Maps in iOS 6

stephendore

Has anyone else noticed how absolutely terrible the Maps app is in iOS 6 for Ireland?

Most of the data is plain WRONG!

smash

Is this not to do with old data from google?

stephendore

smash wrote: »

Is this not to do with old data from google?

Hmm, no? The Google data was correct sure? I mean that many place names are incorrect. For example Killarney is called Kerry, Westmeath is West Meath, Bray is Bri Chualann (the old but now incorrect Irish name).
UCD is called "University of Dublin", which is of course the official name of Trinity! I would be all day pointing out more of them!

Of course, these places are lucky enough to even have their names on the map! Many placenames are just completely absent!

I know its a Beta, but I dont understand how they could get things so wrong, and i really hope they fix them because its getting very close to Autumn!

smash

Have they stopped using google maps on iOS6 or something then?

squonk

that's odd. Weren't they getting their data from TomTom? They certainly don't have beta products right now. I really hope this is just a test version and more accurate online data will be wheeled out soon enough once the OS goes live.

Right now it's bloody bad enough not having a version of Siri that works correctly with Irish accents despite having their EMEA headquarters here, but going to back of the queue for maps as well sounds crap, even dangerous seeing as how we've all become accustomed to using and relying on our phones for navigation over the past few years.

stephendore

smash wrote: »

Have they stopped using google maps on iOS6 or something then?

Yep, they use data from Tom Tom and others now!

smash

stephendore wrote: »

Yep, they use data from Tom Tom and others now!

Ah here...

stephendore

squonk wrote: »

that's odd. Weren't they getting their data from TomTom? They certainly don't have beta products right now. I really hope this is just a test version and more accurate online data will be wheeled out soon enough once the OS goes live.

Right now it's bloody bad enough not having a version of Siri that works correctly with Irish accents despite having their EMEA headquarters here, but going to back of the queue for maps as well sounds crap, even dangerous seeing as how we've all become accustomed to using and relying on our phones for navigation over the past few years.

Yeah exactly, thats what makes it so strange! With Tom Tom's already accurate data, how COULD they even get this stuff wrong like?
As for Siri, I personally haven't had many problems with it, but I have had people with West accents try it out and I certainly agree with how unreliable it is!

Even if you were to putt his stuff aside, its unforgivable that we don't have a DAMN APPLE STORE :P!

stephendore

Mr.S wrote: »

Yep they've dropped Google maps on iOS 6, have their own maps.


Looks dreafull so far.

Well it LOOKS nice, because, being Apple, the maps are visually appealing :P
But it definitely IS dreadful haha!

bkehoe

The POI database in Ireland and the UK is rubbish at the moment too. I was in London last week and the first thing I did when I got home was downgrade my daily use 4S to 5.1.1 purely to get the old Google Maps back as I just couldn't find anything I wanted to find with the Apple Maps. I'm keeping it on my iPad and '4' in order to test various things but for my main use device I couldn't stand it.

Also even in Waterford they have a POI for a train station thats been closed 50 years and demolished almost as long ago!

Yes they are making improvements to the visual appeal aspect throughout the last few betas but so far the data source just seems poor and it needs a lot more work to be comparable to the existing maps.

I really hope Google have a Maps app in the pipeline for when iOS6 is released.

_ricochet_

bkehoe wrote: »

The POI database in Ireland and the UK is rubbish at the moment too. I was in London last week and the first thing I did when I got home was downgrade my daily use 4S to 5.1.1 purely to get the old Google Maps back as I just couldn't find anything I wanted to find with the Apple Maps. I'm keeping it on my iPad and '4' in order to test various things but for my main use device I couldn't stand it.

Also even in Waterford they have a POI for a train station thats been closed 50 years and demolished almost as long ago!

Yes they are making improvements to the visual appeal aspect throughout the last few betas but so far the data source just seems poor and it needs a lot more work to be comparable to the existing maps.

I really hope Google have a Maps app in the pipeline for when iOS6 is released.

Yeah they will have iMaps. Also when the license expires you will no longer be able to have the current map app. From what I know the end of contract with google for their maps app ties nicely in with the release of the iPhone 5.

brav

stephendore wrote: »

Hmm, no? The Google data was correct sure? I mean that many place names are incorrect. For example Killarney is called Kerry, Westmeath is West Meath, Bray is Bri Chualann (the old but now incorrect Irish name).
UCD is called "University of Dublin", which is of course the official name of Trinity! I would be all day pointing out more of them!

Of course, these places are lucky enough to even have their names on the map! Many placenames are just completely absent!

I know its a Beta, but I dont understand how they could get things so wrong, and i really hope they fix them because its getting very close to Autumn!

I hope you have submitted these bugs on the developer page so that we might have a proper version when it is released to us

Bigcheeze

Presumably an App store version of google maps will be released when ios6 comes out ?

