Well it had to happen.

Actually Maps was always an Apple app. It just used Google's API to get the data. The same as YouTube, that was written by Apple and never extended, now the new Google YouTube app is a lot better.

I'm waiting to see if anybody at work upgrades. I have a spare 4S in my desk drawer, I might upgrade that and see how good/bad it is in North Germany.

Um. I'm not actually sure that's all correct. And I think the 'new' youtube app is a bit of a mess to be honest with you.

I thought this was the case. Nothing to back that up though.

If it was a google product then they would have had turn by turn navigation in. One of the rules of googles map api is you can't use it for turn by turn.

If you search for Luton, Hertfordshire, it'll find it.
Are we actually complaining about the software not being psychic?



Yeah, it is. Maps is a bit of a shamble at the moment.
However, I never used Google's offering as it often thought I was a mile or two out in the bay rather than sat at work. I think I've used it once or twice in London.
If you want an alternative navigation app, then I'd suggest either SatNav 2 or NavFree.

Luton's in Herts? Better tell the University of Bedfordshire then.

Apple's just letting the users beta test for it. It's just not outright telling them. (8+)
Google could capitalise on this by bringing out a dedicated map app for iOS.
Even if Apple denied it access to the app store, at least the company would've tried to rectify Apple's messing up.

Mark

Apple is “crowd sourcing” it - in other words, if you see a mistake, you can post a correction.

No,w I have no idea whether that’s good or bad. I feel that Apple are saying “here’s some crappy data - sort it out for us”. That’s wrong. With the launch of the iPhone 4S, we got Siri. That was clearly marked as Bata - and Apple were pretty open that during the Bata phase, they were improving Siri’s responses. The more you use it, the better it gets. This didn’t stop Ann Robinson and Watchdog ripping into it though. However, Siri in iOS6 now knows where my local branch of Starbucks is, despite me asking for Costa!

Maps is clearly beta - and in a similar same state that Siri was last year. This time, though, Apple has not said it was “beta” and it’s expecting us, the user, to fix the problem. The biggest hit will be on those poor iPhone 5 owners who won’t have the chance to hold back on an iOS upgrade. They are paying for a phone with, frankly, broken, degraded software which is being touted as a major feature.

I have noticed in the Maps app that if you choose the Hybrid view, you lose a lot of the streets, so detail can get lost.

Here is a segment of Chelmsford using the standard view:


And here is the same shot, this time in Hybrid mode.


You will notice that the hybrid version loses a lot of street detail, and names. I assume that the expectation is that the satellite view will be clear and display the hidden roads. However, as you can see from this, that’s not happening. I have seen screen shots where this works, and when it does, it works well. However, outside of major conurbations, it seems that the detail (both in terms of labels and satellite imagery) is lost in a very bad way.


They could just improve on the Google Earth app. Why have two apps when they already have a perfectly good mapping app on the iOS platform?

Anyway, pictures have been recently released of the Maps lead engineer meeting an irate customer:

If Google do release a stand alone app it could get very interesting how Apple deal with it.

Well, Google Chrome is there, which directly competes with Safari. When the App Store opened, it was evident that apps that directly competed with existing default apps would not be allowed. So browsers, email clients, etc. were not allowed.

However, it seems that those rules have relaxed as the store matures. I would expect the Google maps app to be allowed in. The key here is data - and Apple knows that any app that access maps data must go through official channels, so Google's offering won't be a data source, nor will Google get any search or useable data from that kind of access.

So, while a Google maps app could happen, it will be just another app - not something embedded in the core OS providing data for others.

Yes I have been doing that. For local places. Only problem is that the satellite image is so bad that you cannot be accurate with moving the location. Not that you can at the moment. The pin does not seem to be moveable.

The interesting thing here is Google are quite open about beta testing their software on the people who use it - even gmail was marked as a 'beta' for ages. Most of their free stuff - at least the bits they didn't buy in - are in almost perpetual beta of some form. And, to be honest, nobody really minds because, well, it's free.

Now, Apple Maps is patently in reality a beta. The major functionality parts are working but there's large faults in the data set and more than a few bugs. And, well, it's free. But people are up in arms. Why? Because Apple didn't say it was a beta. With Siri, they more or less did. They didn't use the word 'beta' but they were pretty careful to state that it wasn't finished yet but they thought people might like to give it a try. They never did that with Maps. So people expect a finished, polished product.

More fool them, frankly.

Consumer spends £500 on an iPhone 5, expects Apple to provide decent mapping software on the back of ditching Google, more fool them? Trololololololololol.

Jobs will be turning in his iGrave, well if he knew which way to turn.

I remember Apple dumping google maps, and assumed that in the normal Apple style they would come up with something more elegant and intuitive to use. What the hell happened?

AFAIK there is no current google maps app available for iOS6. If you use google maps from a browser is it able to utilise the GPS/ digital compass functions of the handset?

To the comments I've seen from people complaining that their phone is telling them to drive off an overpass or cliff, please do so.