Thread

1. californical · 1790088730 · focus · HN ↗

   Yep, after being a huge Apple Maps advocate for years to family and friends, I have quit it completely after I got a pop up introducing new ads.

   Mostly just using CoMaps now, or Google Maps if I need to look up business hours or get traffic info.

   If Apple has ads too then I might as well just use Google for that stuff since at least it’s probably more correct…

   1. a34729t · 1790092855 · focus · HN ↗

      I just installed Google maps after 4 years and man it is shitty with cosntant recommendations and nags too. I just want a map and search and directions. But Apple maps is sooooo shitty at those...

      1. al_borland · 1790095980 · focus · HN ↗

         I find Apple is better at turn-by-turn navigation, while Google is better at business and POI data. I will usually look stuff up on Google Maps, but use Apple Maps in the car for navigation. Google's navigation is (last I used it) bad at telling me what's next. I'll turn, it will say nothing, then wait until I'm right on top of something to tell me to do it... I find it stressful.

         I've seen several people in this tread mention CoMaps. I took a quick look, and while I want it like it, I can't help but see significant limitations where it might be nice when it works, but I'd always need a backup. In situations like this, I find the backup always just becomes the go-to.

         1. californical · 1790097240 · focus · HN ↗

            CoMaps works really well as a wrapper of OpenStreetMaps. It even has seemingly-accurate hours for a few businesses near me! And if you are willing to dig into accessibility settings on the iPhone you can choose a good quality voice for navigation.

            But yeah it’s offline navigation with all of the limitations that come with that

         2. asdff · 1790097347 · focus · HN ↗

            I never noticed that with google myself. I will say between apple maps and google maps that google maps is far more accurate for traffic estimates. You may be tempted to go with apple maps sitting them side by side when apple says its 6 mins faster than google. That is not apple maps finding some magic route. That is apple maps being dumb.
      2. wnolens · 1790196490 · focus · HN ↗

         Try MapQuest. It's basic and has a charming theme
   2. qwerpy · 1790094086 · focus · HN ↗

      My unpleasant introduction to Apple Maps ads recently was opening it to look for nearby restaurants, and seeing an ad for a domestic violence lawyer nearby. Apple has now lost all credibility when it comes to respecting the user, not that they had much left at this point.

      1. joquarky · 1790101434 · focus · HN ↗

         What I don't understand is that all of our data is being gathered everywhere for decades now, but the ads are still not targeted with any degree of precision.

         1. SllX · 1790140185 · focus · HN ↗

            Apple is not at Google’s level of surveillance-based adware. With these new changes to Maps, they now have new incentives to eventually catch up, but their targeting is bad because they suck at targeting, because they built their business around not collecting all that data & displaying targeted ads.

            That said, if that’s the direction they’re going, I don’t need to help encourage them. I deleted Apple Maps off my phone & iPad, & switched back to Google Maps after like 10 years on Apple Maps. The hardware I buy is expensive enough & has profit margins high enough that Apple should never be trying to show me ads—targeted or otherwise—inside the basic functionality of their phones, and Maps is very much marketed as a feature of the hardware they sell. Also Google Maps is just better.

   3. zamalek · 1790178343 · focus · HN ↗

      Disclaimer: I haven't used it for about a year, I simply don't drive enough at the moment - I doubt it has declined in quality.

      TomTom is an extremely good paid ($6/mo) nav app - if you appreciate not being a product. It seems to now be named "TomTom Go Expert: Truck GPS" but does still have car mode. You _have_ to download maps, it's fundamentally offline. Routing is fantastic. They've been around since car nav was devices that you purchased.

      The only area where it falls behind is finding businesses, but Google and Apple will probably always be rulers there.

   4. mahboi · 1790288447 · focus · HN ↗

      I only use Apple Maps because it drains battery less

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.