Duggys Housemate

Because the new maps don't use tiles - they are vector drawings - the data is added afterwards, the tiles don't need an update for information So it can get better at any time as they add the data to their servers. When they add the Tom Tom data for Ireland, for instance.

The satellite maps and 3d have gotten better in the latest release. I think it will be up to scratch on release with the exception of street view.

Stainless_Steel

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

Because the new maps don't use tiles - they are vector drawings - the data is added afterwards, the tiles don't need an update for information So it can get better at any time as they add the data to their servers. When they add the Tom Tom data for Ireland, for instance.

The satellite maps and 3d have gotten better in the latest release. I think it will be up to scratch on release with the exception of street view.

This is a good point. The maps app isn't missing the data, the apple servers are! This will probably be sorted come autumn.

squonk

Street view is something I'm going to miss. It's incredibly useful. I use it quite a bit when I'm heading for bars or shops in a part of the city I don't know that well, or even for other parts of the country. Flyover is really just a bit of bling. It looks cool and you'll play with it for the first month but after that it'll never be used again unless you're pretty bored.

I know streetview's usefulness is finite too in that 10 years down the line, if you're using it to look for a bar or something you might not find what you're looking for if the data is old but a flyover is pointless 100% of the time!

I really wish they'd played nice enough with Google to even licence streetview from them going forward. Perhaps Google might not permit licencing of just StreetView but I think the iPhone mapping software is always going to suck without it, unless we're going to see little AppleMobiles going around the country with cameras on them as well!

Creamy Goodness

map in beta 3 have seriously gotten much more detailed since beta 2. more roads are showing at certain zoom levels where they weren't before.

don't worry about missing street view, google will launch with their own map app after iOS 6 launches.

dmcg90

I fail to see how this won't not end up being a big PR disaster for Apple. I see this happening:

1. iOS6 is released - Maps servers are overloaded and no-one can access maps reliably for a few days

2. Servers improve and demand lowers, people slowly find out maps aren't as great as they used to be.

3. Google announce a Maps app for iPhone

4. Apple refuse to publish the app

*implodes*

Duggys Housemate

dmcg90 wrote: »

I fail to see how this won't not end up being a big PR disaster for Apple. I see this happening:

1. iOS6 is released - Maps servers are overloaded and no-one can access maps reliably for a few days

2. Servers improve and demand lowers, people slowly find out maps aren't as great as they used to be.

3. Google announce a Maps app for iPhone

4. Apple refuse to publish the app

*implodes*

They will publish the app. I think on release it will look fine except for missing street view.

Hogzy

Google might wait to see if The Apple map app is a success, if it's a flop then google might limit google maps to just android (like they did with their navigation app). It might give android another leg over apple.

Im just speculating though

Stainless_Steel

I dunno, I don't think this will be a failure. Apple are making a strategic decision to move away from Google. I don't think they have underestimated the work involved in pulling this off. We will see when it's released, and only then can we judge.

Creamy Goodness

apple will have to publish the app. they'd be swimming deep in anti-competitiveness lawsuits if they don't have a valid enough reason to decline it (i.e. it uses private APIs etc.)

LoYL

Apple have got it wrong wrong wrong. Mind you they'll be big in China with iphone 5 and iOS6 even with ridiculous maps. But the tide has turned.

pfurey101

I travel a lot and use Google maps for directions. Im not going to spend money on SaNav apps when Google Maps are free - and excellent.

Ill be running out my contract on this iPhone and opting for the Galaxy Next. All my sales enquiries are in an Access online database and I just love the screen size (dont want a tablet and smartphone).

Directions and browsers are my priorities so thanks Apple for helping me make up my mind!

Twats!

I'm holding off for now to see if Google are allowed to release their own maps app. If not then I'm off to Android.

Duggys Housemate

This is looking like a public relationship disaster for Apple. It depends on how good the maps are at launch, and peoples general fondness for street view.

Most of the whining on this thread is down to stories - even now outdated - on the pre release versions. As I pointed out Apples maps decouple the data from the maps. However they have to have all the data at launch. One thing for sure the 3d is just a gimmick.

Hogzy

Google Maps just got a hell of a lot better for 10 countries in the world. One of which is Ireland.

They have massively updated the detail of it. I think i would miss Google Maps alot more than i would miss IOS. If i dont have access to Google Maps then ill be jumping to Android also.

Duggys Housemate

Why don't we wait and see the released version. They can afford all the data in the world from yelp and Tom Tom etc.

jeromeof

Thinking of putting the latest Beta (4 I think) on my iPhone4S. Any idea if the IOS maps is acceptable yet for Ireland? Have Apple loaded any more data? I heard in the initial beta the maps for Ireland were dreadful.

Qwerty Dub

jeromeof wrote: »

Thinking of putting the latest Beta (4 I think) on my iPhone4S. Any idea if the IOS maps is acceptable yet for Ireland? Have Apple loaded any more data? I heard in the initial beta the maps for Ireland were dreadful.

