feature only for rival Android phones.
Complaints about the new app include losing Street View, public transportation and walking directions, and inaccuracies in the new maps database. The Google maps database has been refined and corrected over a period of almost 10 years, while the Apple Maps database is just now being used by the public for the first time.
There are rumors of a coming new maps app from Google that iOS users can get from the app store. In the meantime, some of the features of Google maps can be accessed in iOS in the Safari browser. There are also a variety of other 3rd-party maps apps in the iOS app store.
New Maps App Stirs Controversy
Comments: One Response to “New Maps App Stirs Controversy”
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I just used the new Maps in Ottawa and Toronto last week. I didn't have time to become familiar with the new application before our trip. It worked pretty well except there were a few times that it found a different location than I was looking for when I was in Toronto. I typed in the exact address and it brought me to the opposite site of town...fortunately I had done some research about the location when I was planning my trip last month and knew it wasn't right when I tried it on the new application. The only other problem I had is that I couldn't get the audio...other than that...I was able to find all the other locations I needed such as art galleries and restaurants in Toronto and Ottawa and of course Niagara Falls with no problem.