I put IOS6 (Beta 4) on my iPad 2 this morning. The first thing I checked out was the Maps App. Very disappointing. I will miss the streetview function big time, but apart from that even the satellite view is very poor compared to Google Maps. Really hoping that Google put an App in the App Store and Apple approve it.

I have the TomTom App and its very good, so why is the IOS version of maps so poor if it gets its data from TomTom?

Duggys Housemate

Qwerty Dub wrote: »

I put IOS6 (Beta 4) on my iPad 2 this morning. The first thing I checked out was the Maps App. Very disappointing. I will miss the streetview function big time, but apart from that even the satellite view is very poor compared to Google Maps. Really hoping that Google put an App in the App Store and Apple approve it.

I have the TomTom App and its very good, so why is the IOS version of maps so poor if it gets its data from TomTom?

Who knows, they need to get it together.

Qwerty Dub

Croke Park on Google Maps App on iPhone 4:





Croke Park on IOS(6) Maps App on iPad 2:





There is a massive difference there. Not to mention the direction and place name mistakes. I typed in Dundrum and it was bringing me to Dundrum, Co. Tipperary without asking me to specify which one I wanted to go to.........like Google Maps would have. Very poor.

Simon201

The new maps all look nice but as others have said there really is some serious downfalls! For instance where are place names, as in small towns and villages. Apart from the road name there is not one bit of text on my picture! OK here's a quiz - what town is in the centre? :D
The winner has to post the same area from google maps!

Creamy Goodness

we're really not comparing like with like here.

apple maps beta (not even public yet)
google maps (been public for 6 years (2006)).

brav

The maps from Apple do look clean, sometimes a bit too clean.
On the other hand, sometimes Googles version can be a bit too cluttered:
Screen Shot 2012-08-24 at 10.45.08.png

Simon201

We have a winner!!

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

apple maps beta

True but jeez shouldn't there be a little bit more information on that map? Surely we're going to see the GM pretty soon. Is there going to be huge differences on that?

Creamy Goodness

maybe there will be, why would they need to have total detailed maps for developers.

they just need to release the bare minimum so we can integrate maps into our apps.

anyone relying on a device that has beta software on it deserves to get lost in this case.

Kenno90

Google are developing their own map app for the iPad, If anything this is good news, it'll make both companies compete for the better experience and make new features for us

They are also doing it for Youtube

Simon201

Christ brav! is that the new 20" iPad!

brav

Simon201 wrote: »

Christ brav! is that the new 20" iPad!

Haha no its the new Apple TV, on off button is at the side, and its a 3:2 screen with 3g and all

bkehoe

Qwerty Dub wrote: »

Not to mention the direction and place name mistakes.

It doesn't appear as if you have the iOS6 map North Aligned, thus the direction errors when compared with the Google Map. Just tap the compass in the top right to North Align the map.

But in any case the iOS6 maps, in their present form, are almost unusable in Ireland.

McGrath5

It is still in Beta, so I will reserve judgement until the public release.

As already stated if you are relying on the beta version for directions it may not be the best idea!

brav

Simon201 wrote: »

The new maps all look nice but as others have said there really is some serious downfalls! For instance where are place names, as in small towns and villages. Apart from the road name there is not one bit of text on my picture! OK here's a quiz - what town is in the centre? :D
The winner has to post the same area from google maps!

Well since the update to Maps last week it is easier to look for towns now:

banquo

Maynooth!

Incidentally, I put in loads of businesses on Yelp! for Maynooth (everything in Manor Mills too) but no sign of them yet.

Simon201

Ha ha and look at Croker now!

Qwerty Dub

Does anyone have a decent suggestion for an alternative to Google Maps?

I used to use it a lot to drop a pin and share the location with people. Now i cant drop a pin on Apple Maps & share with an Android user.

Any suggestions? Can't figure out how (if possible) to drop a pin on the web (mobile) version of Google Maps on iPhone.

Is there any iPhone Apps using Google maps which allow the dropping of a pin & share via SMS/MMS? Ta...

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

grizzly

Have these maps not updated since last year? Dublin Zoo is still showing as being off Dame street! I thought they'd be pushing updates through for the worst offenders.

Hogzy

grizzly wrote: »

Have these maps not updated since last year? Dublin Zoo is still showing as being off Dame street! I thought they'd be pushing updates through for the worst offenders.

I would imagine updates are fed by users reporting errors. Nearly everyone I know with an iPhone uses apple maps therefore nobody is correcting the errors.

grizzly

Do you mean they use Google maps? I've reported loads of mistakes I my neighbourhood, but it never fixed. Mostly business that have closed or are marked in the wrong area.

Hogzy

grizzly wrote: »

Do you mean they use Google maps? I've reported loads of mistakes I my neighbourhood, but it never fixed. Mostly business that have closed or are marked in the wrong area.

Well in that case I am wrong. I corrected a name error on Google maps and got a reply a week later with a thank you and confirmed my correction.

Google 1 - 0 Apple